diff --git a/src/LogTask.cpp b/src/LogTask.cpp
index 7a82fe4..bcd1499 100644
--- a/src/LogTask.cpp
+++ b/src/LogTask.cpp
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ bool LogTask::addStream(pocolog_cpp::InputDataStream& stream)
             task->ports()->addPort(portHandle->port->getName(), *portHandle->port);
             streamIdx2Port.emplace(stream.getIndex(), std::move(portHandle));
             return true;
+        } else {
+            unreplayablePorts.emplace(portName, stream.getCXXType());
         }
     }
 
@@ -203,7 +205,11 @@ LogTask::PortCollection LogTask::getPortCollection()
     for(const auto& portHandlePair : streamIdx2Port)
     {
         const auto& portHandle = portHandlePair.second;
-        collection.emplace_back(portHandle->name, portHandle->inputDataStream.getCXXType());
+        collection.replayable.emplace_back(PortInfo{portHandle->name, portHandle->inputDataStream.getCXXType()});
+    }
+    for(const auto& p : unreplayablePorts)
+    {
+        collection.unreplayable.emplace_back(PortInfo{p.first, p.second});
     }
 
     return collection;
@@ -217,4 +223,4 @@ std::string LogTask::getName()
 bool LogTask::isValid()
 {
     return task.get();
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/LogTask.hpp b/src/LogTask.hpp
index da9b689..68cda2c 100644
--- a/src/LogTask.hpp
+++ b/src/LogTask.hpp
@@ -96,13 +96,19 @@ class LogTask
      * @brief Alias for pair of port name and port type.
      *
      */
-    using PortInfo = std::pair<std::string, std::string>;
+    struct PortInfo {
+        std::string name;
+        std::string type;
+    };
 
     /**
-     * @brief Alias for list of PortInfo.
+     * @brief Structure holding two lists: replayable ports and unreplayable ports
      *
      */
-    using PortCollection = std::vector<PortInfo>;
+    struct PortCollection {
+        std::vector<PortInfo> replayable;
+        std::vector<PortInfo> unreplayable;
+    };
 
     /**
      * @brief Constructor.
@@ -236,4 +242,11 @@ class LogTask
      *
      */
     std::map<uint64_t, std::unique_ptr<PortHandle>> streamIdx2Port;
+
+    /**
+     * @brief Map of stream names to types
+     *
+     * Used for showing which ports are present but cannot be replayed
+     */
+    std::map<std::string, std::string> unreplayablePorts;
 };
diff --git a/src/LogTaskManager.cpp b/src/LogTaskManager.cpp
index 80e097b..0436782 100644
--- a/src/LogTaskManager.cpp
+++ b/src/LogTaskManager.cpp
@@ -4,11 +4,13 @@
 
 #include <base-logging/Logging.hpp>
 #include <orocos_cpp/orocos_cpp.hpp>
+#include <orocos_cpp/PluginHelper.hpp>
 
 LogTaskManager::LogTaskManager()
 {
     orocos_cpp::OrocosCppConfig config;
     orocos.initialize(config);
+    haveLoadedAllTypeKits = false;
 }
 
 void LogTaskManager::init(
@@ -126,21 +128,52 @@ bool LogTaskManager::loadTypekitsAndAddStreamToLogTask(pocolog_cpp::InputDataStr
     {
         modelName = inputStream.getTaskModel();
     }
+    catch(std::exception &e)
+    {
+        LOG_WARN_S << "stream " << inputStream.getName()
+                   << " does not contain necessary metadata for its task model. Trying to load typekit via stream name"
+                   << "("<< typeid(e).name() << ": " << e.what() << ")";
+    }
     catch(...)
     {
         LOG_WARN_S << "stream " << inputStream.getName()
                    << " does not contain necessary metadata for its task model. Trying to load typekit via stream name";
     }
 
+    bool typekit_loaded = false;
     try
     {
         orocos.loadAllTypekitsForModel(modelName);
+        typekit_loaded = true;
+    }
+    catch(std::exception &e)
+    {
+        LOG_WARN_S << "cannot load typekits using modelName " << modelName << " for stream " << inputStream.getName() << "("<< typeid(e).name() << ": " << e.what() << ")";
+    }
+    catch(...)
+    {
+        LOG_WARN_S << "cannot load typekits using modelName " << modelName << " for stream " << inputStream.getName();
+    }
+    if(!typekit_loaded && !haveLoadedAllTypeKits) {
+        haveLoadedAllTypeKits = true;
+        LOG_WARN_S << "Trying to load all typekits for stream " << inputStream.getName();
+        orocos_cpp::PluginHelper::loadAllTypekitAndTransports();
+    }
+    //even though the registry is available in inputStream.getStreamRegistry,
+    //we cannot do anything without the typekits, so best we can do is
+    //configure orocos_cpp with load_all_packages and hope the datatype
+    //can be found.
+    try {
         LogTask& logTask = findOrCreateLogTask(inputStream.getName());
         return logTask.addStream(inputStream);
     }
+    catch(std::exception &e)
+    {
+        LOG_WARN_S << "cannot add stream to task for stream " << inputStream.getName() << "("<< typeid(e).name() << ": " << e.what() << ")";
+    }
     catch(...)
     {
-        LOG_WARN_S << "cannot load typekits for stream " << inputStream.getName();
+        LOG_WARN_S << "cannot add stream to task for stream " << inputStream.getName();
     }
 
     return false;
diff --git a/src/LogTaskManager.hpp b/src/LogTaskManager.hpp
index d3a1d5a..7a0add6 100644
--- a/src/LogTaskManager.hpp
+++ b/src/LogTaskManager.hpp
@@ -40,16 +40,6 @@ class LogTaskManager
         bool valid;
     };
 
-    /**
-     * @brief Pair of port name and corresponding c++ data type.
-     */
-    using PortInfo = std::pair<std::string, std::string>;
-
-    /**
-     * @brief List of PortInfos.
-     */
-    using PortCollection = std::vector<PortInfo>;
-
     /**
      * @brief Map of task name to corresponding list of PortInfos.
      */
@@ -175,4 +165,9 @@ class LogTaskManager
      * 
      */
     std::map<std::string, std::string> renamings;
+
+    /**
+     * @brief Set to remember if we have already tried loading all typekits
+     */
+    bool haveLoadedAllTypeKits;
 };
diff --git a/src/Main.cpp b/src/Main.cpp
index 310499a..0e71dd1 100644
--- a/src/Main.cpp
+++ b/src/Main.cpp
@@ -3,16 +3,20 @@
 
 #include <csignal>
 
-ReplayHandler replayHandler;
-
 void startHeadless(const ArgParser& argParser)
 {
-    static bool no_exit = argParser.no_exit;
-    std::signal(SIGINT, [](int sig) { replayHandler.stop(); no_exit = false; });
+    //There can only be one replayHandler(due to orocos_cpp), and since
+    //startGui does use a one on its stack, it would be unusable if this
+    //one were static.
+    ReplayHandler replayHandler;
+
+    static volatile bool do_quit = false;
+    //This must be a function, so it cannot capture anything.
+    std::signal(SIGINT, [](int sig) { do_quit = true; });
     replayHandler.init(argParser.fileNames, argParser.prefix, argParser.whiteListTokens, argParser.renamings);
     replayHandler.play();
 
-    while(replayHandler.isPlaying())
+    while(replayHandler.isPlaying() && !do_quit)
     {
         if(!argParser.quiet){
             std::cout << "replaying [" << replayHandler.getCurIndex() << "/" << replayHandler.getMaxIndex()
@@ -26,7 +30,7 @@ void startHeadless(const ArgParser& argParser)
     replayHandler.stop();
     std::cout << "replay handler stopped" << std::endl;
     
-    while(no_exit) sleep(1);
+    while(argParser.no_exit && !do_quit) sleep(1);
 }
 
 int startGui(int argc, char* argv[], const ArgParser& argParser)
diff --git a/src/ReplayGui.cpp b/src/ReplayGui.cpp
index 922fda5..22b41c5 100644
--- a/src/ReplayGui.cpp
+++ b/src/ReplayGui.cpp
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ void ReplayGui::initReplayHandler(
         title = "Rock-Replay";
         break;
     case 1:
-        title = QString(fileNames[0].c_str());
+        title = QString::fromStdString(fileNames[0]);
         break;
     default:
         title = QString("Multi Logfile Replay");
@@ -188,8 +188,8 @@ void ReplayGui::statusUpdate()
 {
     QString interval = "    [" + QString::number(replayHandler.getMinSpan()) + "/" + QString::number(replayHandler.getMaxSpan()) + "]";
     ui.curSampleNum->setText(QString::number(replayHandler.getCurIndex()) + "/" + QString::number(replayHandler.getMaxIndex()) + interval);
-    ui.curTimestamp->setText(replayHandler.getCurTimeStamp().c_str());
-    ui.curPortName->setText(replayHandler.getCurSamplePortName().c_str());
+    ui.curTimestamp->setText(QString::fromStdString(replayHandler.getCurTimeStamp()));
+    ui.curPortName->setText(QString::fromStdString(replayHandler.getCurSamplePortName()));
     ui.curPortName->setAutoFillBackground(!replayHandler.canSampleBeReplayed());
     ui.progressSlider->setSliderPosition(replayHandler.getCurIndex());
     ui.speedBar->setValue(replayHandler.getCurrentSpeed() * 100);
@@ -269,20 +269,25 @@ void ReplayGui::updateTaskView()
 
     for(const auto& taskName2Ports : replayHandler.getTaskNamesWithPorts())
     {
-        auto* task = new QStandardItem(taskName2Ports.first.c_str());
+        auto* task = new QStandardItem(QString::fromStdString(taskName2Ports.first));
         task->setCheckable(false);
 
-        QList<QStandardItem*> portTypes;
-        for(const auto& portName : taskName2Ports.second)
+        for(const auto& portName : taskName2Ports.second.replayable)
         {
-            QStandardItem* port = new QStandardItem(portName.first.c_str());
+            QStandardItem* port = new QStandardItem(QString::fromStdString(portName.name));
             port->setCheckable(true);
             port->setData(Qt::Checked, Qt::CheckStateRole);
-            task->appendRow(port);
-            portTypes.push_back(new QStandardItem(portName.second.c_str()));
+            task->appendRow(QList<QStandardItem*> {
+                port, new QStandardItem(QString::fromStdString(portName.type))});
+        }
+        for(const auto& portName : taskName2Ports.second.unreplayable)
+        {
+            QStandardItem* port = new QStandardItem(QString::fromStdString(portName.name));
+            port->setCheckable(false);
+            port->setEnabled(false);
+            task->appendRow(QList<QStandardItem*> {
+                port, new QStandardItem(QString::fromStdString(portName.type)+" [missing typekit]")});
         }
-
-        task->appendColumn(portTypes);
 
         tasksModel->appendRow(task);
     }
diff --git a/src/ReplayHandler.cpp b/src/ReplayHandler.cpp
index 3d6de4e..c09b025 100644
--- a/src/ReplayHandler.cpp
+++ b/src/ReplayHandler.cpp
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ void ReplayHandler::deinit()
     }
 }
 
-std::map<std::string, std::vector<std::pair<std::string, std::string>>> ReplayHandler::getTaskNamesWithPorts()
+ReplayHandler::TaskCollection ReplayHandler::getTaskNamesWithPorts()
 {
     return manager.getTaskCollection();
 }
diff --git a/src/ReplayHandler.hpp b/src/ReplayHandler.hpp
index 0e1422d..60d1890 100644
--- a/src/ReplayHandler.hpp
+++ b/src/ReplayHandler.hpp
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ class ReplayHandler
 {
 
 public:
+
+    using TaskCollection = LogTaskManager::TaskCollection;
+
     /**
      * @brief Constructor.
      *
@@ -118,7 +121,7 @@ class ReplayHandler
      * @brief Returns a map of task names with a list of their ports.
      * @return std::map<std::string, std::vector<std::string>> Map of task names with list of ports.
      */
-    std::map<std::string, std::vector<std::pair<std::string, std::string>>> getTaskNamesWithPorts();
+    TaskCollection getTaskNamesWithPorts();
 
     /**
      * @brief Returns the current sample timestamp.