diff --git a/youtube_dl_gui/downloaders.py b/youtube_dl_gui/downloaders.py
index 40483e0..3ba8c29 100644
--- a/youtube_dl_gui/downloaders.py
+++ b/youtube_dl_gui/downloaders.py
@@ -19,6 +19,53 @@ import sys
 import locale
 import subprocess
 
+from time import sleep
+from Queue import Queue
+from threading import Thread
+
+
+class PipeReader(Thread):
+    """Helper class to avoid deadlocks when reading from subprocess pipes.
+
+    This class uses python threads and queues in order to read from subprocess
+    pipes in an asynchronous way.
+
+    Attributes:
+        WAIT_TIME (float): Time in seconds to sleep.
+
+    Args:
+        queue (Queue.Queue): Python queue to store the output of the subprocess.
+
+    """
+
+    WAIT_TIME = 0.1
+
+    def __init__(self, queue):
+        super(PipeReader, self).__init__()
+        self._filedescriptor = None
+        self._running = True
+        self._queue = queue
+
+        self.start()
+
+    def run(self):
+        while self._running:
+            if self._filedescriptor is not None:
+                for line in iter(self._filedescriptor.readline, ''):
+                    self._queue.put_nowait(line.rstrip())
+
+                self._filedescriptor = None
+
+            sleep(self.WAIT_TIME)
+
+    def attach_filedescriptor(self, filedesc):
+        """Attach a filedescriptor to the PipeReader. """
+        self._filedescriptor = filedesc
+
+    def join(self, timeout=None):
+        self._running = False
+        super(PipeReader, self).join(timeout)
+
 
 class YoutubeDLDownloader(object):
 
@@ -40,6 +87,11 @@ class YoutubeDLDownloader(object):
     Note:
         For available data keys check self._data under __init__().
 
+    Warnings:
+        The caller is responsible for calling the close() method after he has
+        finished with the object in order for the object to be able to properly
+        close down itself.
+
     Example:
         How to use YoutubeDLDownloader from a python script.
 
@@ -79,6 +131,9 @@ class YoutubeDLDownloader(object):
             'eta': None
         }
 
+        self._stderr_queue = Queue()
+        self._stderr_reader = PipeReader(self._stderr_queue)
+
     def download(self, url, options):
         """Download url using given options.
 
@@ -88,7 +143,7 @@ class YoutubeDLDownloader(object):
 
         Returns:
             An integer that shows the status of the download process.
-            Right now we support 5 different return codes.
+            Right now we support 6 different return codes.
 
             OK (0): The download process completed successfully.
             ERROR (1): An error occured during the download process.
@@ -104,22 +159,28 @@ class YoutubeDLDownloader(object):
         cmd = self._get_cmd(url, options)
         self._create_process(cmd)
 
+        self._stderr_reader.attach_filedescriptor(self._proc.stderr)
+
         while self._proc_is_alive():
-            stdout, stderr = self._read()
+            stdout = self._proc.stdout.readline().rstrip().decode(self._get_encoding(), 'ignore')
 
-            if stderr:
+            if stdout:
+                self._sync_data(extract_data(stdout))
+                self._hook_data()
+
+        # Read stderr after download process has been completed
+        # We don't need to read stderr in real time
+        while not self._stderr_queue.empty():
+            stderr = self._stderr_queue.get_nowait().decode(self._get_encoding(), 'ignore')
+
+            self._log(stderr)
 
+            if self._return_code != self.STOPPED:
                 if self._is_warning(stderr):
                     self._return_code = self.WARNING
                 else:
                     self._return_code = self.ERROR
 
-                self._log(stderr)
-
-            if stdout:
-                self._sync_data(extract_data(stdout))
-                self._hook_data()
-
         self._last_data_hook()
 
         return self._return_code
@@ -130,6 +191,10 @@ class YoutubeDLDownloader(object):
             self._proc.kill()
             self._return_code = self.STOPPED
 
+    def close(self):
+        """Destructor like function for the object. """
+        self._stderr_reader.join()
+
     def _is_warning(self, stderr):
         return stderr.split(':')[0] == 'WARNING'
 
@@ -216,26 +281,6 @@ class YoutubeDLDownloader(object):
 
         return self._proc.poll() is None
 
-    def _read(self):
-        """Read subprocess stdout, stderr.
-
-        Returns:
-            Python tuple that contains the STDOUT and STDERR
-            strings.
-
-        """
-        stdout = stderr = ''
-
-        if self._proc is not None:
-            stdout = self._proc.stdout.readline().rstrip()
-
-            if not stdout:
-                stderr = self._proc.stderr.readline().rstrip()
-
-        encoding = self._get_encoding()
-
-        return stdout.decode(encoding, 'ignore'), stderr.decode(encoding, 'ignore')
-
     def _get_cmd(self, url, options):
         """Build the subprocess command.
 
diff --git a/youtube_dl_gui/downloadmanager.py b/youtube_dl_gui/downloadmanager.py
index 5c1db24..5dd56ef 100644
--- a/youtube_dl_gui/downloadmanager.py
+++ b/youtube_dl_gui/downloadmanager.py
@@ -255,6 +255,9 @@ class Worker(Thread):
 
             time.sleep(self.WAIT_TIME)
 
+        # Call the destructor function of YoutubeDLDownloader object
+        self._downloader.close()
+
     def download(self, item):
         """Download given item.