diff --git a/src/blackgui/components/textmessagecomponent.cpp b/src/blackgui/components/textmessagecomponent.cpp
index de0d032f3..74b14eb7b 100644
--- a/src/blackgui/components/textmessagecomponent.cpp
+++ b/src/blackgui/components/textmessagecomponent.cpp
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ namespace BlackGui
             textEdit->insertTextMessage(textMessage);
 
             // sound
-            if (!m_usedAsOverlayWidget && sGui && sGui->getIContextAudio())
+            if (!m_usedAsOverlayWidget && sGui && !sGui->isShuttingDown() && sGui->getIContextAudio())
             {
                 sGui->getIContextAudio()->playNotification(CNotificationSounds::NotificationTextMessagePrivate, true);
             }
diff --git a/src/blackgui/components/textmessagecomponent.h b/src/blackgui/components/textmessagecomponent.h
index e5976efdc..6f5638307 100644
--- a/src/blackgui/components/textmessagecomponent.h
+++ b/src/blackgui/components/textmessagecomponent.h
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ namespace BlackGui
             QScopedPointer<Ui::CTextMessageComponent> ui;
             BlackMisc::CIdentifier m_identifier { "TextMessageComponent", this };
             BlackMisc::CSetting<Settings::TextMessageSettings> m_messageSettings { this, &CTextMessageComponent::onSettingsChanged };
-            bool m_usedAsOverlayWidget = false; //!< disables dockwidget parts
+            bool m_usedAsOverlayWidget = false; //!< disables dockwidget parts if used as overlay widget
 
             //! Enum to widget
             QWidget *getTabWidget(TextMessageTab tab) const;
diff --git a/src/swiftguistandard/swiftguistd.cpp b/src/swiftguistandard/swiftguistd.cpp
index a50941bf2..3dea0f6a2 100644
--- a/src/swiftguistandard/swiftguistd.cpp
+++ b/src/swiftguistandard/swiftguistd.cpp
@@ -447,6 +447,7 @@ void SwiftGuiStd::playNotifcationSound(CNotificationSounds::Notification notific
 {
     if (!m_contextAudioAvailable) { return; }
     if (!ui->comp_MainInfoArea->getSettingsComponent()->playNotificationSounds()) { return; }
+    if (!sGui || sGui->isShuttingDown()) { return; }
     sGui->getIContextAudio()->playNotification(notification, true);
 }