diff --git a/src/gui/src/IpcClient.cpp b/src/gui/src/IpcClient.cpp
index 4955a1c6..dc305d50 100644
--- a/src/gui/src/IpcClient.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/src/IpcClient.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@
 #include "Ipc.h"
 
 IpcClient::IpcClient() :
-m_ReaderStarted(false)
+m_ReaderStarted(false),
+m_Enabled(false)
 {
 	m_Socket = new QTcpSocket(this);
 	connect(m_Socket, SIGNAL(connected()), this, SLOT(connected()));
@@ -49,6 +50,8 @@ void IpcClient::connected()
 
 void IpcClient::connectToHost()
 {
+	m_Enabled = true;
+
 	infoMessage("connecting to service...");
 	m_Socket->connectToHost(QHostAddress(QHostAddress::LocalHost), IPC_PORT);
 
@@ -58,6 +61,13 @@ void IpcClient::connectToHost()
 	}
 }
 
+void IpcClient::disconnectFromHost()
+{
+	infoMessage("service disconnect");
+	m_Reader->stop();
+	m_Socket->close();
+}
+
 void IpcClient::error(QAbstractSocket::SocketError error)
 {
 	QString text;
@@ -69,7 +79,14 @@ void IpcClient::error(QAbstractSocket::SocketError error)
 
 	errorMessage(QString("ipc connection error, %1").arg(text));
 
-	QTimer::singleShot(1000, this, SLOT(connectToHost()));
+	QTimer::singleShot(1000, this, SLOT(retryConnect()));
+}
+
+void IpcClient::retryConnect()
+{
+	if (m_Enabled) {
+		connectToHost();
+	}
 }
 
 void IpcClient::write(int code, int length, const char* data)
diff --git a/src/gui/src/IpcClient.h b/src/gui/src/IpcClient.h
index d04617ab..7e232800 100644
--- a/src/gui/src/IpcClient.h
+++ b/src/gui/src/IpcClient.h
@@ -32,9 +32,11 @@ public:
 	virtual ~IpcClient();
 
 	void write(int code, int length, const char* data);
+	void connectToHost();
+	void disconnectFromHost();
 
 public slots:
-	void connectToHost();
+	void retryConnect();
 
 private:
 	void intToBytes(int value, char* buffer, int size);
@@ -53,4 +55,5 @@ private:
 	QTcpSocket* m_Socket;
 	IpcReader* m_Reader;
 	bool m_ReaderStarted;
+	bool m_Enabled;
 };
diff --git a/src/gui/src/IpcReader.cpp b/src/gui/src/IpcReader.cpp
index eade55cf..c72b2bcf 100644
--- a/src/gui/src/IpcReader.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/src/IpcReader.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,11 @@ void IpcReader::start()
 	connect(m_Socket, SIGNAL(readyRead()), this, SLOT(read()));
 }
 
+void IpcReader::stop()
+{
+	disconnect(m_Socket, SIGNAL(readyRead()), this, SLOT(read()));
+}
+
 void IpcReader::read()
 {
 	QMutexLocker locker(&m_Mutex);
diff --git a/src/gui/src/IpcReader.h b/src/gui/src/IpcReader.h
index 5ca49127..1b0dec3b 100644
--- a/src/gui/src/IpcReader.h
+++ b/src/gui/src/IpcReader.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ public:
 	IpcReader(QTcpSocket* socket);
 	virtual ~IpcReader();
 	void start();
+	void stop();
 
 signals:
 	void readLogLine(const QString& text);
diff --git a/src/gui/src/MainWindow.cpp b/src/gui/src/MainWindow.cpp
index 4a17cd84..e443b3eb 100644
--- a/src/gui/src/MainWindow.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/src/MainWindow.cpp
@@ -77,7 +77,13 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(QSettings& settings, AppConfig& appConfig) :
 	m_versionChecker.setApp(appPath(appConfig.synergycName()));
 
 	m_SetupWizard = new SetupWizard(*this, false);
-	connect(m_SetupWizard, SIGNAL(finished(int)), this, SLOT(refreshStartButton()));
+	connect(m_SetupWizard, SIGNAL(finished(int)), this, SLOT(onModeChanged()));
+
+	// ipc must always be enabled, so that we can disable command when switching to desktop mode.
+	connect(&m_IpcClient, SIGNAL(readLogLine(const QString&)), this, SLOT(appendLogRaw(const QString&)));
+	connect(&m_IpcClient, SIGNAL(errorMessage(const QString&)), this, SLOT(appendLogError(const QString&)));
+	connect(&m_IpcClient, SIGNAL(infoMessage(const QString&)), this, SLOT(appendLogInfo(const QString&)));
+	m_IpcClient.connectToHost();
 }
 
 MainWindow::~MainWindow()
@@ -89,21 +95,7 @@ MainWindow::~MainWindow()
 
 void MainWindow::start(bool firstRun)
 {
-	refreshStartButton();
-
-	if (appConfig().processMode() == Service)
-	{
-		connect(&m_IpcClient, SIGNAL(readLogLine(const QString&)), this, SLOT(appendLogRaw(const QString&)));
-		connect(&m_IpcClient, SIGNAL(errorMessage(const QString&)), this, SLOT(appendLogError(const QString&)));
-		connect(&m_IpcClient, SIGNAL(infoMessage(const QString&)), this, SLOT(appendLogInfo(const QString&)));
-		m_IpcClient.connectToHost();
-		startSynergy();
-	}
-
-	if (appConfig().processMode() == Desktop && !firstRun && appConfig().autoConnect())
-	{
-		startSynergy();
-	}
+	onModeChanged(firstRun);
 
 	createTrayIcon();
 
@@ -113,6 +105,33 @@ void MainWindow::start(bool firstRun)
 	m_versionChecker.checkLatest();
 }
 
+void MainWindow::onModeChanged()
+{
+	onModeChanged(false);
+}
+
+void MainWindow::onModeChanged(bool firstRun)
+{
+	refreshStartButton();
+
+	stopSynergy();
+
+	if (appConfig().processMode() == Service)
+	{
+		startSynergy();
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		// cause the service to stop creating processes.
+		sendDaemonCommand("", false);
+	}
+
+	if (appConfig().processMode() == Desktop && !firstRun && appConfig().autoConnect())
+	{
+		startSynergy();
+	}
+}
+
 void MainWindow::refreshStartButton()
 {
 	if (appConfig().processMode() == Service)
@@ -322,9 +341,6 @@ void MainWindow::startSynergy()
 
 	if (desktopMode)
 	{
-		// cause the service to stop creating processes.
-		sendDaemonCommand("", false);
-
 		stopSynergy();
 		setSynergyState(synergyConnecting);
 	}
diff --git a/src/gui/src/MainWindow.h b/src/gui/src/MainWindow.h
index 0f5d64f5..0ab46745 100644
--- a/src/gui/src/MainWindow.h
+++ b/src/gui/src/MainWindow.h
@@ -112,6 +112,8 @@ class MainWindow : public QMainWindow, public Ui::MainWindowBase
 		void logError();
 		void updateFound(const QString& version);
 		void refreshStartButton();
+		void onModeChanged();
+		void onModeChanged(bool firstRun);
 
 	protected:
 		QSettings& settings() { return m_Settings; }