diff --git a/plugins/kafka/kafka.cpp b/plugins/kafka/kafka.cpp
index 5903ebbd11f..e59b21d0f48 100644
--- a/plugins/kafka/kafka.cpp
+++ b/plugins/kafka/kafka.cpp
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ namespace KafkaPlugin
         if (!isAlive() && parentPtr)
         {
             shouldRun = true;
-            Thread::start(false);
+            Thread::start();
         }
     }
 
@@ -738,43 +738,40 @@ namespace KafkaPlugin
 
             /**
              * Remove previously-created objects that have been inactive
-             * for awhile
+             * for awhile; assumes a lock is held while modifying cachedPublishers
              */
             void expire()
             {
-                if (!cachedPublishers.empty())
-                {
-                    time_t oldestAllowedTime = time(NULL) - OBJECT_EXPIRE_TIMEOUT_SECONDS;
-                    __int32 expireCount = 0;
+                time_t oldestAllowedTime = time(NULL) - OBJECT_EXPIRE_TIMEOUT_SECONDS;
+                __int32 expireCount = 0;
 
-                    for (ObjMap::iterator x = cachedPublishers.begin(); x != cachedPublishers.end(); /* increment handled explicitly */)
+                for (ObjMap::iterator x = cachedPublishers.begin(); x != cachedPublishers.end(); /* increment handled explicitly */)
+                {
+                    // Expire only if the publisher has been inactive and if
+                    // there are no messages in the outbound queue
+                    if (x->second && x->second->getTimeTouched() < oldestAllowedTime && x->second->messagesWaitingInQueue() == 0)
                     {
-                        // Expire only if the publisher has been inactive and if
-                        // there are no messages in the outbound queue
-                        if (x->second && x->second->getTimeTouched() < oldestAllowedTime && x->second->messagesWaitingInQueue() == 0)
-                        {
-                            // Shutdown the attached poller before deleting
-                            x->second->shutdownPoller();
+                        // Shutdown the attached poller before deleting
+                        x->second->shutdownPoller();
 
-                            // Delete the object
-                            delete(x->second);
+                        // Delete the object
+                        delete(x->second);
 
-                            // Erase from map
-                            cachedPublishers.erase(x++);
+                        // Erase from map
+                        cachedPublishers.erase(x++);
 
-                            ++expireCount;
-                        }
-                        else
-                        {
-                            x++;
-                        }
+                        ++expireCount;
                     }
-
-                    if (doTrace(traceKafka) && expireCount > 0)
+                    else
                     {
-                        DBGLOG("Kafka: Expired %d cached publisher%s", expireCount, (expireCount == 1 ? "" : "s"));
+                        x++;
                     }
                 }
+
+                if (doTrace(traceKafka) && expireCount > 0)
+                {
+                    DBGLOG("Kafka: Expired %d cached publisher%s", expireCount, (expireCount == 1 ? "" : "s"));
+                }
             }
 
             /**