diff --git a/lib/voicemeeter/bus.rb b/lib/voicemeeter/bus.rb
index 175134b..5a85c0e 100644
--- a/lib/voicemeeter/bus.rb
+++ b/lib/voicemeeter/bus.rb
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ module Voicemeeter
     def getter(mode)
       convert = ->(x) { (x > 0) ? (20 * Math.log(x, 10)).round(1) : -200.0 }
 
-      vals = if @remote.running && @remote.event.ldirty
+      vals = if @remote.running? && @remote.event.ldirty
         @remote.cache[:bus_level][@init, @offset]
       else
         (@init...@init + @offset).map { |i| @remote.get_level(mode, i) }
diff --git a/lib/voicemeeter/strip.rb b/lib/voicemeeter/strip.rb
index d5b5680..1ad20e9 100644
--- a/lib/voicemeeter/strip.rb
+++ b/lib/voicemeeter/strip.rb
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ module Voicemeeter
         convert = ->(x) { (x > 0) ? (20 * Math.log(x, 10)).round(1) : -200.0 }
 
         @remote.cache[:strip_mode] = mode
-        vals = if @remote.running && @remote.event.ldirty
+        vals = if @remote.running? && @remote.event.ldirty
           @remote.cache[:strip_level][@init, @offset]
         else
           (@init...@init + @offset).map { |i| @remote.get_level(mode, i) }
diff --git a/lib/voicemeeter/worker.rb b/lib/voicemeeter/worker.rb
index fc3e548..fb4454b 100644
--- a/lib/voicemeeter/worker.rb
+++ b/lib/voicemeeter/worker.rb
@@ -49,13 +49,17 @@ module Voicemeeter
 
     public
 
+    def running?
+      @producer&.alive? # safe navigation
+    end
+
     def init_event_threads
       que = Queue.new
       init_worker(que) and init_producer(que)
     end
 
     def end_event_threads
-      if @producer&.alive?  # safe navigation
+      if running
         @producer[:running] = false
         @producer.join
       end