diff --git a/.claude/docs/Threading.md b/.claude/docs/Threading.md
index 2db6f27e..6e33270b 100644
--- a/.claude/docs/Threading.md
+++ b/.claude/docs/Threading.md
@@ -167,6 +167,15 @@ outside the main loop (e.g. during a resize).
 `Renderer::WaitAndRender(RenderThread*)` is the render thread's body: it swaps the double-buffered
 command queues (`Renderer::SwapQueues`) and executes the submission queue.
 
+**Never `Kick()` while the render thread is `Busy`.** `Set(Kick)` overwrites `Busy`; the render thread
+then sets `Idle` when it finishes and the kick is lost. Every kick must follow
+`BlockUntilRenderComplete()`. `Terminate()` used to break this rule. When the previous frame was still
+running at exit, the final submitted frame never ran on the render thread, and
+`Renderer::Shutdown` replayed it on the main thread after the renderer was torn down. The result was an
+intermittent exit AV in `CmdSetPipelineLayout` from the nulled `StorageImageClear` layout.
+`Terminate()` now waits, pumps that last frame on the render thread, then kicks once more so the thread
+sees `IsRunning() == false` and returns.
+
 ---
 
 ## JobSystem
diff --git a/Core/Platform/Linux/LinuxRenderThread.cpp b/Core/Platform/Linux/LinuxRenderThread.cpp
index 6f124265..2c21cb00 100644
--- a/Core/Platform/Linux/LinuxRenderThread.cpp
+++ b/Core/Platform/Linux/LinuxRenderThread.cpp
@@ -44,11 +44,23 @@ namespace Lux {
 
 	void RenderThread::Terminate()
 	{
-		m_IsRunning = false;
+		// The frame kicked last may still be executing. Kicking over its Busy state let the render
+		// thread set Idle and exit with the final submitted frame never run, so Renderer::Shutdown
+		// replayed that whole frame on the main thread after the renderer was torn down (null
+		// StorageImageClear layout -> AV in CmdSetPipelineLayout).
+		BlockUntilRenderComplete();
+
+		// Run the final submitted frame on the render thread while the renderer is still alive.
 		Pump();
 
+		m_IsRunning = false;
 		if (m_ThreadingPolicy == ThreadingPolicy::MultiThreaded)
+		{
+			// Release the render thread from its wait for the next kick. It executes the empty render
+			// queue (nothing was submitted since the pump), then sees m_IsRunning and returns.
+			Kick();
 			m_RenderThread.Join();
+		}
 
 		s_RenderThreadID = std::thread::id();
 	}
diff --git a/Core/Platform/Windows/WindowsRenderThread.cpp b/Core/Platform/Windows/WindowsRenderThread.cpp
index bdd48638..11b32dd5 100644
--- a/Core/Platform/Windows/WindowsRenderThread.cpp
+++ b/Core/Platform/Windows/WindowsRenderThread.cpp
@@ -51,11 +51,23 @@ namespace Lux {
 
 	void RenderThread::Terminate()
 	{
-		m_IsRunning = false;
+		// The frame kicked last may still be executing. Kicking over its Busy state let the render
+		// thread set Idle and exit with the final submitted frame never run, so Renderer::Shutdown
+		// replayed that whole frame on the main thread after the renderer was torn down (null
+		// StorageImageClear layout -> AV in CmdSetPipelineLayout).
+		BlockUntilRenderComplete();
+
+		// Run the final submitted frame on the render thread while the renderer is still alive.
 		Pump();
 
+		m_IsRunning = false;
 		if (m_ThreadingPolicy == ThreadingPolicy::MultiThreaded)
+		{
+			// Release the render thread from its wait for the next kick. It executes the empty render
+			// queue (nothing was submitted since the pump), then sees m_IsRunning and returns.
+			Kick();
 			m_RenderThread.Join();
+		}
 
 		s_RenderThreadID = std::thread::id();
 	}
diff --git a/Core/Source/Lux/Core/RenderThread.h b/Core/Source/Lux/Core/RenderThread.h
index 5da3759c..c5f232a2 100644
--- a/Core/Source/Lux/Core/RenderThread.h
+++ b/Core/Source/Lux/Core/RenderThread.h
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ namespace Lux {
 		~RenderThread();
 
 		void Run();
-		bool IsRunning() const { return m_IsRunning; }
+		bool IsRunning() const { return m_IsRunning.load(std::memory_order_acquire); }
 		void Terminate();
 
 		void Wait(State waitForState);
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ namespace Lux {
 
 		Thread m_RenderThread;
 
-		bool m_IsRunning = false;
+		std::atomic<bool> m_IsRunning = false;
 
 		std::atomic<uint32_t> m_AppThreadFrame = 0;
 	};