diff --git a/src/common.cpp b/src/common.cpp
index 82ac2f6..5637ba7 100644
--- a/src/common.cpp
+++ b/src/common.cpp
@@ -355,13 +355,3 @@ string parseForParam(const string &arg, int argc, char** argv, bool argOnly)
 
     return parseForParam(arg, argc, argv, argOnly, notUsed);
 }
-
-void waitForDetThreads(shared_t *share)
-{
-    for (auto &&thr : share->detThreads)
-    {
-        thr.join();
-    }
-
-    share->detThreads.clear();
-}
diff --git a/src/common.h b/src/common.h
index fdf73eb..2c9310c 100644
--- a/src/common.h
+++ b/src/common.h
@@ -21,8 +21,6 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <vector>
-#include <thread>
-#include <pthread.h>
 #include <filesystem>
 #include <mutex>
 #include <sys/types.h>
@@ -37,53 +35,47 @@ using namespace cv;
 using namespace std;
 using namespace std::filesystem;
 
-#define APP_VER     "1.6.t7"
-#define APP_NAME    "Motion Watch"
-#define TRIM_REMOVE " \n\r\t\f\v."
+#define APP_VER       "1.6.t8"
+#define APP_NAME      "Motion Watch"
+#define TRIM_REMOVE   " \n\r\t\f\v."
+#define PATH_ADDR     9
+#define MAX_CAP_RETRY 3
 
 struct shared_t
 {
-    vector<thread> detThreads;
-    ofstream       recLogFile;
-    ofstream       detLogFile;
-    string         conf;
-    string         recLogPath;
-    string         detLogPath;
-    string         recordUrl;
-    string         detectUrl;
-    string         outDir;
-    string         postCmd;
-    string         buffDir;
-    string         recSuffix;
-    string         detSuffix;
-    string         vidExt;
-    string         vidCodec;
-    string         camName;
-    string         webBg;
-    string         webTxt;
-    string         webFont;
-    string         webRoot;
-    bool           init;
-    bool           skipCmd;
-    bool           updateRoot;
-    int            cmdFinished;
-    int            clipLen;
-    int            frameGap;
-    int            pixThresh;
-    int            imgThresh;
-    int            numOfClips;
-    int            maxDays;
-    int            maxClips;
-    int            maxLogSize;
-    int            retCode;
-};
-
-struct cmdRes_t
-{
-    string    cmd;
-    pthread_t thr;
-    int       ret;
-    bool      finished;
+    ofstream recLogFile;
+    ofstream detLogFile;
+    string   conf;
+    string   recLogPath;
+    string   detLogPath;
+    string   recordUrl;
+    string   detectUrl;
+    string   outDir;
+    string   postCmd;
+    string   buffDir;
+    string   recSuffix;
+    string   detSuffix;
+    string   vidExt;
+    string   vidCodec;
+    string   camName;
+    string   webBg;
+    string   webTxt;
+    string   webFont;
+    string   webRoot;
+    bool     init;
+    bool     skipCmd;
+    bool     updateRoot;
+    int      detProcs;
+    int      clipLen;
+    int      frameGap;
+    int      pixThresh;
+    int      imgThresh;
+    int      numOfClips;
+    int      maxDays;
+    int      maxClips;
+    int      maxLogSize;
+    int      index;
+    int      retCode;
 };
 
 string         leftTrim(const string &str, const string &toRemove);
@@ -101,8 +93,6 @@ void           enforceMaxDays(const string &dirPath, shared_t *share);
 void           enforceMaxClips(const string &dirPath, shared_t *share);
 void           rdLine(const string &param, const string &line, string *value);
 void           rdLine(const string &param, const string &line, int *value);
-void           statOut(shared_t *share);
-void           waitForDetThreads(shared_t *share);
 bool           rdConf(shared_t *share);
 vector<string> lsFilesInDir(const string &path, const string &ext = string());
 vector<string> lsDirsInDir(const string &path);
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 0b10333..80f85ff 100755
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -15,127 +15,40 @@
 
 void detectMoInFile(const string &detPath, const string &recPath, shared_t *share)
 {
-    detLog("detect_mo_in_file() -- start", share);
-
-    Mat thumbNail;
-
-    if (moDetect(detPath, thumbNail, share))
+    if (fork() == 0)
     {
-        share->skipCmd = true;
+        detLog("detect_mo_in_file() -- start", share);
 
-        wrOut(recPath, thumbNail, share);
-    }
+        share->detProcs++;
 
-    if (exists(detPath)) remove(detPath);
-    if (exists(recPath)) remove(recPath);
-
-    detLog("detect_mo_in_file() -- finished", share);
-}
-
-static void *runCmd(void *arg)
-{
-    auto args = static_cast<cmdRes_t*>(arg);
-
-    args->finished = false;
-    args->ret      = 0;
-
-    pthread_setcancelstate(PTHREAD_CANCEL_ENABLE, NULL);
-
-    args->ret      = pclose(popen(args->cmd.c_str(), "r"));
-    args->finished = true;
-
-    return NULL;
-}
-
-bool allCmdsFinished(const vector<cmdRes_t*> &resList)
-{
-    for (auto &&res : resList)
-    {
-        if (!res->finished) return false;
-    }
-
-    return true;
-}
-
-void cancelAllCmds(const vector<cmdRes_t*> &resList)
-{
-    for (auto &&res : resList)
-    {
-        if (!res->finished)
+        if (exists(detPath))
         {
-            pthread_cancel(res->thr);
-        }
-    }
-}
+            Mat thumbNail;
 
-bool allCmdsDidNotFail(const vector<cmdRes_t*> &resList)
-{
-    for (auto &&res : resList)
-    {
-        if (res->ret != 0) return false;
-    }
-
-    return true;
-}
-
-void cleanupRes(vector<cmdRes_t*> &resList)
-{
-    for (auto &&res : resList)
-    {
-        delete res;
-    }
-}
-
-void runTOCmds(int timeOut, const vector<string> &cmds, vector<cmdRes_t*> &resList, bool abs = true)
-{
-    resList.clear();
-
-    for (auto &&cmd : cmds)
-    {
-        auto res = new struct cmdRes_t;
-
-        res->cmd      = cmd;
-        res->finished = false;
-
-        pthread_create(&res->thr, NULL, &runCmd, res);
-
-        resList.push_back(res);
-    }
-
-    if (abs)
-    {
-        sleep(timeOut);
-
-        if (!allCmdsFinished(resList))
-        {
-            sleep(2);
-        }
-
-        cancelAllCmds(resList);
-    }
-    else
-    {
-        for (auto i = 0; !allCmdsFinished(resList); ++i)
-        {
-            sleep(1);
-
-            if (i >= timeOut)
+            if (moDetect(detPath, thumbNail, share))
             {
-                cancelAllCmds(resList); break;
+                share->skipCmd = true;
+
+                wrOut(recPath, thumbNail, share);
             }
         }
+
+        if (exists(detPath)) remove(detPath);
+        if (exists(recPath)) remove(recPath);
+
+        share->detProcs--;
+
+        detLog("detect_mo_in_file() -- finished", share);
     }
 }
 
-void runTOCmd(int timeout, const string &cmd, bool abs = true)
+void exeCmd(char *const argv[])
 {
-    vector<string>    cmds;
-    vector<cmdRes_t*> rets;
-
-    cmds.push_back(cmd);
-
-    runTOCmds(timeout, cmds, rets, abs);
-    cleanupRes(rets);
+    if (fork() == 0)
+    {
+        execvp("ffmpeg", argv);
+        _Exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+    }
 }
 
 void recLoop(shared_t *share)
@@ -169,47 +82,63 @@ void recLoop(shared_t *share)
 
         recLog("camera specific webroot page updated: " + share->outDir + "/index.html", share);
 
-        for (auto i = 0; i < share->numOfClips; ++i)
-        {
-            auto detPath = cleanDir(share->buffDir) + "/" + to_string(i) + share->detSuffix;
-            auto recPath = cleanDir(share->buffDir) + "/" + to_string(i) + share->recSuffix;
+        auto strClipLen = to_string(share->clipLen);
 
-            vector<string>    cmds;
-            vector<cmdRes_t*> rets;
+        char* argvRec[] = {(char*) "ffmpeg",
+                           (char*) "-hide_banner",
+                           (char*) "-i",
+                           (char*) share->recordUrl.c_str(),
+                           (char*) "-y",
+                           (char*) "-vcodec",
+                           (char*) share->vidCodec.c_str(),
+                           (char*) "-t",
+                           (char*) strClipLen.c_str(),
+                           (char*) "--replace_me--",
+                           NULL};
+
+        char* argvDet[] = {(char*) "ffmpeg",
+                           (char*) "-hide_banner",
+                           (char*) "-i",
+                           (char*) share->detectUrl.c_str(),
+                           (char*) "-y",
+                           (char*) "-vcodec",
+                           (char*) share->vidCodec.c_str(),
+                           (char*) "-t",
+                           (char*) strClipLen.c_str(),
+                           (char*) "--replace_me--",
+                           NULL};
+
+        for (auto i = 0; i < share->numOfClips; ++i, ++share->index)
+        {
+            auto detPath = cleanDir(share->buffDir) + "/" + to_string(share->index) + share->detSuffix;
+            auto recPath = cleanDir(share->buffDir) + "/" + to_string(share->index) + share->recSuffix;
 
             if (share->recordUrl == share->detectUrl)
             {
                 recPath = detPath;
             }
-            else
-            {
-                cmds.push_back("ffmpeg -hide_banner -i " + share->recordUrl + " -y -vcodec " + share->vidCodec + " -t " + to_string(share->clipLen) + " " + recPath);
-            }
 
-            cmds.push_back("ffmpeg -hide_banner -i " + share->detectUrl + " -y -vcodec " + share->vidCodec + " -t " + to_string(share->clipLen) + " " + detPath);
+            argvRec[PATH_ADDR] = (char*) recPath.c_str();
+            argvDet[PATH_ADDR] = (char*) detPath.c_str();
 
             recLog("fetching camera footage -- ", share);
 
-            runTOCmds(share->clipLen, cmds, rets);
-
-            for (auto &&ret : rets)
+            if (share->recordUrl == share->detectUrl)
             {
-                recLog("cmd: " + ret->cmd + " return_code: " + to_string(ret->ret), share);
-            }
-
-            if (allCmdsDidNotFail(rets))
-            {
-                share->detThreads.push_back(thread(detectMoInFile, detPath, recPath, share));
+                exeCmd(argvDet);
             }
             else
             {
-                recLog("one or both fetch cmds failed.", share);
+                exeCmd(argvDet);
+                exeCmd(argvRec);
             }
 
-            cleanupRes(rets);
+            sleep(share->clipLen * 2);
+
+            detectMoInFile(detPath, recPath, share);
         }
 
-        waitForDetThreads(share);
+        while (share->detProcs > 0) sleep(1);
 
         if (!share->skipCmd)
         {
@@ -222,7 +151,8 @@ void recLoop(shared_t *share)
             else
             {
                 recLog("running post command: " + share->postCmd, share);
-                runTOCmd(14, share->postCmd, false);
+
+                system(string("timeout -k 1 14 " + share->postCmd).c_str());
             }
         }
         else
@@ -236,6 +166,9 @@ void recLoop(shared_t *share)
         {
             break;
         }
+
+        destroy_at(argvDet);
+        destroy_at(argvRec);
     }
 }
 
@@ -291,6 +224,8 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     else
     {
         sharedRes.retCode    = 0;
+        sharedRes.detProcs   = 0;
+        sharedRes.index      = 0;
         sharedRes.updateRoot = true;
         sharedRes.skipCmd    = false;
         sharedRes.init       = true;
diff --git a/src/mo_detect.cpp b/src/mo_detect.cpp
index 48a8ab1..fc9e145 100644
--- a/src/mo_detect.cpp
+++ b/src/mo_detect.cpp
@@ -95,16 +95,31 @@ void wrOut(const string &buffFile, const Mat &vidThumb, shared_t *share)
     detLog("wr_out() -- finished()", share);
 }
 
+bool openVid(const string &buffFile, VideoCapture &cap)
+{
+    auto ret = cap.open(buffFile.c_str(), CAP_FFMPEG);
+
+    for (auto i = 0; (i < 3) && !ret; ++i)
+    {
+        sleep(1);
+        
+        ret = cap.open(buffFile.c_str(), CAP_FFMPEG);
+    }
+
+    return ret;
+}
+
 bool moDetect(const string &buffFile, Mat &vidThumb, shared_t *share)
 {
     detLog("mo_detect() -- start()", share);
     detLog("buff_file: " + buffFile, share);
 
-    auto mod = false;
+    auto mod  = false;
+    auto trys = 0;
 
-    VideoCapture capture(buffFile.c_str(), CAP_FFMPEG);
+    VideoCapture capture;
 
-    if (capture.isOpened())
+    if (openVid(buffFile, capture))
     {
         Mat  prev;
         Mat  next;
diff --git a/src/mo_detect.h b/src/mo_detect.h
index 894573c..71c4f08 100644
--- a/src/mo_detect.h
+++ b/src/mo_detect.h
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include "web.h"
 #include "logger.h"
 
+bool openVid(const string &buffFile, VideoCapture &cap);
 bool imgDiff(const Mat &prev, const Mat &next, shared_t *share);
 bool moDetect(const string &buffFile, Mat &vidThumb, shared_t *share);
 void wrOut(const string &buffFile, const Mat &vidThumb, shared_t *share);