diff --git a/pyfpdb/HUD_main.py b/pyfpdb/HUD_main.py
index 77d8312d..021d1ff2 100755
--- a/pyfpdb/HUD_main.py
+++ b/pyfpdb/HUD_main.py
@@ -116,11 +116,7 @@ class HUD_main(object):
 #    called by an event in the HUD, to kill this specific HUD
         if table in self.hud_dict:
             self.hud_dict[table].kill()
-            try:
-                # throws exception in windows sometimes (when closing using main_window menu?)
-                self.hud_dict[table].main_window.destroy()
-            except:
-                pass
+            self.hud_dict[table].main_window.destroy()
             self.vb.remove(self.hud_dict[table].tablehudlabel)
             del(self.hud_dict[table])
         self.main_window.resize(1,1)
@@ -131,7 +127,7 @@ class HUD_main(object):
         def idle_func():
             
             gtk.gdk.threads_enter()
-            try:
+            try: # TODO: seriously need to decrease the scope of this block.. what are we expecting to error?
                 newlabel = gtk.Label("%s - %s" % (table.site, table_name))
                 self.vb.add(newlabel)
                 newlabel.show()
@@ -174,12 +170,13 @@ class HUD_main(object):
 #    function idle_func() to be run by the gui thread, at its leisure.
         def idle_func():
             gtk.gdk.threads_enter()
-            try:
-                self.hud_dict[table_name].update(new_hand_id, config)
-                [aw.update_gui(new_hand_id) for aw in self.hud_dict[table_name].aux_windows]
-                return False
-            finally:
-                gtk.gdk.threads_leave()
+#            try: 
+            self.hud_dict[table_name].update(new_hand_id, config)
+            [aw.update_gui(new_hand_id) for aw in self.hud_dict[table_name].aux_windows]
+#            finally:
+            gtk.gdk.threads_leave()
+            return False
+                
         gobject.idle_add(idle_func)
      
     def read_stdin(self):            # This is the thread function
diff --git a/pyfpdb/fpdb.py b/pyfpdb/fpdb.py
index d822f760..e6092de6 100755
--- a/pyfpdb/fpdb.py
+++ b/pyfpdb/fpdb.py
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ if os.name == 'nt' and sys.version[0:3] not in ('2.5', '2.6') and '-r' not in sy
 else:
     pass
     #print "debug - not changing path"
+    
+if os.name == 'nt':
+    import win32api
+    import win32con
 
 print "Python " + sys.version[0:3] + '...\n'
 
@@ -618,7 +622,55 @@ This program is licensed under the AGPL3, see docs"""+os.sep+"agpl-3.0.txt")
 
         self.window.show()
         self.load_profile()
+        
+        self.statusIcon = gtk.StatusIcon()
+        self.statusIcon.set_from_stock(gtk.STOCK_HOME)
+        self.statusIcon.set_tooltip("Free Poker Database")
+        self.statusIcon.connect('activate', self.statusicon_activate)
+        self.statusMenu = gtk.Menu()
+        menuItem = gtk.ImageMenuItem(gtk.STOCK_ABOUT)
+        menuItem.connect('activate', self.dia_about)
+        self.statusMenu.append(menuItem)
+        menuItem = gtk.ImageMenuItem(gtk.STOCK_QUIT)
+        menuItem.connect('activate', self.quit)
+        self.statusMenu.append(menuItem)
+        self.statusIcon.connect('popup-menu', self.statusicon_menu, self.statusMenu)
+        self.statusIcon.set_visible(True)
+        
+        self.window.connect('window-state-event', self.window_state_event_cb)
         sys.stderr.write("fpdb starting ...")
+                
+    def window_state_event_cb(self, window, event):
+        print "window_state_event", event
+        if event.changed_mask & gtk.gdk.WINDOW_STATE_ICONIFIED:
+            # -20 = GWL_EXSTYLE can't find it in the pywin32 libs
+            #bits = win32api.GetWindowLong(self.window.window.handle, -20)
+            #bits = bits ^ (win32con.WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW | win32con.WS_EX_APPWINDOW)
+            
+            #win32api.SetWindowLong(self.window.window.handle, -20, bits)
+            
+            if event.new_window_state & gtk.gdk.WINDOW_STATE_ICONIFIED:
+                self.window.hide()
+                self.window.set_skip_taskbar_hint(True)
+                self.window.set_skip_pager_hint(True)
+            else:
+                self.window.set_skip_taskbar_hint(False)
+                self.window.set_skip_pager_hint(False)
+        
+    def statusicon_menu(self, widget, button, time, data = None):
+        # we don't need to pass data here, since we do keep track of most all
+        # our variables .. the example code that i looked at for this
+        # didn't use any long scope variables.. which might be an alright
+        # idea too sometime
+        if button == 3:
+            if data:
+                data.show_all()
+                data.popup(None, None, None, 3, time)
+        pass
+    
+    def statusicon_activate(self, widget, data = None):
+        self.window.show()
+        self.window.present()
         
     def warning_box(self, str, diatitle="FPDB WARNING"):
             diaWarning = gtk.Dialog(title=diatitle, parent=None, flags=0, buttons=(gtk.STOCK_OK,gtk.RESPONSE_OK))