diff --git a/cassandra/io/libevreactor.py b/cassandra/io/libevreactor.py
index b776e0e6..7dc66a93 100644
--- a/cassandra/io/libevreactor.py
+++ b/cassandra/io/libevreactor.py
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
+import atexit
 from collections import deque
+from functools import partial
 import logging
 import os
 import socket
@@ -31,63 +33,60 @@ except ImportError:
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
-_loop = libev.Loop()
-_loop_notifier = libev.Async(_loop)
-_loop_notifier.start()
-
-# prevent _loop_notifier from keeping the loop from returning
-_loop.unref()
-
-_loop_started = None
-_loop_lock = Lock()
-_shutdown = False
-
-
-def _run_loop():
-    while True:
-        end_condition = _loop.start()
-        # there are still active watchers, no deadlock
-        with _loop_lock:
-            if not _shutdown and end_condition:
-                log.debug("Restarting event loop")
-                continue
-            else:
-                # all Connections have been closed, no active watchers
-                log.debug("All Connections currently closed, event loop ended")
-                global _loop_started
-                _loop_started = False
-                break
-
-
-def _start_loop():
-    global _loop_started
-    should_start = False
-    with _loop_lock:
-        if not _loop_started:
-            log.debug("Starting libev event loop")
-            _loop_started = True
-            should_start = True
-
-    if should_start:
-        t = Thread(target=_run_loop, name="event_loop")
-        t.daemon = True
-        t.start()
-
-    return should_start
-
-
-def _cleanup(thread):
-    global _shutdown
-    _shutdown = True
-    log.debug("Waiting for event loop thread to join...")
-    thread.join()
-    log.debug("Event loop thread was joined")
-
 
 class LibevConnection(Connection):
     """
     An implementation of :class:`.Connection` that uses libev for its event loop.
     """
+    _loop = libev.Loop()
+    _loop_notifier = libev.Async(_loop)
+    _loop_notifier.start()
+
+    # prevent _loop_notifier from keeping the loop from returning
+    _loop.unref()
+
+    _loop_started = None
+    _loop_lock = Lock()
+    _loop_shutdown = False
+
+    @classmethod
+    def _run_loop(cls):
+        while True:
+            end_condition = cls._loop.start()
+            # there are still active watchers, no deadlock
+            with cls._loop_lock:
+                if not cls._loop_shutdown and (end_condition or cls._live_conns):
+                    log.debug("Restarting event loop")
+                    continue
+                else:
+                    # all Connections have been closed, no active watchers
+                    log.debug("All Connections currently closed, event loop ended")
+                    cls._loop_started = False
+                    break
+
+    @classmethod
+    def _maybe_start_loop(cls):
+        should_start = False
+        with cls._loop_lock:
+            if not cls._loop_started:
+                log.debug("Starting libev event loop")
+                cls._loop_started = True
+                should_start = True
+
+        if should_start:
+            t = Thread(target=cls._run_loop, name="event_loop")
+            t.daemon = True
+            t.start()
+            atexit.register(partial(cls._cleanup, t))
+
+        return should_start
+
+    @classmethod
+    def _cleanup(cls, thread):
+        cls._loop_shutdown = True
+        log.debug("Waiting for event loop thread to join...")
+        thread.join()
+        log.debug("Event loop thread was joined")
 
     # class-level set of all connections; only replaced with a new copy
     # while holding _conn_set_lock, never modified in place
@@ -178,7 +177,7 @@ class LibevConnection(Connection):
             changed = True
 
         if changed:
-            _loop_notifier.send()
+            cls._loop_notifier.send()
 
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         Connection.__init__(self, *args, **kwargs)
@@ -203,17 +202,17 @@ class LibevConnection(Connection):
             for args in self.sockopts:
                 self._socket.setsockopt(*args)
 
-        with _loop_lock:
-            self._read_watcher = libev.IO(self._socket._sock, libev.EV_READ, _loop, self.handle_read)
-            self._write_watcher = libev.IO(self._socket._sock, libev.EV_WRITE, _loop, self.handle_write)
+        with self._loop_lock:
+            self._read_watcher = libev.IO(self._socket._sock, libev.EV_READ, self._loop, self.handle_read)
+            self._write_watcher = libev.IO(self._socket._sock, libev.EV_WRITE, self._loop, self.handle_write)
 
         self._send_options_message()
 
         self.__class__._connection_created(self)
 
         # start the global event loop if needed
-        _start_loop()
-        _loop_notifier.send()
+        self._maybe_start_loop()
+        self._loop_notifier.send()
 
     def close(self):
         with self.lock:
@@ -223,7 +222,7 @@ class LibevConnection(Connection):
 
         log.debug("Closing connection (%s) to %s", id(self), self.host)
         self.__class__._connection_destroyed(self)
-        _loop_notifier.send()
+        self._loop_notifier.send()
         self._socket.close()
 
         # don't leave in-progress operations hanging
@@ -333,7 +332,7 @@ class LibevConnection(Connection):
 
         with self._deque_lock:
             self.deque.extend(chunks)
-            _loop_notifier.send()
+            self._loop_notifier.send()
 
     def register_watcher(self, event_type, callback, register_timeout=None):
         self._push_watchers[event_type].add(callback)
@@ -347,7 +346,7 @@ class LibevConnection(Connection):
             RegisterMessage(event_list=type_callback_dict.keys()), timeout=register_timeout)
 
 
-_preparer = libev.Prepare(_loop, LibevConnection.loop_will_run)
+_preparer = libev.Prepare(LibevConnection._loop, LibevConnection.loop_will_run)
 # prevent _preparer from keeping the loop from returning
-_loop.unref()
+LibevConnection._loop.unref()
 _preparer.start()
diff --git a/tests/unit/io/test_libevreactor.py b/tests/unit/io/test_libevreactor.py
index 408af29a..a8a73274 100644
--- a/tests/unit/io/test_libevreactor.py
+++ b/tests/unit/io/test_libevreactor.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ except ImportError:
 @patch('cassandra.io.libevwrapper.IO')
 @patch('cassandra.io.libevwrapper.Prepare')
 @patch('cassandra.io.libevwrapper.Async')
-@patch('cassandra.io.libevreactor._start_loop')
+@patch('cassandra.io.libevreactor.LibevConnection._maybe_start_loop')
 class LibevConnectionTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):