diff --git a/dacp.c b/dacp.c
index 79c6bbd03..ab67af6ac 100644
--- a/dacp.c
+++ b/dacp.c
@@ -280,20 +280,20 @@ void set_dacp_server_information(rtsp_conn_info *conn) { // tell the DACP conver
 void *dacp_monitor_thread_code(void *na) {
   int scan_index = 0;
   char server_reply[10000];
-  debug(1, "DACP monitor thread started.");
+  // debug(1, "DACP monitor thread started.");
   // wait until we get a valid port number to begin monitoring it
   int32_t revision_number = 1;
   while (1) {
     int result;
     pthread_mutex_lock(&dacp_server_information_lock);
     while (dacp_server.scan_enable == 0) {
-      debug(1, "Wait for a valid DACP port");
+      // debug(1, "Wait for a valid DACP port");
       pthread_cond_wait(&dacp_server_information_cv, &dacp_server_information_lock);
     }
     scan_index++;
     result = dacp_get_volume(NULL); // just want the http code
     if ((result==496) || (result==403)|| (result==501)) {
-      debug(1,"Stopping scan because the response to \"dacp_get_volume(NULL)\" is %d.",result);
+      // debug(1,"Stopping scan because the response to \"dacp_get_volume(NULL)\" is %d.",result);
       dacp_server.scan_enable = 0;
     }
     pthread_mutex_unlock(&dacp_server_information_lock);
@@ -308,13 +308,16 @@ void *dacp_monitor_thread_code(void *na) {
       // debug(1,"Command: \"%s\"",command);
       result = dacp_send_command(command, &response, &le);
       // debug(1,"Response to \"%s\" is %d.",command,result);
-      if (result == 200) {
+//      if (result == 200) {
+      if (0) {
         char *sp = response;
         if (le >= 8) {
           // here start looking for the contents of the status update
           if (dacp_tlv_crawl(&sp, &item_size) == 'cmst') { // status
             // here, we know that we are receiving playerstatusupdates, so set a flag
             metadata_hub_modify_prolog();
+            debug(1,"playstatusupdate release track metadata");
+            metadata_hub_reset_track_metadata();
             metadata_store.playerstatusupdates_are_received = 1;
             sp -= item_size; // drop down into the array -- don't skip over it
             le -= 8;
diff --git a/metadata_hub.c b/metadata_hub.c
index de2679ba4..04565c159 100644
--- a/metadata_hub.c
+++ b/metadata_hub.c
@@ -59,8 +59,15 @@
 
 pthread_rwlock_t metadata_hub_re_lock = PTHREAD_RWLOCK_INITIALIZER;
 
+void release_char_string(char **str) {
+  if (*str) {
+    free(*str);
+    *str=NULL;
+  }
+}
+
 void metadata_hub_init(void) {
-  debug(1, "Metadata bundle initialisation.");
+  // debug(1, "Metadata bundle initialisation.");
   memset(&metadata_store, 0, sizeof(metadata_store));
 }
 
@@ -70,7 +77,7 @@ void add_metadata_watcher(metadata_watcher fn, void *userdata) {
     if (metadata_store.watchers[i] == NULL) {
       metadata_store.watchers[i] = fn;
       metadata_store.watchers_data[i] = userdata;
-      debug(1, "Added a metadata watcher into slot %d", i);
+      // debug(1, "Added a metadata watcher into slot %d", i);
       break;
     }
   }
@@ -82,6 +89,25 @@ void metadata_hub_modify_prolog(void) {
   pthread_rwlock_wrlock(&metadata_hub_re_lock);
 }
 
+void metadata_hub_release_track_artwork(void) {
+  debug(1,"release track artwork");
+  release_char_string(&metadata_store.cover_art_pathname);
+}
+
+void metadata_hub_reset_track_metadata(void) {
+  debug(1,"release track metadata");
+  release_char_string(&metadata_store.track_name);
+  release_char_string(&metadata_store.artist_name);
+  release_char_string(&metadata_store.album_name);
+  release_char_string(&metadata_store.genre);
+  release_char_string(&metadata_store.comment);
+  release_char_string(&metadata_store.composer);
+  release_char_string(&metadata_store.file_kind);
+  release_char_string(&metadata_store.sort_as);
+  metadata_store.item_id = 0;
+  metadata_store.songtime_in_milliseconds = 0;
+}
+
 void run_metadata_watchers(void) {
   int i;
   // debug(1, "locking metadata hub for reading");
@@ -100,7 +126,6 @@ void metadata_hub_modify_epilog(int modified) {
   // debug(1, "unlocking metadata hub for writing");
   pthread_rwlock_unlock(&metadata_hub_re_lock);
   if (modified) {
-    debug(1,"Update metadata.");
     run_metadata_watchers();
   }
 }
@@ -240,7 +265,7 @@ void metadata_hub_process_metadata(uint32_t type, uint32_t code, char *data, uin
         if (metadata_store.album_name)
           free(metadata_store.album_name);
         metadata_store.album_name = strndup(data, length);
-        // debug(1, "MH Album name set to: \"%s\"", metadata_store.album_name);
+        debug(1, "MH Album name set to: \"%s\"", metadata_store.album_name);
         metadata_store.album_name_changed = 1;
         metadata_store.changed = 1;
       }
@@ -251,7 +276,7 @@ void metadata_hub_process_metadata(uint32_t type, uint32_t code, char *data, uin
         if (metadata_store.artist_name)
           free(metadata_store.artist_name);
         metadata_store.artist_name = strndup(data, length);
-        // debug(1, "MH Artist name set to: \"%s\"", metadata_store.artist_name);
+        debug(1, "MH Artist name set to: \"%s\"", metadata_store.artist_name);
         metadata_store.artist_name_changed = 1;
         metadata_store.changed = 1;
       }
@@ -262,7 +287,7 @@ void metadata_hub_process_metadata(uint32_t type, uint32_t code, char *data, uin
         if (metadata_store.comment)
           free(metadata_store.comment);
         metadata_store.comment = strndup(data, length);
-        // debug(1, "MH Comment set to: \"%s\"", metadata_store.comment);
+        debug(1, "MH Comment set to: \"%s\"", metadata_store.comment);
         metadata_store.comment_changed = 1;
         metadata_store.changed = 1;
       }
@@ -272,7 +297,7 @@ void metadata_hub_process_metadata(uint32_t type, uint32_t code, char *data, uin
         if (metadata_store.genre)
           free(metadata_store.genre);
         metadata_store.genre = strndup(data, length);
-        // debug(1, "MH Genre set to: \"%s\"", metadata_store.genre);
+        debug(1, "MH Genre set to: \"%s\"", metadata_store.genre);
         metadata_store.genre_changed = 1;
         metadata_store.changed = 1;
       }
@@ -283,7 +308,7 @@ void metadata_hub_process_metadata(uint32_t type, uint32_t code, char *data, uin
         if (metadata_store.track_name)
           free(metadata_store.track_name);
         metadata_store.track_name = strndup(data, length);
-        // debug(1, "MH Track name set to: \"%s\"", metadata_store.track_name);
+        debug(1, "MH Track name set to: \"%s\"", metadata_store.track_name);
         metadata_store.track_name_changed = 1;
         metadata_store.changed = 1;
       }
@@ -294,7 +319,7 @@ void metadata_hub_process_metadata(uint32_t type, uint32_t code, char *data, uin
         if (metadata_store.composer)
           free(metadata_store.composer);
         metadata_store.composer = strndup(data, length);
-        // debug(1, "MH Composer set to: \"%s\"", metadata_store.composer);
+        debug(1, "MH Composer set to: \"%s\"", metadata_store.composer);
         metadata_store.composer_changed = 1;
         metadata_store.changed = 1;
       }
@@ -305,7 +330,7 @@ void metadata_hub_process_metadata(uint32_t type, uint32_t code, char *data, uin
         if (metadata_store.file_kind)
           free(metadata_store.file_kind);
         metadata_store.file_kind = strndup(data, length);
-        // debug(1, "MH File Kind set to: \"%s\"", metadata_store.file_kind);
+        debug(1, "MH File Kind set to: \"%s\"", metadata_store.file_kind);
         metadata_store.file_kind_changed = 1;
         metadata_store.changed = 1;
       }
@@ -316,7 +341,7 @@ void metadata_hub_process_metadata(uint32_t type, uint32_t code, char *data, uin
         if (metadata_store.file_kind)
           free(metadata_store.file_kind);
         metadata_store.file_kind = strndup(data, length);
-        // debug(1, "MH File Kind set to: \"%s\"", metadata_store.file_kind);
+        debug(1, "MH File Kind set to: \"%s\"", metadata_store.file_kind);
         metadata_store.file_kind_changed = 1;
         metadata_store.changed = 1;
       }
@@ -327,7 +352,7 @@ void metadata_hub_process_metadata(uint32_t type, uint32_t code, char *data, uin
         if (metadata_store.sort_as)
           free(metadata_store.sort_as);
         metadata_store.sort_as = strndup(data, length);
-        // debug(1, "MH Sort As set to: \"%s\"", metadata_store.sort_as);
+        debug(1, "MH Sort As set to: \"%s\"", metadata_store.sort_as);
         metadata_store.sort_as_changed = 1;
         metadata_store.changed = 1;
       }
@@ -362,17 +387,17 @@ void metadata_hub_process_metadata(uint32_t type, uint32_t code, char *data, uin
       break;
 
     case 'mdst':
-      // debug(1, "MH Metadata stream processing start.");
+      debug(1, "MH Metadata stream processing start.");
       metadata_hub_modify_prolog();
       break;
     case 'mden':
       metadata_hub_modify_epilog(1);
-      // debug(1, "MH Metadata stream processing end.");
+      debug(1, "MH Metadata stream processing end.");
       break;
     case 'PICT':
       if (length > 16) {
         metadata_hub_modify_prolog();
-        // debug(1, "MH Picture received, length %u bytes.", length);
+        debug(1, "MH Picture received, length %u bytes.", length);
         if (metadata_store.cover_art_pathname)
           free(metadata_store.cover_art_pathname);
         metadata_store.cover_art_pathname = metadata_write_image_file(data, length);
diff --git a/metadata_hub.h b/metadata_hub.h
index bb72a1235..2f7c97350 100644
--- a/metadata_hub.h
+++ b/metadata_hub.h
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ typedef void (*metadata_watcher)(struct metadata_bundle *argc, void *userdata);
 typedef struct metadata_bundle {
   int changed;                          // normally 0, nonzero if a field has been changed
   int playerstatusupdates_are_received; // false if it's "traditional" metadata
+  
+  int player_thread_active; // true if there is a player threrad; false otherwise
 
   enum play_status_type play_status;
   int play_status_changed;
@@ -98,6 +100,8 @@ void add_metadata_watcher(metadata_watcher fn, void *userdata);
 
 void metadata_hub_init(void);
 void metadata_hub_process_metadata(uint32_t type, uint32_t code, char *data, uint32_t length);
+void metadata_hub_reset_track_metadata(void);
+void metadata_hub_release_track_artwork(void);
 
 // these functions lock and unlock the read-write mutex on the metadata hub and run the watchers
 // afterwards
diff --git a/player.c b/player.c
index 6b5f5d3b9..8fa9042a2 100644
--- a/player.c
+++ b/player.c
@@ -2581,8 +2581,11 @@ void player_stop(rtsp_conn_info *conn) {
     free(conn->player_thread);
     conn->player_thread = NULL;
 #ifdef HAVE_METADATA_HUB
-    metadata_hub_modify_prolog();
+     metadata_hub_modify_prolog();
     metadata_store.player_state = PS_STOPPED;
+    debug(1,"player_stop release track metadata and artwork");
+    metadata_hub_reset_track_metadata();
+    metadata_hub_release_track_artwork();
     metadata_hub_modify_epilog(1);
 #endif
   } else {