diff --git a/aerc.go b/aerc.go
index 17b3c57..33acb43 100644
--- a/aerc.go
+++ b/aerc.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"log"
 	"os"
+	"runtime/debug"
 	"sort"
 	"time"
 
@@ -153,6 +154,8 @@ func main() {
 		ui   *libui.UI
 	)
 
+	defer PanicTermFix(ui) // recover upon panic and try restoring the pty
+
 	aerc = widgets.NewAerc(conf, logger, func(cmd []string) error {
 		return execCommand(aerc, ui, cmd)
 	}, func(cmd string) []string {
@@ -198,3 +201,19 @@ func main() {
 	}
 	aerc.CloseBackends()
 }
+
+//FatalTermFix prints the stacktrace upon panic and tries to recover the term
+// not doing that leaves the terminal in a broken state
+func PanicTermFix(ui *libui.UI) {
+	var err interface{}
+	if err = recover(); err == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	debug.PrintStack()
+	if ui != nil {
+		ui.Close()
+	}
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "aerc crashed: %v\n", err)
+	os.Exit(1)
+
+}