diff --git a/overviewer_core/dispatcher.py b/overviewer_core/dispatcher.py
index 44680bb..3fd66e8 100644
--- a/overviewer_core/dispatcher.py
+++ b/overviewer_core/dispatcher.py
@@ -25,9 +25,9 @@ from signals import Signal
 class Dispatcher(object):
     """This class coordinates the work of all the TileSet objects
     among one worker process. By subclassing this class and
-    implementing setup_tilesets(), dispatch(), finish_work() and
-    close(), it is possible to create a Dispatcher that distributes
-    this work to many worker processes.
+    implementing setup_tilesets(), dispatch(), and close(), it is
+    possible to create a Dispatcher that distributes this work to many
+    worker processes.
     """
     def __init__(self):
         super(Dispatcher, self).__init__()
@@ -71,7 +71,6 @@ class Dispatcher(object):
             # after each phase, wait for the work to finish
             while len(self._pending_jobs) > 0 or len(self._running_jobs) > 0:
                 self._dispatch_jobs()
-            self.finish_work()
     
     def _dispatch_jobs(self):
         # helper function to dispatch pending jobs when their
@@ -130,13 +129,6 @@ class Dispatcher(object):
             tileset.do_work(workitem)
             return [(tileset, workitem),]
         return []
-    
-    def finish_work(self):
-        """This call should block until all dispatched jobs have
-        completed. It's used at the end of each phase to ensure that
-        phases are always run in serial.
-        """
-        pass
 
 class MultiprocessingDispatcherManager(multiprocessing.managers.BaseManager):
     """This multiprocessing manager is responsible for giving worker
@@ -279,7 +271,10 @@ class MultiprocessingDispatcher(Dispatcher):
             self.pool.append(proc)
     
     def close(self):
-        self.finish_work()
+        # empty the queue
+        self._handle_messages(timeout=0.0)
+        while self.outstanding_jobs > 0:
+            self._handle_messages()
         
         # send of the end-of-jobs sentinel
         for p in xrange(self.num_workers):
@@ -312,12 +307,6 @@ class MultiprocessingDispatcher(Dispatcher):
             finished_jobs += self._handle_messages()
         return finished_jobs
     
-    def finish_work(self):
-        # empty the queue
-        self._handle_messages(timeout=0.0)
-        while self.outstanding_jobs > 0:
-            self._handle_messages()
-    
     def _handle_messages(self, timeout=1.0):
         # work function: takes results out of the result queue and
         # keeps track of how many outstanding jobs remain