diff --git a/Makefile.objs b/Makefile.objs
index cd5a24b..3b7ec27 100644
--- a/Makefile.objs
+++ b/Makefile.objs
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ qobject-obj-y += qerror.o
 
 block-obj-y = cutils.o cache-utils.o qemu-malloc.o qemu-option.o module.o
 block-obj-y += nbd.o block.o aio.o aes.o osdep.o qemu-config.o
+block-obj-$(CONFIG_POSIX) += qemu-thread.o
 block-obj-$(CONFIG_POSIX) += posix-aio-compat.o
 block-obj-$(CONFIG_LINUX_AIO) += linux-aio.o
 
@@ -124,7 +125,6 @@ endif
 common-obj-y += $(addprefix ui/, $(ui-obj-y))
 
 common-obj-y += iov.o acl.o
-common-obj-$(CONFIG_THREAD) += qemu-thread.o
 common-obj-y += notify.o event_notifier.o
 common-obj-y += qemu-timer.o
 
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index a079a49..addf733 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -2456,7 +2456,6 @@ if test "$vnc_png" != "no" ; then
 fi
 if test "$vnc_thread" != "no" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_VNC_THREAD=y" >> $config_host_mak
-  echo "CONFIG_THREAD=y" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
 if test "$fnmatch" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_FNMATCH=y" >> $config_host_mak
@@ -2534,7 +2533,6 @@ if test "$xen" = "yes" ; then
 fi
 if test "$io_thread" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_IOTHREAD=y" >> $config_host_mak
-  echo "CONFIG_THREAD=y" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
 if test "$linux_aio" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_LINUX_AIO=y" >> $config_host_mak
diff --git a/posix-aio-compat.c b/posix-aio-compat.c
index 7b862b5..dc5f8ec 100644
--- a/posix-aio-compat.c
+++ b/posix-aio-compat.c
@@ -29,7 +29,33 @@
 #include "block_int.h"
 
 #include "block/raw-posix-aio.h"
+#include "qemu-thread.h"
 
+#define MAX_GLOBAL_THREADS  64
+#define MIN_GLOBAL_THREADS   8
+
+static QemuMutex aiocb_mutex;
+static QemuCond aiocb_completion;
+
+typedef struct ThreadletQueue
+{
+    QemuMutex lock;
+    QemuCond cond;
+    int max_threads;
+    int min_threads;
+    int cur_threads;
+    int idle_threads;
+    QTAILQ_HEAD(, ThreadletWork) request_list;
+} ThreadletQueue;
+
+typedef struct ThreadletWork
+{
+    QTAILQ_ENTRY(ThreadletWork) node;
+    void (*func)(struct ThreadletWork *work);
+} ThreadletWork;
+
+static ThreadletQueue globalqueue;
+static int globalqueue_init;
 
 struct qemu_paiocb {
     BlockDriverAIOCB common;
@@ -44,13 +70,12 @@ struct qemu_paiocb {
     int ev_signo;
     off_t aio_offset;
 
-    QTAILQ_ENTRY(qemu_paiocb) node;
     int aio_type;
     ssize_t ret;
-    int active;
     struct qemu_paiocb *next;
 
     int async_context_id;
+    ThreadletWork work;
 };
 
 typedef struct PosixAioState {
@@ -58,64 +83,169 @@ typedef struct PosixAioState {
     struct qemu_paiocb *first_aio;
 } PosixAioState;
 
+static void *threadlet_worker(void *data)
+{
+    ThreadletQueue *queue = data;
 
-static pthread_mutex_t lock = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
-static pthread_cond_t cond = PTHREAD_COND_INITIALIZER;
-static pthread_t thread_id;
-static pthread_attr_t attr;
-static int max_threads = 64;
-static int cur_threads = 0;
-static int idle_threads = 0;
-static QTAILQ_HEAD(, qemu_paiocb) request_list;
+    qemu_mutex_lock(&queue->lock);
+    while (1) {
+        ThreadletWork *work;
+        int ret = 0;
+
+        while (QTAILQ_EMPTY(&queue->request_list) &&
+               (ret != ETIMEDOUT)) {
+            /* wait for cond to be signalled or broadcast for 1000s */
+            ret = qemu_cond_timedwait((&queue->cond),
+                                         &(queue->lock), 10*100000);
+        }
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_PREADV
-static int preadv_present = 1;
-#else
-static int preadv_present = 0;
-#endif
+        assert(queue->idle_threads != 0);
+        if (QTAILQ_EMPTY(&queue->request_list)) {
+            if (queue->cur_threads > queue->min_threads) {
+                /* We retain the minimum number of threads */
+                break;
+            }
+        } else {
+            work = QTAILQ_FIRST(&queue->request_list);
+            QTAILQ_REMOVE(&queue->request_list, work, node);
 
-static void die2(int err, const char *what)
-{
-    fprintf(stderr, "%s failed: %s\n", what, strerror(err));
-    abort();
+            queue->idle_threads--;
+            qemu_mutex_unlock(&queue->lock);
+
+            /* execute the work function */
+            work->func(work);
+
+            qemu_mutex_lock(&queue->lock);
+            queue->idle_threads++;
+        }
+    }
+
+    queue->idle_threads--;
+    queue->cur_threads--;
+    qemu_mutex_unlock(&queue->lock);
+
+    return NULL;
 }
 
-static void die(const char *what)
+static void spawn_threadlet(ThreadletQueue *queue)
 {
-    die2(errno, what);
+    QemuThread thread;
+
+    queue->cur_threads++;
+    queue->idle_threads++;
+
+    qemu_thread_create(&thread, threadlet_worker, queue);
 }
 
-static void mutex_lock(pthread_mutex_t *mutex)
+/**
+ * submit_work_to_queue: Submit a new task to a private queue to be
+ *                            executed asynchronously.
+ * @queue: Per-subsystem private queue to which the new task needs
+ *         to be submitted.
+ * @work: Contains information about the task that needs to be submitted.
+ */
+static void submit_work_to_queue(ThreadletQueue *queue, ThreadletWork *work)
 {
-    int ret = pthread_mutex_lock(mutex);
-    if (ret) die2(ret, "pthread_mutex_lock");
+    qemu_mutex_lock(&queue->lock);
+    if (queue->idle_threads == 0 && queue->cur_threads < queue->max_threads) {
+        spawn_threadlet(queue);
+    } else {
+        qemu_cond_signal(&queue->cond);
+    }
+    QTAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&queue->request_list, work, node);
+    qemu_mutex_unlock(&queue->lock);
 }
 
-static void mutex_unlock(pthread_mutex_t *mutex)
+static void threadlet_queue_init(ThreadletQueue *queue,
+                          int max_threads, int min_threads);
+
+/**
+ * submit_work: Submit to the global queue a new task to be executed
+ *                   asynchronously.
+ * @work: Contains information about the task that needs to be submitted.
+ */
+static void submit_work(ThreadletWork *work)
 {
-    int ret = pthread_mutex_unlock(mutex);
-    if (ret) die2(ret, "pthread_mutex_unlock");
+    if (!globalqueue_init) {
+        threadlet_queue_init(&globalqueue, MAX_GLOBAL_THREADS,
+                                MIN_GLOBAL_THREADS);
+        globalqueue_init = 1;
+    }
+
+    submit_work_to_queue(&globalqueue, work);
 }
 
-static int cond_timedwait(pthread_cond_t *cond, pthread_mutex_t *mutex,
-                           struct timespec *ts)
+/**
+ * dequeue_work_on_queue: Cancel a task queued on a Queue.
+ * @queue: The queue containing the task to be cancelled.
+ * @work: Contains the information of the task that needs to be cancelled.
+ *
+ * Returns: 0 if the task is successfully cancelled.
+ *          1 otherwise.
+ */
+static int dequeue_work_on_queue(ThreadletQueue *queue, ThreadletWork *work)
 {
-    int ret = pthread_cond_timedwait(cond, mutex, ts);
-    if (ret && ret != ETIMEDOUT) die2(ret, "pthread_cond_timedwait");
+    ThreadletWork *ret_work;
+    int ret = 1;
+
+    qemu_mutex_lock(&queue->lock);
+    QTAILQ_FOREACH(ret_work, &(queue->request_list), node) {
+        if (ret_work == work) {
+            QTAILQ_REMOVE(&queue->request_list, ret_work, node);
+            ret = 0;
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+    qemu_mutex_unlock(&queue->lock);
+
     return ret;
 }
 
-static void cond_signal(pthread_cond_t *cond)
+/**
+ * dequeue_work: Cancel a task queued on the global queue.
+ * @work: Contains the information of the task that needs to be cancelled.
+ *
+ * Returns: 0 if the task is successfully cancelled.
+ *          1 otherwise.
+ */
+static int dequeue_work(ThreadletWork *work)
+{
+    return dequeue_work_on_queue(&globalqueue, work);
+}
+
+/**
+ * threadlet_queue_init: Initialize a threadlet queue.
+ * @queue: The threadlet queue to be initialized.
+ * @max_threads: Maximum number of threads processing the queue.
+ * @min_threads: Minimum number of threads processing the queue.
+ */
+static void threadlet_queue_init(ThreadletQueue *queue,
+                                    int max_threads, int min_threads)
+{
+    queue->cur_threads  = 0;
+    queue->idle_threads = 0;
+    queue->max_threads  = max_threads;
+    queue->min_threads  = min_threads;
+    QTAILQ_INIT(&queue->request_list);
+    qemu_mutex_init(&queue->lock);
+    qemu_cond_init(&queue->cond);
+}
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_PREADV
+static int preadv_present = 1;
+#else
+static int preadv_present;
+#endif
+
+static void die2(int err, const char *what)
 {
-    int ret = pthread_cond_signal(cond);
-    if (ret) die2(ret, "pthread_cond_signal");
+    fprintf(stderr, "%s failed: %s\n", what, strerror(err));
+    abort();
 }
 
-static void thread_create(pthread_t *thread, pthread_attr_t *attr,
-                          void *(*start_routine)(void*), void *arg)
+static void die(const char *what)
 {
-    int ret = pthread_create(thread, attr, start_routine, arg);
-    if (ret) die2(ret, "pthread_create");
+    die2(errno, what);
 }
 
 static ssize_t handle_aiocb_ioctl(struct qemu_paiocb *aiocb)
@@ -301,106 +431,58 @@ static ssize_t handle_aiocb_rw(struct qemu_paiocb *aiocb)
     return nbytes;
 }
 
-static void *aio_thread(void *unused)
+static void aio_thread(ThreadletWork *work)
 {
     pid_t pid;
+    struct qemu_paiocb *aiocb = container_of(work, struct qemu_paiocb, work);
+    ssize_t ret = 0;
 
     pid = getpid();
 
-    while (1) {
-        struct qemu_paiocb *aiocb;
-        ssize_t ret = 0;
-        qemu_timeval tv;
-        struct timespec ts;
-
-        qemu_gettimeofday(&tv);
-        ts.tv_sec = tv.tv_sec + 10;
-        ts.tv_nsec = 0;
-
-        mutex_lock(&lock);
-
-        while (QTAILQ_EMPTY(&request_list) &&
-               !(ret == ETIMEDOUT)) {
-            ret = cond_timedwait(&cond, &lock, &ts);
-        }
-
-        if (QTAILQ_EMPTY(&request_list))
-            break;
-
-        aiocb = QTAILQ_FIRST(&request_list);
-        QTAILQ_REMOVE(&request_list, aiocb, node);
-        aiocb->active = 1;
-        idle_threads--;
-        mutex_unlock(&lock);
-
-        switch (aiocb->aio_type & QEMU_AIO_TYPE_MASK) {
-        case QEMU_AIO_READ:
-        case QEMU_AIO_WRITE:
-            ret = handle_aiocb_rw(aiocb);
-            break;
-        case QEMU_AIO_FLUSH:
-            ret = handle_aiocb_flush(aiocb);
-            break;
-        case QEMU_AIO_IOCTL:
-            ret = handle_aiocb_ioctl(aiocb);
-            break;
-        default:
-            fprintf(stderr, "invalid aio request (0x%x)\n", aiocb->aio_type);
-            ret = -EINVAL;
-            break;
-        }
-
-        mutex_lock(&lock);
-        aiocb->ret = ret;
-        idle_threads++;
-        mutex_unlock(&lock);
-
-        if (kill(pid, aiocb->ev_signo)) die("kill failed");
+    switch (aiocb->aio_type & QEMU_AIO_TYPE_MASK) {
+    case QEMU_AIO_READ:
+    case QEMU_AIO_WRITE:
+        ret = handle_aiocb_rw(aiocb);
+        break;
+    case QEMU_AIO_FLUSH:
+        ret = handle_aiocb_flush(aiocb);
+        break;
+    case QEMU_AIO_IOCTL:
+        ret = handle_aiocb_ioctl(aiocb);
+        break;
+    default:
+        fprintf(stderr, "invalid aio request (0x%x)\n", aiocb->aio_type);
+        ret = -EINVAL;
+        break;
     }
 
-    idle_threads--;
-    cur_threads--;
-    mutex_unlock(&lock);
-
-    return NULL;
-}
-
-static void spawn_thread(void)
-{
-    sigset_t set, oldset;
-
-    cur_threads++;
-    idle_threads++;
+    qemu_mutex_lock(&aiocb_mutex);
+    aiocb->ret = ret;
+    qemu_mutex_unlock(&aiocb_mutex);
 
-    /* block all signals */
-    if (sigfillset(&set)) die("sigfillset");
-    if (sigprocmask(SIG_SETMASK, &set, &oldset)) die("sigprocmask");
-
-    thread_create(&thread_id, &attr, aio_thread, NULL);
-
-    if (sigprocmask(SIG_SETMASK, &oldset, NULL)) die("sigprocmask restore");
+    if (kill(pid, aiocb->ev_signo)) {
+        die("kill failed");
+    }
 }
 
 static void qemu_paio_submit(struct qemu_paiocb *aiocb)
 {
+    qemu_mutex_lock(&aiocb_mutex);
     aiocb->ret = -EINPROGRESS;
-    aiocb->active = 0;
-    mutex_lock(&lock);
-    if (idle_threads == 0 && cur_threads < max_threads)
-        spawn_thread();
-    QTAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&request_list, aiocb, node);
-    mutex_unlock(&lock);
-    cond_signal(&cond);
+    qemu_mutex_unlock(&aiocb_mutex);
+
+    aiocb->work.func = aio_thread;
+    submit_work(&aiocb->work);
 }
 
 static ssize_t qemu_paio_return(struct qemu_paiocb *aiocb)
 {
     ssize_t ret;
 
-    mutex_lock(&lock);
+    qemu_mutex_lock(&aiocb_mutex);
     ret = aiocb->ret;
-    mutex_unlock(&lock);
-
+    qemu_mutex_unlock(&aiocb_mutex);
+    qemu_cond_broadcast(&aiocb_completion);
     return ret;
 }
 
@@ -534,22 +616,14 @@ static void paio_remove(struct qemu_paiocb *acb)
 static void paio_cancel(BlockDriverAIOCB *blockacb)
 {
     struct qemu_paiocb *acb = (struct qemu_paiocb *)blockacb;
-    int active = 0;
-
-    mutex_lock(&lock);
-    if (!acb->active) {
-        QTAILQ_REMOVE(&request_list, acb, node);
-        acb->ret = -ECANCELED;
-    } else if (acb->ret == -EINPROGRESS) {
-        active = 1;
-    }
-    mutex_unlock(&lock);
 
-    if (active) {
-        /* fail safe: if the aio could not be canceled, we wait for
-           it */
-        while (qemu_paio_error(acb) == EINPROGRESS)
-            ;
+    if (dequeue_work(&acb->work) != 0) {
+        /* Wait for running work item to complete */
+        qemu_mutex_lock(&aiocb_mutex);
+        while (acb->ret == -EINPROGRESS) {
+            qemu_cond_wait(&aiocb_completion, &aiocb_mutex);
+        }
+        qemu_mutex_unlock(&aiocb_mutex);
     }
 
     paio_remove(acb);
@@ -618,11 +692,12 @@ int paio_init(void)
     struct sigaction act;
     PosixAioState *s;
     int fds[2];
-    int ret;
 
     if (posix_aio_state)
         return 0;
 
+    qemu_mutex_init(&aiocb_mutex);
+
     s = qemu_malloc(sizeof(PosixAioState));
 
     sigfillset(&act.sa_mask);
@@ -645,16 +720,6 @@ int paio_init(void)
     qemu_aio_set_fd_handler(s->rfd, posix_aio_read, NULL, posix_aio_flush,
         posix_aio_process_queue, s);
 
-    ret = pthread_attr_init(&attr);
-    if (ret)
-        die2(ret, "pthread_attr_init");
-
-    ret = pthread_attr_setdetachstate(&attr, PTHREAD_CREATE_DETACHED);
-    if (ret)
-        die2(ret, "pthread_attr_setdetachstate");
-
-    QTAILQ_INIT(&request_list);
-
     posix_aio_state = s;
     return 0;
 }
