diff --git a/oxdbarchive/extract.py b/oxdbarchive/extract.py
index 98a26e7..fd8c895 100644
--- a/oxdbarchive/extract.py
+++ b/oxdbarchive/extract.py
@@ -11,6 +11,18 @@ from subtitles import time2ms
 
 img_extension="jpg"
 
+def run_command(cmd, timeout=25):
+    p = subprocess.Popen(cmd, shell=True)
+    while timeout > 0:
+        time.sleep(0.2)
+        timeout -= 0.2
+        if p.poll() != None:
+            return p.returncode
+    if p.poll() == None:
+        os.kill(p.pid, 9)
+        killedpid, stat = os.waitpid(p.pid, os.WNOHANG)
+    return p.returncode
+
 def extract_flash_ng(movie_file, flash_file, inpoint, outpoint, width=128, height=96, offset = 0):
   ext = movie_file.split('.')[-1]
   if ext in ('sub', 'srt'):
@@ -157,10 +169,11 @@ def extract_poster_still(movie_file, png_file, inpoint):
   extractClipScript = abspath(join(dirname(__file__), "tools/extract_frame.py"))
 
   cmd = '''%s "%s" "%s" %s 0 128''' % (extractClipScript, movie_file, png_file, inpoint)
-  os.system(cmd.encode('utf-8'))
+  run_command(cmd.encode('utf-8'))
 
 def extract_subtitles(movie_file, srt, img_folder, width=128, offset = 0, redo = False):
   subtitles = srt2dict(srt)  
   for k in sorted([int(k) for k in subtitles]):
     timestamp = subtitles["%s" % k]['start']
     extract_frame(movie_file, timestamp, img_folder, width, offset, redo)
+