diff --git a/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/LightSheetManagerPlugin.java b/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/LightSheetManagerPlugin.java
index f49b99f..edb58c7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/LightSheetManagerPlugin.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/LightSheetManagerPlugin.java
@@ -53,13 +53,14 @@ public void onPluginSelected() {
             frame_ = new LightSheetManagerFrame(model_, isLoaded);
             frame_.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.DISPOSE_ON_CLOSE);
 
-            if (isLoaded) {
-                model_.acquisitions().setFrame(frame_);
-            }
-
             WindowUtils.registerWindowClosingEvent(frame_, event -> {
-                model_.positions().stopPolling();
-                model_.userSettings().save();
+                // no need to clean up for the error ui
+                if (isLoaded) {
+                    if (model_.positions().isPolling()) {
+                        model_.positions().stopPolling();
+                    }
+                    model_.userSettings().save();
+                }
             });
 
             WindowUtils.registerWindowClosedEvent(frame_, event -> {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/model/acquisitions/AcquisitionEngine.java b/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/model/acquisitions/AcquisitionEngine.java
index 43aed48..61826ee 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/model/acquisitions/AcquisitionEngine.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/model/acquisitions/AcquisitionEngine.java
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 import org.micromanager.lightsheetmanager.LightSheetManagerPlugin;
 import org.micromanager.lightsheetmanager.api.AcquisitionManager;
 import org.micromanager.lightsheetmanager.api.internal.ScapeAcquisitionSettings;
-import org.micromanager.lightsheetmanager.LightSheetManagerFrame;
 import org.micromanager.lightsheetmanager.gui.tabs.acquisition.DurationPanel;
 import org.micromanager.lightsheetmanager.model.autofocus.AutofocusAdapter;
 import org.micromanager.lightsheetmanager.model.DataStorage;
@@ -52,9 +51,6 @@ public abstract class AcquisitionEngine implements AcquisitionManager, MMAcquist
 
     protected DurationPanel pnlDuration_;
 
-    // TODO: remove later, hacky method to stop position updater for now
-    protected LightSheetManagerFrame frame_;
-
     protected final LightSheetManager model_;
 
     public AcquisitionEngine(final LightSheetManager model) {
@@ -88,10 +84,6 @@ public void setDurationPanel(final DurationPanel panel) {
         pnlDuration_ = Objects.requireNonNull(panel);;
     }
 
-    public void setFrame(final LightSheetManagerFrame frame) {
-        frame_ = Objects.requireNonNull(frame);
-    }
-
     /**
      * Sets the acquisition settings and update the acquisition settings builder with current values.
      * <p>
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/model/acquisitions/AcquisitionEngineScape.java b/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/model/acquisitions/AcquisitionEngineScape.java
index 1365558..d01462f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/model/acquisitions/AcquisitionEngineScape.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/model/acquisitions/AcquisitionEngineScape.java
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ boolean run() {
 
                 // if X speed is less than 0.2 mm/s then it probably wasn't restored to correct speed some other time
                 if (origSpeedX_ < 0.2) {
-                    final boolean result = DialogUtils.showYesNoDialog(frame_, "Change Speed",
+                    final boolean result = DialogUtils.showYesNoDialog(null, "Change Speed",
                             "Max speed of X axis is small, perhaps it was not correctly restored after " +
                                     "stage scanning previously. Do you want to set it to 1 mm/s now?");
                     if (result) {