diff --git a/buzz/transcriber/local_whisper_cpp_server_transcriber.py b/buzz/transcriber/local_whisper_cpp_server_transcriber.py
index c58553d9..d57252fe 100644
--- a/buzz/transcriber/local_whisper_cpp_server_transcriber.py
+++ b/buzz/transcriber/local_whisper_cpp_server_transcriber.py
@@ -64,7 +64,8 @@ class LocalWhisperCppServerTranscriber(OpenAIWhisperAPIFileTranscriber):
 
         self.openai_client = OpenAI(
             api_key="not-used",
-            base_url="http://127.0.0.1:3000"
+            base_url="http://127.0.0.1:3000",
+            max_retries=0
         )
 
     def transcribe(self) -> List[Segment]:
diff --git a/buzz/transcriber/openai_whisper_api_file_transcriber.py b/buzz/transcriber/openai_whisper_api_file_transcriber.py
index 21a6652f..b2f02898 100644
--- a/buzz/transcriber/openai_whisper_api_file_transcriber.py
+++ b/buzz/transcriber/openai_whisper_api_file_transcriber.py
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@ class OpenAIWhisperAPIFileTranscriber(FileTranscriber):
         self.task = task.transcription_options.task
         self.openai_client = OpenAI(
             api_key=self.transcription_task.transcription_options.openai_access_token,
-            base_url=custom_openai_base_url if custom_openai_base_url else None
+            base_url=custom_openai_base_url if custom_openai_base_url else None,
+            max_retries=0
         )
         self.whisper_api_model = get_custom_api_whisper_model(custom_openai_base_url)
         self.word_level_timings = self.transcription_task.transcription_options.word_level_timings
diff --git a/buzz/transcriber/recording_transcriber.py b/buzz/transcriber/recording_transcriber.py
index 8e5cc3d1..7867e50e 100644
--- a/buzz/transcriber/recording_transcriber.py
+++ b/buzz/transcriber/recording_transcriber.py
@@ -126,7 +126,8 @@ class RecordingTranscriber(QObject):
             self.whisper_api_model = get_custom_api_whisper_model(custom_openai_base_url)
             self.openai_client = OpenAI(
                 api_key=self.transcription_options.openai_access_token,
-                base_url=custom_openai_base_url if custom_openai_base_url else None
+                base_url=custom_openai_base_url if custom_openai_base_url else None,
+                max_retries=0
             )
             logging.debug("Will use whisper API on %s, %s",
                           custom_openai_base_url, self.whisper_api_model)
diff --git a/buzz/translator.py b/buzz/translator.py
index 56a816ea..ffeecf7b 100644
--- a/buzz/translator.py
+++ b/buzz/translator.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import logging
 import queue
 
 from typing import Optional
-from openai import OpenAI
+from openai import OpenAI, max_retries
 from PyQt6.QtCore import QObject, pyqtSignal
 
 from buzz.settings.settings import Settings
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ from buzz.widgets.transcriber.advanced_settings_dialog import AdvancedSettingsDi
 class Translator(QObject):
     translation = pyqtSignal(str, int)
     finished = pyqtSignal()
-    is_running = False
 
     def __init__(
         self,
@@ -48,19 +47,22 @@ class Translator(QObject):
         )
         self.openai_client = OpenAI(
             api_key=openai_api_key,
-            base_url=custom_openai_base_url if custom_openai_base_url else None
+            base_url=custom_openai_base_url if custom_openai_base_url else None,
+            max_retries=0
         )
 
     def start(self):
         logging.debug("Starting translation queue")
 
-        self.is_running = True
+        while True:
+            item = self.queue.get()  # Block until item available
 
-        while self.is_running:
-            try:
-                transcript, transcript_id = self.queue.get(timeout=1)
-            except queue.Empty:
-                continue
+            # Check for sentinel value (None means stop)
+            if item is None:
+                logging.debug("Translation queue received stop signal")
+                break
+
+            transcript, transcript_id = item
 
             try:
                 completion = self.openai_client.chat.completions.create(
@@ -69,7 +71,8 @@ class Translator(QObject):
                         {"role": "system", "content": self.transcription_options.llm_prompt},
                         {"role": "user", "content": transcript}
                     ],
-                    timeout=30.0
+                    timeout=30.0,
+
                 )
             except Exception as e:
                 completion = None
@@ -84,6 +87,7 @@ class Translator(QObject):
 
             self.translation.emit(next_translation, transcript_id)
 
+        logging.debug("Translation queue stopped")
         self.finished.emit()
 
     def on_transcription_options_changed(
@@ -95,4 +99,5 @@ class Translator(QObject):
         self.queue.put((transcript, transcript_id))
 
     def stop(self):
-        self.is_running = False
+        # Send sentinel value to unblock and stop the worker thread
+        self.queue.put(None)
diff --git a/buzz/widgets/preferences_dialog/general_preferences_widget.py b/buzz/widgets/preferences_dialog/general_preferences_widget.py
index 5cefcdaa..b7bdfc74 100644
--- a/buzz/widgets/preferences_dialog/general_preferences_widget.py
+++ b/buzz/widgets/preferences_dialog/general_preferences_widget.py
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ class ValidateOpenAIApiKeyJob(QRunnable):
             client = OpenAI(
                 api_key=self.api_key,
                 base_url=custom_openai_base_url if custom_openai_base_url else None,
-                timeout=5,
+                timeout=15,
             )
             client.models.list()
             self.signals.success.emit()
diff --git a/buzz/widgets/transcription_viewer/transcription_viewer_widget.py b/buzz/widgets/transcription_viewer/transcription_viewer_widget.py
index bf4400b3..e77c2179 100644
--- a/buzz/widgets/transcription_viewer/transcription_viewer_widget.py
+++ b/buzz/widgets/transcription_viewer/transcription_viewer_widget.py
@@ -1351,8 +1351,15 @@ class TranscriptionViewerWidget(QWidget):
 
         # Only wait if thread is actually running
         if self.translation_thread.isRunning():
-            if not self.translation_thread.wait(45_000):
-                logging.warning("Translation thread did not finish within timeout")
+            # Wait up to 35 seconds for graceful shutdown
+            # (30s max API call timeout + 5s buffer)
+            if not self.translation_thread.wait(35_000):
+                logging.warning("Translation thread did not finish gracefully, terminating")
+                # Force terminate the thread if it doesn't stop
+                self.translation_thread.terminate()
+                # Give it a brief moment to terminate
+                if not self.translation_thread.wait(1_000):
+                    logging.error("Translation thread could not be terminated")
 
         super().closeEvent(event)
 
diff --git a/tests/translator_test.py b/tests/translator_test.py
index 6c0f87d6..c9b4d8e3 100644
--- a/tests/translator_test.py
+++ b/tests/translator_test.py
@@ -15,14 +15,12 @@ class TestTranslator:
     @patch('buzz.translator.queue.Queue', autospec=True)
     def test_start(self, mock_queue, mock_openai, qtbot):
         def side_effect(*args, **kwargs):
-            side_effect.call_count += 1
+            if side_effect.call_count <= 1:
+                side_effect.call_count += 1
+                return ("Hello, how are you?", 1)
 
-            if side_effect.call_count >= 5:
-                translator.is_running = False
-
-            if side_effect.call_count < 3:
-                raise Empty
-            return "Hello, how are you?", None
+            # Finally return sentinel to stop
+            return None
 
         side_effect.call_count = 0
 
@@ -51,6 +49,8 @@ class TestTranslator:
         mock_queue.get.assert_called()
         mock_chat.completions.create.assert_called()
 
+        translator.stop()
+
     @patch('buzz.translator.OpenAI', autospec=True)
     def test_translator(self, mock_openai, qtbot):
 
@@ -94,8 +94,7 @@ class TestTranslator:
 
         self.translation_thread.start()
 
-        time.sleep(3)
-        assert self.translator.is_running
+        time.sleep(1)  # Give thread time to start
 
         self.translator.enqueue("Hello, how are you?")
 
diff --git a/tests/widgets/transcription_viewer/transcription_viewer_widget_additional_test.py b/tests/widgets/transcription_viewer/transcription_viewer_widget_additional_test.py
index c007caf4..9e716e7a 100644
--- a/tests/widgets/transcription_viewer/transcription_viewer_widget_additional_test.py
+++ b/tests/widgets/transcription_viewer/transcription_viewer_widget_additional_test.py
@@ -778,24 +778,24 @@ class TestTranscriptionViewerWidgetAdditional:
 
         widget.close()
 
-    # Skipped as it seems it is sending actual requests and maybe failing on CI
-    # def test_run_translation(self, qtbot: QtBot, transcription, transcription_service, shortcuts):
-    #     """Test run_translation method"""
-    #     widget = TranscriptionViewerWidget(
-    #         transcription, transcription_service, shortcuts
-    #     )
-    #     qtbot.add_widget(widget)
-    #
-    #     # Set required options
-    #     widget.transcription_options.llm_model = "gpt-4"
-    #     widget.transcription_options.llm_prompt = "Translate"
-    #
-    #     widget.run_translation()
-    #
-    #     # Should enqueue translation tasks
-    #     assert hasattr(widget, 'run_translation')
-    #
-    #     widget.close()
+    # TODO - it is sending actual requests, should mock
+    def test_run_translation(self, qtbot: QtBot, transcription, transcription_service, shortcuts):
+        """Test run_translation method"""
+        widget = TranscriptionViewerWidget(
+            transcription, transcription_service, shortcuts
+        )
+        qtbot.add_widget(widget)
+
+        # Set required options
+        widget.transcription_options.llm_model = "gpt-4"
+        widget.transcription_options.llm_prompt = "Translate"
+
+        widget.run_translation()
+
+        # Should enqueue translation tasks
+        assert hasattr(widget, 'run_translation')
+
+        widget.close()
 
     def test_restore_ui_state(self, qtbot: QtBot, transcription, transcription_service, shortcuts):
         """Test restore_ui_state method"""