diff --git a/audio/pulse.c b/audio/pulse.c
index 79e0fd8822..819ab6eccf 100644
--- a/audio/pulse.c
+++ b/audio/pulse.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 
 typedef struct
 {
-   pa_mainloop *mainloop;
+   pa_threaded_mainloop *mainloop;
    pa_context *context;
    pa_stream *stream;
    bool nonblock;
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ static void __pulse_free(void *data)
    pa_t *pa = data;
    if (pa)
    {
+      if (pa->mainloop)
+         pa_threaded_mainloop_stop(pa->mainloop);
+
       if (pa->stream)
       {
          pa_stream_disconnect(pa->stream);
@@ -50,7 +53,7 @@ static void __pulse_free(void *data)
       }
 
       if (pa->mainloop)
-         pa_mainloop_free(pa->mainloop);
+         pa_threaded_mainloop_free(pa->mainloop);
 
       free(pa);
    }
@@ -68,29 +71,77 @@ static inline uint8_t is_little_endian(void)
    return u.y[0];
 }
 
+static void context_state_cb(pa_context *c, void *data)
+{
+   pa_t *pa = data;
+   switch (pa_context_get_state(c))
+   {
+      case PA_CONTEXT_READY:
+      case PA_CONTEXT_TERMINATED:
+      case PA_CONTEXT_FAILED:
+         pa_threaded_mainloop_signal(pa->mainloop, 0);
+         break;
+      default:
+         break;
+   }
+}
+
+static void stream_state_cb(pa_stream *s, void *data) 
+{
+   pa_t *pa = data;
+   switch (pa_stream_get_state(s)) {
+      case PA_STREAM_READY:
+      case PA_STREAM_FAILED:
+      case PA_STREAM_TERMINATED:
+         pa_threaded_mainloop_signal(pa->mainloop, 0);
+         break;
+      default:
+         break;
+   }
+}
+
+static void stream_request_cb(pa_stream *s, size_t length, void *data) 
+{
+   (void)length;
+   (void)s;
+   pa_t *pa = data;
+   pa_threaded_mainloop_signal(pa->mainloop, 0);
+}
+
+static void stream_latency_update_cb(pa_stream *s, void *data) 
+{
+   (void)s;
+   pa_t *pa = data;
+   pa_threaded_mainloop_signal(pa->mainloop, 0);
+}
+
 static void* __pulse_init(const char* device, int rate, int latency)
 {
    pa_t *pa = calloc(1, sizeof(*pa));
    if (!pa)
       goto error;
 
-   pa->mainloop = pa_mainloop_new();
+   pa->mainloop = pa_threaded_mainloop_new();
    if (!pa->mainloop)
       goto error;
 
-   pa->context = pa_context_new(pa_mainloop_get_api(pa->mainloop), "SSNES");
+   pa->context = pa_context_new(pa_threaded_mainloop_get_api(pa->mainloop), "SSNES");
    if (!pa->context)
       goto error;
+
+   pa_context_set_state_callback(pa->context, context_state_cb, pa);
+
    if (pa_context_connect(pa->context, device, PA_CONTEXT_NOFLAGS, NULL) < 0)
       goto error;
 
-   pa_context_state_t cstate;
-   do
-   {
-      pa_mainloop_iterate(pa->mainloop, 1, NULL);
-      cstate = pa_context_get_state(pa->context);
-      if (!PA_CONTEXT_IS_GOOD(cstate)) goto error;
-   } while (cstate != PA_CONTEXT_READY);
+   pa_threaded_mainloop_lock(pa->mainloop);
+   if (pa_threaded_mainloop_start(pa->mainloop) < 0)
+      goto error;
+
+   pa_threaded_mainloop_wait(pa->mainloop);
+
+   if (pa_context_get_state(pa->context) != PA_CONTEXT_READY)
+      goto unlock_error;
 
    pa_sample_spec spec = {
       .format = is_little_endian() ? PA_SAMPLE_FLOAT32LE : PA_SAMPLE_FLOAT32BE,
@@ -100,7 +151,11 @@ static void* __pulse_init(const char* device, int rate, int latency)
 
    pa->stream = pa_stream_new(pa->context, "audio", &spec, NULL);
    if (!pa->stream)
-      goto error;
+      goto unlock_error;
+
+   pa_stream_set_state_callback(pa->stream, stream_state_cb, pa);
+   pa_stream_set_write_callback(pa->stream, stream_request_cb, pa);
+   pa_stream_set_latency_update_callback(pa->stream, stream_latency_update_cb, pa);
 
    pa_buffer_attr buffer_attr = {
       .maxlength = -1,
@@ -113,16 +168,17 @@ static void* __pulse_init(const char* device, int rate, int latency)
    if (pa_stream_connect_playback(pa->stream, NULL, &buffer_attr, PA_STREAM_ADJUST_LATENCY, NULL, NULL) < 0)
       goto error;
 
-   pa_stream_state_t sstate;
-   do 
-   {
-      pa_mainloop_iterate(pa->mainloop, 1, NULL);
-      sstate = pa_stream_get_state(pa->stream);
-      if(!PA_STREAM_IS_GOOD(sstate)) goto error;
-   } while(sstate != PA_STREAM_READY);
+   pa_threaded_mainloop_wait(pa->mainloop);
+
+   if (pa_stream_get_state(pa->stream) != PA_STREAM_READY)
+      goto unlock_error;
+
+   pa_threaded_mainloop_unlock(pa->mainloop);
 
    return pa;
 
+unlock_error:
+   pa_threaded_mainloop_unlock(pa->mainloop);
 error:
    __pulse_free(pa); 
    return NULL;
@@ -132,12 +188,15 @@ static ssize_t __pulse_write(void* data, const void* buf, size_t size)
 {
    pa_t *pa = data;
 
+   pa_threaded_mainloop_lock(pa->mainloop);
    unsigned length = pa_stream_writable_size(pa->stream);
+   pa_threaded_mainloop_unlock(pa->mainloop);
    while (length < size)
    {
-      pa_mainloop_iterate(pa->mainloop, 1, NULL);
-
+      pa_threaded_mainloop_wait(pa->mainloop);
+      pa_threaded_mainloop_lock(pa->mainloop);
       length = pa_stream_writable_size(pa->stream);
+      pa_threaded_mainloop_unlock(pa->mainloop);
 
       if (pa->nonblock)
          break;
@@ -145,7 +204,9 @@ static ssize_t __pulse_write(void* data, const void* buf, size_t size)
 
    size_t write_size = length < size ? length : size;
 
+   pa_threaded_mainloop_lock(pa->mainloop);
    pa_stream_write(pa->stream, buf, write_size, NULL, 0LL, PA_SEEK_RELATIVE);
+   pa_threaded_mainloop_unlock(pa->mainloop);
    return write_size;
 }