diff --git a/extra/ui/backend/backend.factor b/extra/ui/backend/backend.factor
index d95cbd69ed..7ca09b89b4 100755
--- a/extra/ui/backend/backend.factor
+++ b/extra/ui/backend/backend.factor
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ IN: ui.backend
 
 SYMBOL: ui-backend
 
+HOOK: do-events ui-backend ( -- )
+
 HOOK: set-title ui-backend ( string world -- )
 
 HOOK: set-fullscreen* ui-backend ( ? world -- )
diff --git a/extra/ui/cocoa/cocoa.factor b/extra/ui/cocoa/cocoa.factor
index 59adcf9af1..10980249f3 100755
--- a/extra/ui/cocoa/cocoa.factor
+++ b/extra/ui/cocoa/cocoa.factor
@@ -14,18 +14,8 @@ C: <handle> handle
 
 SINGLETON: cocoa-ui-backend
 
-SYMBOL: stop-after-last-window?
-
-: event-loop? ( -- ? )
-    stop-after-last-window? get-global
-    [ windows get-global empty? not ] [ t ] if ;
-
-: event-loop ( -- )
-    event-loop? [
-        [
-            [ NSApp do-events ui-wait ] ui-try
-        ] with-autorelease-pool event-loop
-    ] when ;
+M: cocoa-ui-backend do-events ( -- )
+    [ [ NSApp do-events ui-wait ] ui-try ] with-autorelease-pool ;
 
 TUPLE: pasteboard handle ;
 
@@ -112,6 +102,7 @@ M: cocoa-ui-backend ui
     "UI" assert.app [
         [
             init-clipboard
+            stop-after-last-window? off
             cocoa-init-hook get [ call ] when*
             start-ui
             finish-launching
diff --git a/extra/ui/ui.factor b/extra/ui/ui.factor
index 12565235ab..e864d39f39 100755
--- a/extra/ui/ui.factor
+++ b/extra/ui/ui.factor
@@ -10,6 +10,18 @@ IN: ui
 ! Assoc mapping aliens to gadgets
 SYMBOL: windows
 
+SYMBOL: stop-after-last-window?
+
+: event-loop? ( -- ? )
+    {
+        { [ stop-after-last-window? get not ] [ t ] }
+        { [ graft-queue dlist-empty? not ] [ t ] }
+        { [ windows get-global empty? not ] [ t ] }
+        [ f ]
+    } cond ;
+
+: event-loop ( -- ) [ event-loop? ] [ do-events ] [ ] while ;
+
 : window ( handle -- world ) windows get-global at ;
 
 : window-focus ( handle -- gadget ) window world-focus ;
@@ -201,5 +213,9 @@ MAIN: ui
         call
     ] [
         f windows set-global
-        ui-hook [ ui ] with-variable
+        [
+            ui-hook set
+            stop-after-last-window? on
+            ui
+        ] with-scope
     ] if ;
diff --git a/extra/ui/windows/windows.factor b/extra/ui/windows/windows.factor
index e3e1fc5124..5e17d02542 100755
--- a/extra/ui/windows/windows.factor
+++ b/extra/ui/windows/windows.factor
@@ -387,17 +387,12 @@ SYMBOL: trace-messages?
 
 : peek-message? ( msg -- ? ) f 0 0 PM_REMOVE PeekMessage zero? ;
 
-: event-loop ( msg -- )
-    {
-        { [ windows get empty? ] [ drop ] }
-        { [ dup peek-message? ] [ ui-wait event-loop ] }
-        { [ dup MSG-message WM_QUIT = ] [ drop ] }
-        [
-            dup TranslateMessage drop
-            dup DispatchMessage drop
-            event-loop
-        ]
-    } cond ;
+M: windows-ui-backend do-events
+    msg-obj get-global
+    dup peek-message? [ drop ui-wait ] [
+        [ TranslateMessage drop ]
+        [ DispatchMessage drop ] bi
+    ] if ;
 
 : register-wndclassex ( -- class )
     "WNDCLASSEX" <c-object>
@@ -500,10 +495,11 @@ M: windows-ui-backend set-title ( string world -- )
 M: windows-ui-backend ui
     [
         [
+            stop-after-last-window? on
             init-clipboard
             init-win32-ui
             start-ui
-            msg-obj get event-loop
+            event-loop
         ] [ cleanup-win32-ui ] [ ] cleanup
     ] ui-running ;
 
diff --git a/extra/ui/x11/x11.factor b/extra/ui/x11/x11.factor
index 606a45eba5..50d383e6b8 100755
--- a/extra/ui/x11/x11.factor
+++ b/extra/ui/x11/x11.factor
@@ -183,15 +183,10 @@ M: world client-event
         ui-wait wait-event
     ] if ;
 
-: do-events ( -- )
+M: x11-ui-backend do-events
     wait-event dup XAnyEvent-window window dup
     [ [ 2dup handle-event ] assert-depth ] when 2drop ;
 
-: event-loop ( -- )
-    windows get empty? [
-        [ do-events ] ui-try event-loop
-    ] unless ;
-
 : x-clipboard@ ( gadget clipboard -- prop win )
     x-clipboard-atom swap
     find-world world-handle x11-handle-window ;
@@ -254,6 +249,7 @@ M: x11-ui-backend ui ( -- )
     [
         f [
             [
+                stop-after-last-window? on
                 init-clipboard
                 start-ui
                 event-loop