diff --git a/src/controller/mainController.py b/src/controller/mainController.py
index 8b6fa11c..211ecac9 100644
--- a/src/controller/mainController.py
+++ b/src/controller/mainController.py
@@ -931,8 +931,8 @@ class Controller(object):
    self.view.insert_buffer(buffer.buffer, name=_(u"Trending topics for %s") % (trends.get_string()), pos=pos)
    self.buffers.append(buffer)
    buffer.start_stream()
-   timer = RepeatingTimer(300, buffer.start_stream)
-   timer.start()
+   buffer.timer = RepeatingTimer(300, buffer.start_stream)
+   buffer.timer.start()
    buffer.session.settings["other_buffers"]["trending_topic_buffers"].append(woeid)
    buffer.session.settings.write()
 
@@ -987,9 +987,10 @@ class Controller(object):
   buff = self.view.search(buffer.name, buffer.account)
   answer = buffer.remove_buffer()
   if answer == False: return
-  if hasattr(buff, "timer"):
+  log.debug("destroying buffer...")
+  if hasattr(buffer, "timer"):
    log.debug("Stopping timer...")
-   buff.timer.cancel()
+   buffer.timer.cancel()
    log.debug("Timer cancelled.")
   self.right()
   self.view.delete_buffer(buff)