diff --git a/artiq/devices/pdq2/pdq2-client b/artiq/devices/pdq2/pdq2-client
index 74862383f..4ee1e0c3b 100755
--- a/artiq/devices/pdq2/pdq2-client
+++ b/artiq/devices/pdq2/pdq2-client
@@ -19,9 +19,6 @@ def _get_args():
                         help="hostname or IP of the master to connect to")
     parser.add_argument("--port", default=8889, type=int,
                         help="TCP port to use to connect to the master")
-    parser.add_argument("-q", "--quit-controller", default=False,
-                        action="store_true",
-                        help="causes the controller to quit")
     parser.add_argument("-c", "--channel", default=0, type=int,
                         help="channel: 3*board_num+dac_num [%(default)s]")
     parser.add_argument("-f", "--frame", default=0, type=int,
@@ -58,9 +55,6 @@ def _get_args():
 def _main():
     args = _get_args()
     dev = Client(args.server, args.port)
-    if args.quit_controller:
-        dev.quit()
-        return
     dev.init()
 
     if args.reset:
diff --git a/artiq/devices/pdq2/pdq2-controller b/artiq/devices/pdq2/pdq2-controller
index a89f8f14f..10bc71834 100755
--- a/artiq/devices/pdq2/pdq2-controller
+++ b/artiq/devices/pdq2/pdq2-controller
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import asyncio
 from scipy import interpolate
 import numpy as np
 
-from artiq.management.pc_rpc import Server, WaitQuit
+from artiq.management.pc_rpc import Server
 
 
 logger = logging.getLogger("Pdq2")
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ if Ftdi is None:
     Ftdi = FileFtdi
 
 
-class Pdq2(WaitQuit):
+class Pdq2:
     """
     PDQ DAC (a.k.a. QC_Waveform)
     """
@@ -102,7 +102,6 @@ class Pdq2(WaitQuit):
     }
 
     def __init__(self, serial=None):
-        WaitQuit.__init__(self)
         self.serial = serial
         self.dev = Ftdi(serial)
 
@@ -363,9 +362,9 @@ def main():
             server = Server(dev)
             loop.run_until_complete(server.start(args.bind, args.port))
             try:
-                loop.run_until_complete(dev.wait_quit())
+                loop.run_forever()
             finally:
-                    loop.run_until_complete(server.stop())
+                loop.run_until_complete(server.stop())
         finally:
             loop.close()
     finally:
diff --git a/artiq/management/pc_rpc.py b/artiq/management/pc_rpc.py
index c44f307d2..76b5138d9 100644
--- a/artiq/management/pc_rpc.py
+++ b/artiq/management/pc_rpc.py
@@ -158,31 +158,3 @@ class Server:
                     writer.write(line.encode())
         finally:
             writer.close()
-
-
-class WaitQuit:
-    """Provides facilities to handle the termination of servers.
-
-    Server targets typically inherit from this class, with the method ``quit``
-    called via RPC.
-
-    """
-    def __init__(self):
-        self.terminate_notify = asyncio.Semaphore(0)
-
-    @asyncio.coroutine
-    def wait_quit(self):
-        """Waits until the `quit` method is called. This is typically used to
-        keep the `asyncio` loop running until the server is requested to
-        terminate.
-
-        This method is a `coroutine`.
-
-        """
-        yield from self.terminate_notify.acquire()
-
-    def quit(self):
-        """Quits the server.
-
-        """
-        self.terminate_notify.release()
diff --git a/frontend/artiq b/frontend/artiq
index b6a3989af..3dd78875f 100755
--- a/frontend/artiq
+++ b/frontend/artiq
@@ -17,10 +17,6 @@ def _get_args():
         "-o", "--run-once", default=[], nargs=3,
         action="append",
         help="run experiment once. arguments: <path> <name> <timeout>")
-    parser.add_argument(
-        "-q", "--quit-master", default=False,
-        action="store_true",
-        help="causes the master to quit")
     return parser.parse_args()
 
 
@@ -34,8 +30,6 @@ def main():
                     "path": path,
                     "name": name
                 }, int(timeout))
-        if args.quit_master:
-            remote.quit()
     finally:
         remote.close_rpc()
 
diff --git a/frontend/artiqd b/frontend/artiqd
index dc83c13e9..ceefd87ca 100755
--- a/frontend/artiqd
+++ b/frontend/artiqd
@@ -3,19 +3,10 @@
 import asyncio
 import argparse
 
-from artiq.management.pc_rpc import Server, WaitQuit
+from artiq.management.pc_rpc import Server
 from artiq.management.scheduler import Scheduler
 
 
-class Master(WaitQuit):
-    def __init__(self, scheduler):
-        WaitQuit.__init__(self)
-        self.scheduler = scheduler
-
-    def run_once(self, run_params, timeout):
-        self.scheduler.run_once(run_params, timeout)
-
-
 def _get_args():
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="PDQ2 controller")
     parser.add_argument(
@@ -34,11 +25,10 @@ def main():
         scheduler = Scheduler()
         loop.run_until_complete(scheduler.start())
         try:
-            master = Master(scheduler)
-            server = Server(master)
+            server = Server(scheduler)
             loop.run_until_complete(server.start(args.bind, args.port))
             try:
-                loop.run_until_complete(master.wait_quit())
+                loop.run_forever()
             finally:
                 loop.run_until_complete(server.stop())
         finally:
diff --git a/test/pc_rpc.py b/test/pc_rpc.py
index b6cd4f323..db91086d8 100644
--- a/test/pc_rpc.py
+++ b/test/pc_rpc.py
@@ -46,9 +46,16 @@ class RPCCase(unittest.TestCase):
             self.assertEqual(test_object, test_object_back)
 
 
-class Echo(pc_rpc.WaitQuit):
+class Echo:
     def __init__(self):
-        pc_rpc.WaitQuit.__init__(self)
+        self.terminate_notify = asyncio.Semaphore(0)
+
+    @asyncio.coroutine
+    def wait_quit(self):
+        yield from self.terminate_notify.acquire()
+
+    def quit(self):
+        self.terminate_notify.release()
 
     def echo(self, x):
         return x