diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/audioengine.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/audioengine.h
index 7ed03c9388..28c7decbb4 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/audioengine.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/audioengine.h
@@ -246,11 +246,11 @@ public:
     bool                      _in_destructor;
 
     Glib::Threads::Thread*     _hw_reset_event_thread;
-    uint16_t                   _hw_reset_request_count;
-    bool                       _stop_hw_reset_processing;
+    gint                       _hw_reset_request_count;
+    gint                       _stop_hw_reset_processing;
     Glib::Threads::Thread*     _hw_devicelist_update_thread;
-    uint16_t                   _hw_devicelist_update_count;
-    uint16_t                   _stop_hw_devicelist_processing;
+    gint                       _hw_devicelist_update_count;
+    gint                       _stop_hw_devicelist_processing;
     
     void start_hw_event_processing();
 	void stop_hw_event_processing();
diff --git a/libs/ardour/audioengine.cc b/libs/ardour/audioengine.cc
index a1db5d8023..5ca08819a0 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/audioengine.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/audioengine.cc
@@ -82,10 +82,10 @@ AudioEngine::AudioEngine ()
 	, _in_destructor (false)
     , _hw_reset_event_thread(0)
     , _hw_reset_request_count(0)
-    , _stop_hw_reset_processing(false)
+    , _stop_hw_reset_processing(0)
     , _hw_devicelist_update_thread(0)
     , _hw_devicelist_update_count(0)
-    , _stop_hw_devicelist_processing(false)
+    , _stop_hw_devicelist_processing(0)
 {
 	g_atomic_int_set (&m_meter_exit, 0);
     start_hw_event_processing();
@@ -365,8 +365,7 @@ AudioEngine::process_callback (pframes_t nframes)
 void
 AudioEngine::request_backend_reset()
 {
-    //g_atomic_int_inc(&_hw_reset_request_count);
-	_hw_reset_request_count++;
+    g_atomic_int_inc(&_hw_reset_request_count);
 }
 
 
@@ -379,8 +378,7 @@ AudioEngine::do_reset_backend()
         
         if (_hw_reset_request_count && _backend) {
             
-            //g_atomic_int_dec_and_test (&_hw_reset_request_count);
-            _hw_reset_request_count--;
+            g_atomic_int_dec_and_test (&_hw_reset_request_count);
 
             // backup the device name
             std::string name = _backend->device_name ();
@@ -411,8 +409,7 @@ AudioEngine::do_reset_backend()
 void
 AudioEngine::request_device_list_update()
 {
-    //g_atomic_int_inc (&_hw_devicelist_update_count);
-	_hw_devicelist_update_count++;
+    g_atomic_int_inc (&_hw_devicelist_update_count);
 }
 
 
@@ -423,8 +420,7 @@ AudioEngine::do_devicelist_update()
     
     while (!_stop_hw_devicelist_processing) {
         if (_hw_devicelist_update_count) {
-            //g_atomic_int_dec_and_test (&_hw_devicelist_update_count);
-            _hw_devicelist_update_count--;
+            g_atomic_int_dec_and_test (&_hw_devicelist_update_count);
 			DeviceListChanged (); /* EMIT SIGNAL */
         }
         g_usleep(0);
@@ -436,18 +432,14 @@ void
 AudioEngine::start_hw_event_processing()
 {   
     if (_hw_reset_event_thread == 0) {
-        //g_atomic_int_set(&_hw_reset_request_count, 0);
-        //g_atomic_int_set(&_stop_hw_reset_processing, 0);
-		_hw_reset_request_count = 0;
-		_stop_hw_reset_processing = 0;
+        g_atomic_int_set(&_hw_reset_request_count, 0);
+        g_atomic_int_set(&_stop_hw_reset_processing, 0);
         _hw_reset_event_thread = Glib::Threads::Thread::create (boost::bind (&AudioEngine::do_reset_backend, this));
     }
     
     if (_hw_devicelist_update_thread == 0) {
-        //g_atomic_int_set(&_hw_devicelist_update_count, 0);
-        //g_atomic_int_set(&_stop_hw_devicelist_processing, 0);
-		_hw_devicelist_update_count = 0;
-		_stop_hw_devicelist_processing = 0;
+        g_atomic_int_set(&_hw_devicelist_update_count, 0);
+        g_atomic_int_set(&_stop_hw_devicelist_processing, 0);
         _hw_devicelist_update_thread = Glib::Threads::Thread::create (boost::bind (&AudioEngine::do_devicelist_update, this));
     }
 }
@@ -457,19 +449,15 @@ void
 AudioEngine::stop_hw_event_processing()
 {
     if (_hw_reset_event_thread) {
-        //g_atomic_int_set(&_stop_hw_reset_processing, 1);
-        //g_atomic_int_set(&_hw_reset_request_count, 0);
-		_stop_hw_reset_processing = 1;
-		_hw_reset_request_count = 0;
+        g_atomic_int_set(&_stop_hw_reset_processing, 1);
+        g_atomic_int_set(&_hw_reset_request_count, 0);
         _hw_reset_event_thread->join ();
         _hw_reset_event_thread = 0;
     }
     
     if (_hw_devicelist_update_thread) {
-        //g_atomic_int_set(&_stop_hw_devicelist_processing, 1);
-        //g_atomic_int_set(&_hw_devicelist_update_count, 0);
-		_stop_hw_devicelist_processing = 1;
-		_hw_devicelist_update_count = 0;
+        g_atomic_int_set(&_stop_hw_devicelist_processing, 1);
+        g_atomic_int_set(&_hw_devicelist_update_count, 0);
         _hw_devicelist_update_thread->join ();
         _hw_devicelist_update_thread = 0;
     }