diff --git a/src/afinter.c b/src/afinter.c
index 0085d85..a67a9a7 100644
--- a/src/afinter.c
+++ b/src/afinter.c
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ typedef struct _AFInterSourceDriver
 } AFInterSourceDriver;
 
 static gint next_mark_target = -1;
+static GSource *global_internal_source;
 
 void 
 afinter_postpone_mark(gint mark_freq)
@@ -121,6 +122,7 @@ afinter_source_dispatch(GSource *source,
 static void
 afinter_source_finalize(GSource *source)
 {
+  global_internal_source = NULL;
 }
 
 GSourceFuncs afinter_source_watch_funcs =
@@ -161,11 +163,26 @@ afinter_source_init(LogPipe *s)
   
   if (!log_source_init(s))
     return FALSE;
+
+  if (cfg->internal_source_present)
+    {
+      msg_error("You have two internal() sources in your configuration, this is not supported and would cause hangs", NULL);
+      return FALSE;
+    }
   
+  if (global_internal_source)
+    {
+      msg_error("Internal error, internal() GSource was duplicated, this is bad", NULL);
+      g_assert_not_reached();
+      return FALSE;
+    }
+    
   /* the source added below references this logreader, it will be unref'd
      when the source is destroyed */ 
   self->watch = afinter_source_watch_new(&self->super.super, cfg->mark_freq);
   g_source_attach(self->watch, NULL);
+  global_internal_source = self->watch;
+  cfg->internal_source_present = TRUE;
   return TRUE;
 }
 
@@ -204,8 +221,13 @@ afinter_sd_init(LogPipe *s)
 
   log_source_options_init(&self->source_options, cfg, self->super.group);
   self->source = afinter_source_new(self, &self->source_options);
+  if (!log_pipe_init(&self->source->super, cfg))
+    {
+      log_pipe_unref(&self->source->super);
+      self->source = NULL;
+      return FALSE;
+    }
   log_pipe_append(&self->source->super, s);
-  log_pipe_init(&self->source->super, cfg);
   return TRUE;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/cfg.h b/src/cfg.h
index 5e3f1bd..cc2005d 100644
--- a/src/cfg.h
+++ b/src/cfg.h
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ struct _GlobalConfig
   
   struct _LogTemplate *file_template;
   struct _LogTemplate *proto_template;
+  gboolean internal_source_present;
   
   /* */
   GHashTable *sources;