diff --git a/internal/state/state.go b/internal/state/state.go
index ab8469b..1325546 100644
--- a/internal/state/state.go
+++ b/internal/state/state.go
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ const (
 
 var eventMutex sync.RWMutex
 var eventSubscriptionCache = [NumEventTypes][]chan Event{}
+var eventStorageFileName string
 var eventStream docbuf.DocumentBuffer
 var maxEventsInMemory int
 
@@ -65,10 +66,29 @@ func Init(eventMemCacheSize int, eventStoreFileName string) error {
 		return errors.Join(errors.New(BadEventStreamInit), err)
 	}
 
+	eventStorageFileName = eventStoreFileName
 	maxEventsInMemory = eventMemCacheSize
 	return nil
 }
 
+// return no error. we are handling SIGINT
+func Teardown() {
+	// riskily ignore all locking....
+	// we are handling a termination signal after all
+	i, e := eventStream.Close()
+	if e != nil {
+		logging.Warn("failed to close document buffer: %s", e.Error())
+		logging.Warn("will attempt to truncate event store anyways")
+	}
+
+	e = os.Truncate(eventStorageFileName, i)
+	if e != nil {
+		logging.Error("FAILED TO TRUNCATE EVENT STORE!!")
+		logging.Error("You will likely have garbage data at the end of it")
+		logging.Error("Attempt manual correction!")
+	}
+}
+
 type EventType int8
 
 const (
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index ea3952c..21111e9 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@ package main
 import (
 	"flag"
 	"log"
-	"os"
-	"os/signal"
 
 	"gitlab.com/whom/bingobot/internal/config"
 	"gitlab.com/whom/bingobot/internal/discord"
@@ -17,8 +15,6 @@ var (
 )
 
 func main() {
-	flag.Parse()
-
 	var err error
 
 	err = config.Init()
@@ -28,6 +24,7 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	logging.Init()
+	flag.Parse()
 
 	if err := state.Init(
 		config.Get().InMemoryEventCacheSize,
@@ -35,6 +32,7 @@ func main() {
 	); err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("couldn't initialize state engine: %s", err.Error())
 	}
+	defer state.Teardown()
 
 	err = startBot()
 
@@ -50,10 +48,6 @@ func startBot() error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	sigch := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
-	signal.Notify(sigch, os.Interrupt)
-	<-sigch
-
 	logging.Info("shutting down gracefully", "type", "shutdown")
 	discord.Close()