diff --git a/desmume/src/agg2d.h b/desmume/src/agg2d.h
index 758fc8535..24c89b6d5 100644
--- a/desmume/src/agg2d.h
+++ b/desmume/src/agg2d.h
@@ -400,6 +400,7 @@ public:
 
     unsigned width()  const { return m_rbuf.width();  }
     unsigned height() const { return m_rbuf.height(); }
+	unsigned stride() const { return m_rbuf.stride(); }
 
     // Conversions
     //-----------------------
diff --git a/desmume/src/commandline.cpp b/desmume/src/commandline.cpp
index a89c8c638..ca734374a 100644
--- a/desmume/src/commandline.cpp
+++ b/desmume/src/commandline.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ CommandLine::CommandLine()
 {
 	load_slot = 0;
 	arm9_gdb_port = arm7_gdb_port = 0;
+	single_core = 0;
 	start_paused = FALSE;
 }
 
@@ -63,6 +64,9 @@ void CommandLine::loadCommonOptions()
 		{ "start-paused", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &start_paused, "Indicates that emulation should start paused", "START_PAUSED"},
 		{ "cflash-image", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_FILENAME, &_cflash_image, "Requests cflash in gbaslot with fat image at this path", "CFLASH_IMAGE"},
 		{ "cflash-path", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_FILENAME, &_cflash_path, "Requests cflash in gbaslot with filesystem rooted at this path", "CFLASH_PATH"},
+#ifdef _MSC_VER
+		{ "single-core", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &single_core, "Limit execution to use approximately only one core", "NUM_CORES"},
+#endif
 		#ifdef GDB_STUB
 		{ "arm9gdb", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_INT, &arm9_gdb_port, "Enable the ARM9 GDB stub on the given port", "PORT_NUM"},
 		{ "arm7gdb", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_INT, &arm7_gdb_port, "Enable the ARM7 GDB stub on the given port", "PORT_NUM"},
diff --git a/desmume/src/commandline.h b/desmume/src/commandline.h
index bb70dbfef..b550be083 100644
--- a/desmume/src/commandline.h
+++ b/desmume/src/commandline.h
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ public:
 	std::string play_movie_file;
 	std::string record_movie_file;
 	int arm9_gdb_port, arm7_gdb_port;
+	int single_core;
 	int start_paused;
 	std::string cflash_image;
 	std::string cflash_path;
diff --git a/desmume/src/windows/main.cpp b/desmume/src/windows/main.cpp
index c57750589..a2586f7f7 100644
--- a/desmume/src/windows/main.cpp
+++ b/desmume/src/windows/main.cpp
@@ -715,7 +715,8 @@ template<typename T, int bpp> static void doRotate(void* dst)
 	}
 }
 
-void Display()
+//the directdraw final presentation portion of display, including rotating
+static void DD_DoDisplay()
 {
 	int res;
 	memset(&ddsd, 0, sizeof(ddsd));
@@ -785,6 +786,94 @@ void Display()
 	}
 }
 
+//tripple buffering logic
+u16 displayBuffers[3][256*192*4];
+int currDisplayBuffer=-1;
+int newestDisplayBuffer=-2;
+GMutex *display_mutex = NULL;
+GThread *display_thread = NULL;
+
+//does a single display work unit. only to be used from the display thread
+static void DoDisplay()
+{
+	osd->update();
+	DrawHUD();
+	video.filter();
+	DD_DoDisplay();
+	osd->clear();
+}
+
+void displayProc()
+{
+	g_mutex_lock(display_mutex);
+
+	//find a buffer to display
+	int todo = newestDisplayBuffer;
+	bool alreadyDisplayed = (todo == currDisplayBuffer);
+
+	g_mutex_unlock(display_mutex);
+	
+	//nothing to display. give up.
+	if(alreadyDisplayed) return;
+
+	//start displaying a new buffer
+	currDisplayBuffer = todo;
+
+	video.srcBuffer = (u8*)displayBuffers[currDisplayBuffer];
+
+	aggDraw.hud->attach(video.srcBuffer, 256, 384, 512);
+
+	DoDisplay();
+}
+
+
+void displayThread(void*)
+{
+	for(;;) {
+		displayProc();
+		Sleep(10); //don't be greedy and use a whole cpu core, but leave room for 60fps 
+	}
+}
+
+void Display()
+{
+	if(display_thread == NULL)
+	{
+		display_mutex = g_mutex_new();
+		display_thread = g_thread_create( (GThreadFunc)displayThread,
+                                         NULL,
+                                         TRUE,
+                                         NULL);
+	}
+
+	g_mutex_lock(display_mutex);
+
+	//huh... i wonder if there is a less ugly way to do this
+	if(currDisplayBuffer == 0)
+		if(newestDisplayBuffer == 1)
+			newestDisplayBuffer = 2;
+		else newestDisplayBuffer = 1;
+	else if(currDisplayBuffer == 1)
+		if(newestDisplayBuffer == 2)
+			newestDisplayBuffer = 0;
+		else newestDisplayBuffer = 2;
+	else //if(currDisplayBuffer == 1)
+		if(newestDisplayBuffer == 0)
+			newestDisplayBuffer = 1;
+		else newestDisplayBuffer = 0;
+
+	memcpy(displayBuffers[newestDisplayBuffer],GPU_screen,256*192*4);
+
+	g_mutex_unlock(display_mutex);
+
+	//the no-multithreading codepath
+	//but based on my research, this runs just fine on a single core system due to the generous
+	//sleep in the display loop
+	//video.srcBuffer = (u8*)GPU_screen;
+	//doDisplay();
+}
+
+
 void CheckMessages()
 {
 	MSG msg;
@@ -887,11 +976,7 @@ DWORD WINAPI run()
 			Hud.fps = fps;
 			Hud.fps3d = fps3d;
 
-			osd->update();
-			DrawHUD();
-			video.filter();
 			Display();
-			osd->clear();
 
 			gfx3d.frameCtrRaw++;
 			if(gfx3d.frameCtrRaw == 60) {
@@ -1411,6 +1496,9 @@ int _main()
 		return 1;
 	}
 
+	if(cmdline.single_core)
+		SetProcessAffinityMask(GetCurrentProcess(),1);
+
 	//sprintf(text, "%s", DESMUME_NAME_AND_VERSION);
 	MainWindow = new WINCLASS(CLASSNAME, hAppInst);
 	DWORD dwStyle = WS_CAPTION| WS_SYSMENU | WS_SIZEBOX | WS_MINIMIZEBOX | WS_CLIPCHILDREN | WS_CLIPSIBLINGS;
@@ -2651,9 +2739,7 @@ LRESULT CALLBACK WindowProcedure (HWND hwnd, UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM
 
 			hdc = BeginPaint(hwnd, &ps);
 
-			osd->update();
 			Display();
-			osd->clear();
 
 			EndPaint(hwnd, &ps);
 		}
diff --git a/desmume/src/windows/video.h b/desmume/src/windows/video.h
index 04a250603..6ede5c105 100644
--- a/desmume/src/windows/video.h
+++ b/desmume/src/windows/video.h
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ public:
 
 	int currentfilter;
 
+	u8* srcBuffer;
 	CACHE_ALIGN u8 filteredbuffer[4*256*192*4];
 
 	enum {
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ public:
 	u16* finalBuffer() const
 	{
 		if(currentfilter == NONE)
-			return (u16*)GPU_screen;
+			return (u16*)srcBuffer;
 		else return (u16*)filteredbuffer;
 	}
 
@@ -62,7 +63,7 @@ public:
 		src.Height = 384;
 		src.Width = 256;
 		src.Pitch = 512;
-		src.Surface = (u8*)GPU_screen;
+		src.Surface = (u8*)srcBuffer;
 
 		dst.Height = 768;
 		dst.Width = 512;