diff --git a/deps/libev/ev.c b/deps/libev/ev.c
index 27274b46f95..353470bbf2d 100644
--- a/deps/libev/ev.c
+++ b/deps/libev/ev.c
@@ -2461,6 +2461,12 @@ ev_unref (EV_P)
   --activecnt;
 }
 
+int
+ev_activecnt (EV_P)
+{
+  return activecnt;
+}
+
 void
 ev_now_update (EV_P)
 {
diff --git a/deps/libev/ev.h b/deps/libev/ev.h
index 96e735871a7..45a53acd345 100644
--- a/deps/libev/ev.h
+++ b/deps/libev/ev.h
@@ -603,6 +603,7 @@ void ev_break (EV_P_ int how); /* set to 1 to break out of event loop, set to 2
  */
 void ev_ref   (EV_P);
 void ev_unref (EV_P);
+int ev_activecnt (EV_P);
 
 /*
  * convenience function, wait for a single event, without registering an event watcher
diff --git a/src/node.cc b/src/node.cc
index 17fc8ef1209..46c56e2b344 100644
--- a/src/node.cc
+++ b/src/node.cc
@@ -83,7 +83,6 @@ static int max_stack_size = 0;
 
 static ev_check check_tick_watcher;
 static ev_prepare prepare_tick_watcher;
-static ev_idle tick_spinner;
 static bool need_tick_cb;
 static Persistent<String> tick_callback_sym;
 
@@ -173,28 +172,15 @@ static void Check(EV_P_ ev_check *watcher, int revents) {
 static Handle<Value> NeedTickCallback(const Arguments& args) {
   HandleScope scope;
   need_tick_cb = true;
-  // TODO: this tick_spinner shouldn't be necessary. An ev_prepare should be
-  // sufficent, the problem is only in the case of the very last "tick" -
-  // there is nothing left to do in the event loop and libev will exit. The
-  // ev_prepare callback isn't called before exiting. Thus we start this
-  // tick_spinner to keep the event loop alive long enough to handle it.
-  ev_idle_start(EV_DEFAULT_UC_ &tick_spinner);
   return Undefined();
 }
 
 
-static void Spin(EV_P_ ev_idle *watcher, int revents) {
-  assert(watcher == &tick_spinner);
-  assert(revents == EV_IDLE);
-}
-
-
 static void Tick(void) {
   // Avoid entering a V8 scope.
   if (!need_tick_cb) return;
 
   need_tick_cb = false;
-  ev_idle_stop(EV_DEFAULT_UC_ &tick_spinner);
 
   HandleScope scope;
 
@@ -1892,8 +1878,6 @@ int Start(int argc, char *argv[]) {
   ev_check_start(EV_DEFAULT_UC_ &node::check_tick_watcher);
   ev_unref(EV_DEFAULT_UC);
 
-  ev_idle_init(&node::tick_spinner, node::Spin);
-
   ev_check_init(&node::gc_check, node::Check);
   ev_check_start(EV_DEFAULT_UC_ &node::gc_check);
   ev_unref(EV_DEFAULT_UC);
@@ -1972,12 +1956,18 @@ int Start(int argc, char *argv[]) {
   // Avoids failing on test/simple/test-eio-race3.js though
   ev_idle_start(EV_DEFAULT_UC_ &eio_poller);
 
-  // All our arguments are loaded. We've evaluated all of the scripts. We
-  // might even have created TCP servers. Now we enter the main eventloop. If
-  // there are no watchers on the loop (except for the ones that were
-  // ev_unref'd) then this function exits. As long as there are active
-  // watchers, it blocks.
-  ev_loop(EV_DEFAULT_UC_ 0);
+
+  do {
+    // All our arguments are loaded. We've evaluated all of the scripts. We
+    // might even have created TCP servers. Now we enter the main eventloop. If
+    // there are no watchers on the loop (except for the ones that were
+    // ev_unref'd) then this function exits. As long as there are active
+    // watchers, it blocks.
+    ev_loop(EV_DEFAULT_UC_ 0);
+
+    Tick();
+
+  } while (need_tick_cb || ev_activecnt(EV_DEFAULT_UC) > 0);
 
 
   // process.emit('exit')