diff --git a/boswatch/utils/timer.py b/boswatch/utils/timer.py
index 0416035..be69ec4 100644
--- a/boswatch/utils/timer.py
+++ b/boswatch/utils/timer.py
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ class RepeatedTimer:
             self._event.clear()
             self._thread = Thread(target=self._target)
             self._thread.name = "RepTim(" + str(self._interval) + ")"
+            self._thread.daemon = True  # start as daemon (thread dies if main program ends)
             self._thread.start()
             logging.debug("start repeatedTimer: %s", self._thread.name)
             return True
diff --git a/test/test_timer.py b/test/test_timer.py
index 4c8b3c6..e567ac5 100644
--- a/test/test_timer.py
+++ b/test/test_timer.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ from boswatch.utils.timer import RepeatedTimer
 
 # todo add more tests to overlap all testcases
 
+
 class Test_Timer:
     """!Unittest for the timer class"""