diff --git a/src/minefield.cpp b/src/minefield.cpp
index f854b76..176ba91 100644
--- a/src/minefield.cpp
+++ b/src/minefield.cpp
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ void MineField::timerTick() {
 
   auto start = std::chrono::system_clock::now();
 
-  while((m_exploded == false) && (m_gameWon == false)) {  
-    std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(200));
+  while(m_timerRunning) {  
+    std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(100));
     auto now = std::chrono::system_clock::now();
     const auto duration = now - start;
     std::chrono::milliseconds ms = std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::milliseconds>(duration); 
@@ -25,7 +25,17 @@ void MineField::timerTick() {
     timerSignal.emit(m_time);
     start = std::chrono::system_clock::now();
   }
-  //I should use std::duration to represent the time instead
+}
+
+void MineField::startTimer() {
+  m_time = 0;
+  m_timerRunning = true;
+  m_timerThread = std::thread(&MineField::timerTick, this);
+}
+
+void MineField::stopTimer() {
+  m_timerRunning = false;
+  m_timerThread.join();
 }
 
 void MineField::initBombs(int x, int y) {
@@ -44,16 +54,19 @@ void MineField::initBombs(int x, int y) {
     --remainingMines;
   }
 
+  startTimer();
+
   //init the timer to zero and start the timer thread
-  m_time = 0;
-  timerThread = std::thread(&MineField::timerTick, this);
-  timerThread.detach(); //not sure if this is okay (better to call join() when I set the condition to stop the thread)
+  //  m_time = 0;
+  //timerThread = std::thread(&MineField::timerTick, this);
+  //timerThread.detach(); //not sure if this is okay (better to call join() when I set the condition to stop the thread)
 }
 
 bool MineField::openCell(int x, int y) {
   if(isBomb(x, y)) {
     m_exploded = true;
     gameOverSignal.emit();
+    stopTimer();
     return false;
   }
 
@@ -120,6 +133,7 @@ void MineField::setOpenCell(int x, int y) {
   openCellSignal.emit(x, y);
   if((++m_openCells == (m_cols * m_rows - m_totalMines)) && (m_exploded == false)) {
     m_gameWon = true;
+    stopTimer();
     gameWonSignal.emit();
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/minefield.hpp b/src/minefield.hpp
index 6aa7526..668301c 100644
--- a/src/minefield.hpp
+++ b/src/minefield.hpp
@@ -26,12 +26,15 @@ class MineField {
   int    m_openCells;
   bool   m_exploded;
   bool   m_gameWon;
+  bool   m_timerRunning;
   size_t m_time;
-  std::thread timerThread;
+  std::thread m_timerThread;
   void computeBombsNearby(int x, int y);
   void openNeighboorhood(int x, int y);
   void setOpenCell(int x, int y);
   void timerTick();
+  void startTimer();
+  void stopTimer();
   
 public:
   MineField(int cols, int rows, int mines);