diff --git a/IPython/core/history.py b/IPython/core/history.py
index 6c80f44..bff1631 100644
--- a/IPython/core/history.py
+++ b/IPython/core/history.py
@@ -261,14 +261,17 @@ class HistorySaveThread(threading.Thread):
         self.IPython_object = IPython_object
         self.time_interval = time_interval
         self.exit_now = exit_now
+        self.cond = threading.Condition()
 
     def run(self):
         while 1:
+            self.cond.acquire()
+            self.cond.wait(self.time_interval)
+            self.cond.release()
             if self.exit_now==True:
                 break
-            time.sleep(self.time_interval)
             #printing for debug
-            #print("Saving...")
+            print("Saving...")
             self.IPython_object.save_history()
 
 def magic_history(self, parameter_s = ''):
diff --git a/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py b/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py
index 05961bd..d1b2108 100644
--- a/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py
+++ b/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ class InteractiveShell(Configurable, Magic):
         self.init_payload()
         self.hooks.late_startup_hook()
         atexit.register(self.atexit_operations)
-        self.history_thread = HistorySaveThread(self, 10, False)
+        self.history_thread = HistorySaveThread(self, 60, False)
         self.history_thread.start()
 
     # While we're trying to have each part of the code directly access what it
diff --git a/IPython/frontend/terminal/interactiveshell.py b/IPython/frontend/terminal/interactiveshell.py
index de170a2..207323d 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/terminal/interactiveshell.py
+++ b/IPython/frontend/terminal/interactiveshell.py
@@ -500,9 +500,12 @@ class TerminalInteractiveShell(InteractiveShell):
         if self.confirm_exit:
             if self.ask_yes_no('Do you really want to exit ([y]/n)?','y'):
                 self.shell.history_thread.exit_now=True
+                self.shell.history_thread.cond.acquire()
+                self.shell.history_thread.cond.notify()
+                self.shell.history_thread.cond.release()
                 self.ask_exit()
         else:
-            self.shell.history_thread = HistorySaveThread(self.shell, 10, False)
+            self.shell.history_thread = HistorySaveThread(self.shell, 60, False)
             self.shell.history_thread.start()
             self.ask_exit()