diff --git a/apps/RenderCadenceCompositor/app/RuntimeLayerController.cpp b/apps/RenderCadenceCompositor/app/RuntimeLayerController.cpp
index 532d529..d145d73 100644
--- a/apps/RenderCadenceCompositor/app/RuntimeLayerController.cpp
+++ b/apps/RenderCadenceCompositor/app/RuntimeLayerController.cpp
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ void RuntimeLayerController::Stop()
 
 ControlActionResult RuntimeLayerController::HandleAddLayer(const std::string& body)
 {
+	CleanupRetiredShaderBuilds();
+
 	std::string shaderId;
 	std::string error;
 	if (!ExtractStringField(body, "shaderId", shaderId, error))
@@ -69,6 +71,8 @@ ControlActionResult RuntimeLayerController::HandleAddLayer(const std::string& bo
 
 ControlActionResult RuntimeLayerController::HandleRemoveLayer(const std::string& body)
 {
+	CleanupRetiredShaderBuilds();
+
 	std::string layerId;
 	std::string error;
 	if (!ExtractStringField(body, "layerId", layerId, error))
@@ -81,7 +85,7 @@ ControlActionResult RuntimeLayerController::HandleRemoveLayer(const std::string&
 	}
 
 	Log("runtime-shader", "Layer removed: " + layerId);
-	StopLayerShaderBuild(layerId);
+	RetireLayerShaderBuild(layerId);
 	PublishRuntimeRenderLayers();
 	return { true, std::string() };
 }
@@ -125,6 +129,9 @@ void RuntimeLayerController::InitializeLayerModel(std::string& runtimeShaderId)
 
 void RuntimeLayerController::StartLayerShaderBuild(const std::string& layerId, const std::string& shaderId)
 {
+	CleanupRetiredShaderBuilds();
+	RetireLayerShaderBuild(layerId);
+
 	{
 		std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(mRuntimeLayerMutex);
 		std::string error;
@@ -135,9 +142,6 @@ void RuntimeLayerController::StartLayerShaderBuild(const std::string& layerId, c
 	RuntimeShaderBridge* bridgePtr = bridge.get();
 	{
 		std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(mShaderBuildMutex);
-		auto existingIt = mShaderBuilds.find(layerId);
-		if (existingIt != mShaderBuilds.end())
-			existingIt->second->Stop();
 		mShaderBuilds[layerId] = std::move(bridge);
 	}
 
@@ -154,7 +158,7 @@ void RuntimeLayerController::StartLayerShaderBuild(const std::string& layerId, c
 		});
 }
 
-void RuntimeLayerController::StopLayerShaderBuild(const std::string& layerId)
+void RuntimeLayerController::RetireLayerShaderBuild(const std::string& layerId)
 {
 	std::unique_ptr<RuntimeShaderBridge> bridge;
 	{
@@ -164,19 +168,45 @@ void RuntimeLayerController::StopLayerShaderBuild(const std::string& layerId)
 			return;
 		bridge = std::move(bridgeIt->second);
 		mShaderBuilds.erase(bridgeIt);
+		bridge->RequestStop();
+		mRetiredShaderBuilds.push_back(std::move(bridge));
 	}
-	bridge->Stop();
+}
+
+void RuntimeLayerController::CleanupRetiredShaderBuilds()
+{
+	std::vector<std::unique_ptr<RuntimeShaderBridge>> readyToStop;
+	{
+		std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(mShaderBuildMutex);
+		for (auto it = mRetiredShaderBuilds.begin(); it != mRetiredShaderBuilds.end();)
+		{
+			if ((*it)->CanStopWithoutWaiting())
+			{
+				readyToStop.push_back(std::move(*it));
+				it = mRetiredShaderBuilds.erase(it);
+				continue;
+			}
+			++it;
+		}
+	}
+
+	for (std::unique_ptr<RuntimeShaderBridge>& bridge : readyToStop)
+		bridge->Stop();
 }
 
 void RuntimeLayerController::StopAllRuntimeShaderBuilds()
 {
 	std::map<std::string, std::unique_ptr<RuntimeShaderBridge>> builds;
+	std::vector<std::unique_ptr<RuntimeShaderBridge>> retiredBuilds;
 	{
 		std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(mShaderBuildMutex);
 		builds.swap(mShaderBuilds);
+		retiredBuilds.swap(mRetiredShaderBuilds);
 	}
 	for (auto& entry : builds)
 		entry.second->Stop();
+	for (auto& bridge : retiredBuilds)
+		bridge->Stop();
 }
 
 void RuntimeLayerController::PublishRuntimeRenderLayers()
diff --git a/apps/RenderCadenceCompositor/app/RuntimeLayerController.h b/apps/RenderCadenceCompositor/app/RuntimeLayerController.h
index 4b4cc25..cb52fca 100644
--- a/apps/RenderCadenceCompositor/app/RuntimeLayerController.h
+++ b/apps/RenderCadenceCompositor/app/RuntimeLayerController.h
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@ private:
 	void LoadSupportedShaderCatalog(const std::string& shaderLibrary, unsigned maxTemporalHistoryFrames);
 	void InitializeLayerModel(std::string& runtimeShaderId);
 	void StartLayerShaderBuild(const std::string& layerId, const std::string& shaderId);
-	void StopLayerShaderBuild(const std::string& layerId);
+	void RetireLayerShaderBuild(const std::string& layerId);
+	void CleanupRetiredShaderBuilds();
 	void StopAllRuntimeShaderBuilds();
 	void PublishRuntimeRenderLayers();
 	bool MarkRuntimeBuildReady(const RuntimeShaderArtifact& artifact);
@@ -55,5 +56,6 @@ private:
 	RuntimeLayerModel mRuntimeLayerModel;
 	std::mutex mShaderBuildMutex;
 	std::map<std::string, std::unique_ptr<RuntimeShaderBridge>> mShaderBuilds;
+	std::vector<std::unique_ptr<RuntimeShaderBridge>> mRetiredShaderBuilds;
 };
 }
diff --git a/apps/RenderCadenceCompositor/runtime/RuntimeShaderBridge.cpp b/apps/RenderCadenceCompositor/runtime/RuntimeShaderBridge.cpp
index dc64dbd..03569c0 100644
--- a/apps/RenderCadenceCompositor/runtime/RuntimeShaderBridge.cpp
+++ b/apps/RenderCadenceCompositor/runtime/RuntimeShaderBridge.cpp
@@ -22,19 +22,31 @@ void RuntimeShaderBridge::Start(const std::string& layerId, const std::string& s
 	mOnArtifactReady = std::move(onArtifactReady);
 	mOnError = std::move(onError);
 	mStopping.store(false, std::memory_order_release);
+	mFinished.store(false, std::memory_order_release);
 	mCompiler.StartShaderBuild(shaderId);
 	mThread = std::thread([this]() { ThreadMain(); });
 }
 
-void RuntimeShaderBridge::Stop()
+void RuntimeShaderBridge::RequestStop()
 {
 	mStopping.store(true, std::memory_order_release);
+}
+
+void RuntimeShaderBridge::Stop()
+{
+	RequestStop();
 	if (mThread.joinable())
 		mThread.join();
 	mCompiler.Stop();
 	mLayerId.clear();
 	mOnArtifactReady = ArtifactCallback();
 	mOnError = ErrorCallback();
+	mFinished.store(true, std::memory_order_release);
+}
+
+bool RuntimeShaderBridge::CanStopWithoutWaiting() const
+{
+	return mFinished.load(std::memory_order_acquire) && !mCompiler.Running();
 }
 
 void RuntimeShaderBridge::ThreadMain()
@@ -54,8 +66,10 @@ void RuntimeShaderBridge::ThreadMain()
 			{
 				mOnError(build.message);
 			}
+			mFinished.store(true, std::memory_order_release);
 			return;
 		}
 		std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(5));
 	}
+	mFinished.store(true, std::memory_order_release);
 }
diff --git a/apps/RenderCadenceCompositor/runtime/RuntimeShaderBridge.h b/apps/RenderCadenceCompositor/runtime/RuntimeShaderBridge.h
index 60256a5..7c08194 100644
--- a/apps/RenderCadenceCompositor/runtime/RuntimeShaderBridge.h
+++ b/apps/RenderCadenceCompositor/runtime/RuntimeShaderBridge.h
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@ public:
 
 	void Start(const std::string& shaderId, ArtifactCallback onArtifactReady, ErrorCallback onError);
 	void Start(const std::string& layerId, const std::string& shaderId, ArtifactCallback onArtifactReady, ErrorCallback onError);
+	void RequestStop();
 	void Stop();
+	bool CanStopWithoutWaiting() const;
 
 private:
 	void ThreadMain();
@@ -29,6 +31,7 @@ private:
 	RuntimeSlangShaderCompiler mCompiler;
 	std::thread mThread;
 	std::atomic<bool> mStopping{ false };
+	std::atomic<bool> mFinished{ true };
 	std::string mLayerId;
 	ArtifactCallback mOnArtifactReady;
 	ErrorCallback mOnError;