diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 4060cc07..f4852abd 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -582,6 +582,7 @@ endif()
 
 if(LOVR_ENABLE_THREAD)
   target_sources(lovr PRIVATE
+    src/core/job.c
     src/modules/thread/thread.c
     src/api/l_thread.c
     src/api/l_thread_channel.c
diff --git a/Tupfile.lua b/Tupfile.lua
index ea8d2a25..138bd054 100644
--- a/Tupfile.lua
+++ b/Tupfile.lua
@@ -451,6 +451,7 @@ src += (config.modules.audio or config.modules.data) and 'src/lib/miniaudio/*.c'
 src += config.modules.data and 'src/lib/jsmn/*.c' or nil
 src += config.modules.data and 'src/lib/minimp3/*.c' or nil
 src += config.modules.math and 'src/lib/noise/*.c' or nil
+src += config.modules.thread and 'src/core/job.c' or nil
 
 -- embed resource files with xxd
 
diff --git a/src/core/job.c b/src/core/job.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e9a007c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/job.c
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+#include "job.h"
+#include <stdatomic.h>
+#include <threads.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+#define MAX_WORKERS 64
+#define MAX_JOBS 1024
+
+struct job {
+  job* next;
+  atomic_bool done;
+  fn_job* fn;
+  void* arg;
+};
+
+static struct {
+  job jobs[MAX_JOBS];
+  thrd_t workers[MAX_WORKERS];
+  uint32_t workerCount;
+  job* freeJob;
+  job* nextJob;
+  job* lastJob;
+  cnd_t hasJob;
+  mtx_t lock;
+  bool done;
+} state;
+
+static int worker_loop(void* arg) {
+  for (;;) {
+    mtx_lock(&state.lock);
+    while (!state.nextJob && !state.done) {
+      cnd_wait(&state.hasJob, &state.lock);
+    }
+
+    if (state.done) {
+      break;
+    }
+
+    job* job = state.nextJob;
+    state.nextJob = job->next;
+    if (!state.nextJob) state.lastJob = NULL;
+    mtx_unlock(&state.lock);
+
+    job->fn(job->arg);
+    job->done = true;
+  }
+
+  mtx_unlock(&state.lock);
+  return 0;
+}
+
+bool job_init(uint32_t count) {
+  if (mtx_init(&state.lock, mtx_plain) != thrd_success) return false;
+  if (cnd_init(&state.hasJob) != thrd_success) return false;
+
+  state.freeJob = state.jobs;
+  for (uint32_t i = 0; i < MAX_JOBS - 1; i++) {
+    state.jobs[i].next = &state.jobs[i + 1];
+  }
+
+  if (count > MAX_WORKERS) count = MAX_WORKERS;
+  for (uint32_t i = 0; i < count; i++, state.workerCount++) {
+    if (thrd_create(&state.workers[i], worker_loop, (void*) (uintptr_t) i) != thrd_success) {
+      return false;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return true;
+}
+
+void job_destroy(void) {
+  state.done = true;
+  cnd_broadcast(&state.hasJob);
+  for (uint32_t i = 0; i < state.workerCount; i++) {
+    thrd_join(state.workers[i], NULL);
+  }
+  cnd_destroy(&state.hasJob);
+  mtx_destroy(&state.lock);
+  memset(&state, 0, sizeof(state));
+}
+
+job* job_start(fn_job* fn, void* arg) {
+  if (!state.freeJob) {
+    return NULL;
+  }
+
+  mtx_lock(&state.lock);
+
+  if (!state.freeJob) {
+    mtx_unlock(&state.lock);
+    return NULL;
+  }
+
+  job* job = state.freeJob;
+  state.freeJob = job->next;
+  if (!state.nextJob) state.nextJob = job;
+  if (state.lastJob) state.lastJob->next = job;
+  state.lastJob = job;
+
+  job->next = NULL;
+  job->done = false;
+  job->fn = fn;
+  job->arg = arg;
+
+  mtx_unlock(&state.lock);
+  cnd_signal(&state.hasJob);
+  return job;
+}
+
+void job_wait(job* job) {
+  mtx_lock(&state.lock);
+
+  while (!job->done) {
+    struct job* task = state.nextJob;
+    if (task) state.nextJob = task->next;
+    if (!state.nextJob) state.lastJob = NULL;
+    mtx_unlock(&state.lock);
+
+    if (task) {
+      task->fn(task->arg);
+      task->done = true;
+    } else {
+      thrd_yield();
+    }
+
+    mtx_lock(&state.lock);
+  }
+
+  job->next = state.freeJob;
+  state.freeJob = job;
+
+  mtx_unlock(&state.lock);
+}
diff --git a/src/core/job.h b/src/core/job.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b04c5ae1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/job.h
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
+
+#pragma once
+
+typedef struct job job;
+
+typedef void fn_job(void* arg);
+
+bool job_init(uint32_t workerCount);
+void job_destroy(void);
+job* job_start(fn_job* fn, void* arg);
+void job_wait(job* job);