diff --git a/lib/mu-async-queue.hh b/lib/mu-async-queue.hh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..af4773ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/mu-async-queue.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,185 @@
+/*
+** Copyright (C) 2019 Dirk-Jan C. Binnema <djcb@djcbsoftware.nl>
+**
+** This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+** under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
+** Free Software Foundation; either version 3, or (at your option) any
+** later version.
+**
+** This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+** but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+** MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+** GNU General Public License for more details.
+**
+** You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+** along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
+** Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
+**
+*/
+
+#ifndef __MU_ASYNC_QUEUE_HH__
+#define __MU_ASYNC_QUEUE_HH__
+
+#include <deque>
+#include <mutex>
+#include <chrono>
+#include <condition_variable>
+
+namespace Mu {
+
+constexpr std::size_t UnlimitedAsyncQueueSize{0};
+
+template <typename    ItemType, /**< the type of Item to queue */
+          std::size_t MaxSize = UnlimitedAsyncQueueSize, /**< maximum size for the queue */
+          typename Allocator  = std::allocator<ItemType>> /**< allocator the items */
+
+class AsyncQueue {
+public:
+        using value_type      = ItemType;
+        using allocator_type  = Allocator;
+        using size_type       = std::size_t;
+        using reference       = value_type&;
+        using const_reference = const value_type&;
+        using pointer         = typename std::allocator_traits<allocator_type>::pointer;
+        using const_pointer   = typename std::allocator_traits<allocator_type>::const_pointer;
+        using Timeout         = std::chrono::steady_clock::duration;
+
+        bool push (const value_type& item, Timeout timeout = {}) {
+                return push(std::move(value_type(item)));
+        }
+
+        /**
+         * Push an item to the end of the queue by moving it. If the queue is unlimited,
+         * the timeout is ignored.
+         *
+         * @param item the item to move to the end of the queue
+         * @param timeout and optional timeout
+         *
+         * @return true if the item was pushed; false otherwise.
+         */
+        bool push (value_type&& item, Timeout timeout={}) {
+
+                std::lock_guard lock{m_};
+
+                if constexpr (!unlimited()) {
+                        const auto rv = cv_full_.wait_for(lock, timeout,[&](){
+                                 return !full_unlocked();}) && !full_unlocked();
+                        if (!rv)
+                                return false;
+                }
+
+                q_.emplace_back(std::move(item));
+                lock.unlock();
+
+                cv_empty_.notify_one();
+                return true;
+        }
+
+        /**
+         * Pop and item from the queue
+         *
+         * @param item receives the popped item (or nothing)
+         * @param timeout optional time to wait for an item to become available
+         *
+         * @return true if item was set; false otherwise.
+         */
+        bool pop (value_type& item, Timeout timeout = Timeout{}) {
+
+                std::lock_guard lock{m_};
+
+                if (timeout != Timeout{}) {
+                        const auto rv = cv_empty_.wait_for(lock, timeout,[&]() {
+                                 return !q_.empty(); }) && !q_.empty();
+                        if (!rv)
+                                return false;
+
+                } else if (q_.empty())
+                        return false;
+
+                item = std::move(q_.front());
+                q_.pop_front();
+
+                lock.unlock();
+                cv_full_.notify_one();
+
+                return true;
+        }
+
+        /**
+         * Clear the queue
+         *
+         */
+        void clear() {
+                LOCKED;
+                q_.clear();
+                lock.unlock();
+                cv_full_.notify_one();
+        }
+
+        /**
+         * Size of the queue
+         *
+         *
+         * @return the size
+         */
+        size_type size() const {
+                std::lock_guard lock{m_};
+                return q_.size();
+        }
+
+        /**
+         * Maximum size of the queue if specified through the template
+         * parameter; otherwise the (theoretical) max_size of the inner
+         * container.
+         *
+         * @return the maximum size
+         */
+        size_type max_size() const {
+                if constexpr (unlimited())
+                        return q_.max_size();
+                else
+                        return MaxSize;
+        }
+
+        /**
+         * Is the queue empty?
+         *
+         * @return true or false
+         */
+        bool empty() const {
+                std::lock_guard lock{m_};
+                return q_.empty();
+        }
+
+        /**
+         * Is the queue full? Returns false unless a maximum size was specified
+         * (as a template argument)
+         *
+         * @return true or false.
+         */
+        bool full() const {
+                if constexpr (unlimited())
+                        return false;
+
+                std::lock_guard lock{m_};
+                return full_unlocked();
+        }
+
+        /**
+         * Is this queue (theoretically) unlimited in size?
+         *
+         * @return true or false
+         */
+        constexpr static bool unlimited() { return MaxSize == UnlimitedAsyncQueueSize; }
+
+private:
+        bool full_unlocked() const { return q_.size() >= max_size(); }
+
+        std::deque<ItemType, Allocator> q_;
+        mutable std::mutex              m_;
+        std::condition_variable         cv_full_, cv_empty_;
+};
+
+} // namespace mu
+
+#endif /* __MU_ASYNC_QUEUE_HH__ */
diff --git a/lib/utils/Makefile.am b/lib/utils/Makefile.am
index 04f616d7..7bfb6990 100644
--- a/lib/utils/Makefile.am
+++ b/lib/utils/Makefile.am
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ noinst_LTLIBRARIES=						\
 	libmu-utils.la
 
 libmu_utils_la_SOURCES=						\
+	mu-async-queue.hh					\
 	mu-date.c						\
 	mu-date.h						\
 	mu-error.hh						\
diff --git a/lib/utils/mu-logger.cc b/lib/utils/mu-logger.cc
index 12466d60..2956148b 100644
--- a/lib/utils/mu-logger.cc
+++ b/lib/utils/mu-logger.cc
@@ -163,10 +163,8 @@ Mu::log_init (const std::string& path, Mu::LogOptions opts)
 void
 Mu::log_uninit ()
 {
-        if (!MuLogInitialized) {
-                g_warning ("logging was not initialized");
+        if (!MuLogInitialized)
                 return;
-        }
 
         if (MuStream.is_open())
                 MuStream.close();
diff --git a/lib/utils/mu-utils.hh b/lib/utils/mu-utils.hh
index 4f011ce4..a5e55f0f 100644
--- a/lib/utils/mu-utils.hh
+++ b/lib/utils/mu-utils.hh
@@ -23,9 +23,11 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <sstream>
 #include <vector>
+#include <chrono>
 #include <cstdarg>
 #include <glib.h>
 #include <ostream>
+#include <iostream>
 
 namespace Mu {
 
@@ -117,7 +119,14 @@ std::string date_to_time_t_string (const std::string& date, bool first);
  */
 std::string date_to_time_t_string (int64_t t);
 
+using SteadyClock  = std::chrono::steady_clock;
 
+static inline int64_t to_ms (SteadyClock::duration dur) {
+        return std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::milliseconds>(dur).count();
+}
+static inline int64_t to_us (SteadyClock::duration dur) {
+        return std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::microseconds>(dur).count();
+}
 
 /**
  * Convert a size string to a size in bytes
@@ -157,6 +166,44 @@ static inline std::string to_string (const T& val)
 }
 
 
+struct MaybeAnsi {
+        explicit MaybeAnsi(bool use_color): color_{use_color} {}
+
+        enum struct Color {
+                Black         = 30,
+                Red           = 31,
+                Green         = 32,
+                Yellow        = 33,
+                Blue          = 34,
+                Magenta       = 35,
+                Cyan          = 36,
+                White         = 37,
+
+                BrightBlack   = 90,
+                BrightRed     = 91,
+                BrightGreen   = 92,
+                BrightYellow  = 93,
+                BrightBlue    = 94,
+                BrightMagenta = 95,
+                BrightCyan    = 96,
+                BrightWhite   = 97,
+        };
+
+        std::string fg(Color c) const { return ansi(c, true); }
+        std::string bg(Color c) const { return ansi(c, false); }
+
+        std::string reset() const { return color_ ? "\x1b[0m" : ""; }
+
+private:
+        std::string ansi(Color c, bool fg=true) const {
+                return color_ ? format("\x1b[%dm", static_cast<int>(c) + (fg ? 0 : 10)) : "";
+        }
+
+        const bool color_;
+};
+
+
+
 /**
  *
  * don't repeat these catch blocks everywhere...