diff --git a/include/server.h b/include/server.h
index 36b7438a..a0da6c1c 100644
--- a/include/server.h
+++ b/include/server.h
@@ -43,15 +43,15 @@ extern time_t update_time;
 extern int updating_mob;
 
 void mobility_init(void);
-
-/* thread entry points */
-void delete_lostitems(void *);
 void market_init(void);
-void mobility_check(void *);
-void player_kill_idle(void *);
 void update_main(void);
 void update_init(void);
 int update_trigger(time_t);
-void shutdown_sequence(void *);
+int shutdown_initiate(int);
+
+/* thread entry points */
+void delete_lostitems(void *);
+void mobility_check(void *);
+void player_kill_idle(void *);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/info/shutdown.t b/info/shutdown.t
index e081bf1c..811b9f16 100644
--- a/info/shutdown.t
+++ b/info/shutdown.t
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 .NA shutdown "Shut down the server"
 .LV Expert
 .SY "shutdown <minutes> <disable update?>"
-Shutdown the server in <minutes> minutes.  If <minutes> is 0,
+Shutdown the server in <minutes> minutes.  If <minutes> is negative,
 then any previous shutdown request will be canceled.  If
 the second argument is a "n" then updates will not be disabled
 (otherwise they will be).
diff --git a/src/lib/commands/shut.c b/src/lib/commands/shut.c
index c72304d7..2a21e190 100644
--- a/src/lib/commands/shut.c
+++ b/src/lib/commands/shut.c
@@ -49,43 +49,25 @@ shut(void)
 
     shutdown_minutes =
 	onearg(player->argp[1],
-	       "Time until shutdown in minutes (0 to abort shutdown sequence)? ");
-    if (shutdown_minutes < 0)
-	return RET_SYN;
+	       "Time until shutdown in minutes (-1 to abort shutdown sequence)? ");
     if (!updates_disabled())
 	if (!(p = getstarg(player->argp[2], "Disable update [y]? ", buf))
 	    || *p != 'n')
 	    disa();
 
-    shutdown_was_pending = shutdown_pending;
-    shutdown_pending = shutdown_minutes + !!shutdown_minutes;
-    msgbuf[0] = '\0';
+    shutdown_was_pending = shutdown_initiate(shutdown_minutes);
+    if (shutdown_was_pending < 0)
+	return RET_FAIL;
+
     if (shutdown_was_pending) {
-	if (shutdown_minutes) {
-	    sprintf(msgbuf,
-		    ": The shutdown time has been changed to %d minutes!",
-		    shutdown_minutes);
+	if (shutdown_minutes >= 0) {
+	    pr("The shutdown time has been changed to %d minutes!",
+	       shutdown_minutes);
 	} else {
-	    sprintf(msgbuf, ": The server shutdown has been cancelled!");
+	    pr("The server shutdown has been cancelled!");
 	}
     } else if (shutdown_minutes) {
 	pr("Shutdown sequence begun.\n");
-	logerror("Shutdown sequence begun");
-	empth_create(PP_SHUTDOWN, shutdown_sequence, (50 * 1024),
-		     0, "shutdownSeq", "Counts down server shutdown", 0);
-    }
-    us = getnatp(player->cnum);
-    if (msgbuf[0]) {
-	sendmessage(us, 0, msgbuf, 1);
-	pr("%s\n", msgbuf + 2);
-	logerror("%s", msgbuf + 2);
-    }
-    if (shutdown_minutes) {
-	sprintf(msgbuf, ": The server will shut down in %d minutes!",
-		shutdown_minutes);
-	sendmessage(us, 0, msgbuf, 1);
-	pr("%s\n", msgbuf + 2);
-	logerror("%s", msgbuf + 2);
     }
     return RET_OK;
 }
diff --git a/src/lib/subs/pr.c b/src/lib/subs/pr.c
index cec1b316..d9e7a5f0 100644
--- a/src/lib/subs/pr.c
+++ b/src/lib/subs/pr.c
@@ -182,17 +182,26 @@ pr_inform(struct player *pl, char *format, ...)
  * Send C_FLASH text to everyone.
  * Format text to send using printf-style FORMAT and optional
  * arguments.  It is assumed to be plain ASCII.
+ * Prefix text it with a header suitable for broadcast from deity.
  * Initiate an output queue flush, but do not wait for it to complete.
  */
 void
 pr_wall(char *format, ...)
 {
+    time_t now;
+    struct tm *tm;
     char buf[4096];		/* UTF-8 */
+    int n;
     struct player *p;
     va_list ap;
 
+    time(&now);
+    tm = localtime(&now);
+    n = sprintf(buf, "BROADCAST from %s @ %02d:%02d: ",
+		getnatp(0)->nat_cnam, tm->tm_hour, tm->tm_min);
+
     va_start(ap, format);
-    (void)vsprintf(buf, format, ap);
+    (void)vsprintf(buf + n, format, ap);
     va_end(ap);
     for (p = player_next(0); p; p = player_next(p)) {
 	if (p->state != PS_PLAYING)
diff --git a/src/server/shutdown.c b/src/server/shutdown.c
index bf819061..1086b1c6 100644
--- a/src/server/shutdown.c
+++ b/src/server/shutdown.c
@@ -42,46 +42,66 @@
 
 int shutdown_pending;
 
-void
+static void shutdown_sequence(void *unused);
+
+int
+shutdown_initiate(int mins_from_now)
+{
+    int old_pending = shutdown_pending;
+
+    if (mins_from_now < 0) {
+	if (shutdown_pending) {
+	    shutdown_pending = 0;
+	    pr_wall("The server shutdown has been cancelled!\n");
+	}
+	return old_pending;
+    }
+
+    shutdown_pending = mins_from_now + 1;
+
+    if (old_pending) {
+	pr_wall("The shutdown time has been changed to %d minutes!\n",
+		mins_from_now);
+	/* FIXME wake up shutdown_sequence() */
+    } else {
+	if (!empth_create(PP_SHUTDOWN, shutdown_sequence, 50 * 1024,
+			  0, "shutdownSeq", "Counts down server shutdown",
+			  NULL))
+	    return -1;
+    }
+
+    return old_pending;
+}
+
+static void
 shutdown_sequence(void *unused)
 {
-    struct natstr *god;
-    struct tm *tm;
     time_t now;
-    char header[100];
 
-    if (shutdown_pending <= 0) {
-	shutdown_pending = 0;
-	logerror("shutdown called with 0 shutdown_pending");
-	empth_exit();
-	return;
-    }
-    god = getnatp(0);
+    pr_wall("The server will shut down in %d minutes!\n",
+	    shutdown_pending - 1);
+
     while (shutdown_pending > 0) {
 	--shutdown_pending;
 	time(&now);
 	if (shutdown_pending <= 1440) {	/* one day */
-	    tm = localtime(&now);
-	    sprintf(header, "BROADCAST from %s @ %02d:%02d: ",
-		    god->nat_cnam, tm->tm_hour, tm->tm_min);
-	    if (!shutdown_pending) {
-		pr_wall("%sServer shutting down NOW!\n", header);
+	    if (shutdown_pending == 0) {
 		shutdwn(0);
 	    } else if (shutdown_pending == 1) {
-		pr_wall("%sServer shutting down in 1 minute!\n", header);
+		pr_wall("Server shutting down in 1 minute!\n");
 	    } else if (shutdown_pending <= 5) {
-		pr_wall("%sServer shutting down in %d minutes!\n",
-			header, shutdown_pending);
+		pr_wall("Server shutting down in %d minutes!\n",
+			shutdown_pending);
 	    } else if (shutdown_pending <= 60
 		       && shutdown_pending % 10 == 0) {
-		pr_wall("%sThe server will be shutting down in %d minutes!\n",
-			header, shutdown_pending);
+		pr_wall("The server will be shutting down in %d minutes!\n",
+			shutdown_pending);
 	    } else if (shutdown_pending % 60 == 0) {
-		pr_wall("%sThe server will be shutting down %d hours from now.\n",
-			header, shutdown_pending / 60);
+		pr_wall("The server will be shutting down %d hours from now.\n",
+			shutdown_pending / 60);
 	    }
 	}
+	/* FIXME error due to late wakeup accumulates */
 	empth_sleep(now + 60);
     }
-    empth_exit();
 }