diff --git a/config-unix.mk b/config-unix.mk
index 2deb3cdbd..28478c6c8 100644
--- a/config-unix.mk
+++ b/config-unix.mk
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ OBJS += src/unix/signal.o
 OBJS += src/unix/stream.o
 OBJS += src/unix/tcp.o
 OBJS += src/unix/thread.o
+OBJS += src/unix/threadpool.o
 OBJS += src/unix/timer.o
 OBJS += src/unix/tty.o
 OBJS += src/unix/udp.o
diff --git a/include/uv-private/uv-unix.h b/include/uv-private/uv-unix.h
index 71aee366c..4daf20e27 100644
--- a/include/uv-private/uv-unix.h
+++ b/include/uv-private/uv-unix.h
@@ -54,6 +54,13 @@ struct uv__io_s {
   ev_io io_watcher;
 };
 
+struct uv__work {
+  void (*work)(struct uv__work *w);
+  void (*done)(struct uv__work *w);
+  struct uv_loop_s* loop;
+  ngx_queue_t wq;
+};
+
 #if defined(__linux__)
 # include "uv-linux.h"
 #elif defined(__sun)
@@ -122,6 +129,9 @@ typedef struct {
   uv_async_t uv_eio_want_poll_notifier;                                       \
   uv_async_t uv_eio_done_poll_notifier;                                       \
   uv_idle_t uv_eio_poller;                                                    \
+  ngx_queue_t wq;                                                             \
+  uv_mutex_t wq_mutex;                                                        \
+  uv_async_t wq_async;                                                        \
   uv_handle_t* closing_handles;                                               \
   ngx_queue_t process_handles[1];                                             \
   ngx_queue_t prepare_handles;                                                \
diff --git a/src/unix/internal.h b/src/unix/internal.h
index 20dd23c71..20f12bcd1 100644
--- a/src/unix/internal.h
+++ b/src/unix/internal.h
@@ -165,6 +165,13 @@ unsigned int uv__next_timeout(uv_loop_t* loop);
 void uv__signal_close(uv_signal_t* handle);
 void uv__signal_unregister(uv_loop_t* loop);
 
+/* thread pool */
+void uv__work_submit(uv_loop_t* loop,
+                     struct uv__work *w,
+                     void (*work)(struct uv__work *w),
+                     void (*done)(struct uv__work *w));
+void uv__work_done(uv_async_t* handle, int status);
+
 /* platform specific */
 int uv__platform_loop_init(uv_loop_t* loop, int default_loop);
 void uv__platform_loop_delete(uv_loop_t* loop);
diff --git a/src/unix/loop.c b/src/unix/loop.c
index db85d2871..d757a7187 100644
--- a/src/unix/loop.c
+++ b/src/unix/loop.c
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ int uv__loop_init(uv_loop_t* loop, int default_loop) {
 #endif
 
   memset(loop, 0, sizeof(*loop));
-
   RB_INIT(&loop->timer_handles);
+  ngx_queue_init(&loop->wq);
   ngx_queue_init(&loop->active_reqs);
   ngx_queue_init(&loop->idle_handles);
   ngx_queue_init(&loop->async_handles);
@@ -63,6 +63,15 @@ int uv__loop_init(uv_loop_t* loop, int default_loop) {
   for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(loop->process_handles); i++)
     ngx_queue_init(loop->process_handles + i);
 
+  if (uv_mutex_init(&loop->wq_mutex))
+    abort();
+
+  if (uv_async_init(loop, &loop->wq_async, uv__work_done))
+    abort();
+
+  uv__handle_unref(&loop->wq_async);
+  loop->wq_async.flags |= UV__HANDLE_INTERNAL;
+
   if (uv__platform_loop_init(loop, default_loop))
     return -1;
 
@@ -89,4 +98,9 @@ void uv__loop_delete(uv_loop_t* loop) {
     close(loop->emfile_fd);
     loop->emfile_fd = -1;
   }
+
+  uv_mutex_lock(&loop->wq_mutex);
+  assert(ngx_queue_empty(&loop->wq) && "thread pool work queue not empty!");
+  uv_mutex_unlock(&loop->wq_mutex);
+  uv_mutex_destroy(&loop->wq_mutex);
 }
diff --git a/src/unix/threadpool.c b/src/unix/threadpool.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0e69376cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/unix/threadpool.c
@@ -0,0 +1,148 @@
+/* Copyright Joyent, Inc. and other Node contributors. All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+ * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to
+ * deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the
+ * rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or
+ * sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+ * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+ * all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+ * AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
+ * FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS
+ * IN THE SOFTWARE.
+ */
+
+#include "internal.h"
+
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <pthread.h>
+
+/* TODO add condvar support to libuv */
+static pthread_mutex_t mutex = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
+static pthread_cond_t cond = PTHREAD_COND_INITIALIZER;
+static pthread_once_t once = PTHREAD_ONCE_INIT;
+static pthread_t threads[4];
+static ngx_queue_t exit_message;
+static ngx_queue_t wq = { &wq, &wq };
+
+
+static void* worker(void* arg) {
+  struct uv__work* w;
+  ngx_queue_t* q;
+
+  (void) arg;
+
+  for (;;) {
+    if (pthread_mutex_lock(&mutex))
+      abort();
+
+    while (ngx_queue_empty(&wq))
+      if (pthread_cond_wait(&cond, &mutex))
+        abort();
+
+    q = ngx_queue_head(&wq);
+
+    if (q == &exit_message)
+      pthread_cond_signal(&cond);
+    else
+      ngx_queue_remove(q);
+
+    if (pthread_mutex_unlock(&mutex))
+      abort();
+
+    if (q == &exit_message)
+      break;
+
+    w = ngx_queue_data(q, struct uv__work, wq);
+    w->work(w);
+
+    uv_mutex_lock(&w->loop->wq_mutex);
+    ngx_queue_insert_tail(&w->loop->wq, &w->wq);
+    uv_mutex_unlock(&w->loop->wq_mutex);
+    uv_async_send(&w->loop->wq_async);
+  }
+
+  return NULL;
+}
+
+
+static void post(ngx_queue_t* q) {
+  pthread_mutex_lock(&mutex);
+  ngx_queue_insert_tail(&wq, q);
+  pthread_cond_signal(&cond);
+  pthread_mutex_unlock(&mutex);
+}
+
+
+static void init_once(void) {
+  unsigned int i;
+
+  ngx_queue_init(&wq);
+
+  for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(threads); i++)
+    if (pthread_create(threads + i, NULL, worker, NULL))
+      abort();
+}
+
+
+__attribute__((destructor))
+static void cleanup(void) {
+  unsigned int i;
+  int err;
+
+  post(&exit_message);
+
+  for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(threads); i++) {
+    err = pthread_join(threads[i], NULL);
+
+    if (err == 0 || err == ESRCH)
+      continue;
+
+    abort();
+  }
+}
+
+
+void uv__work_submit(uv_loop_t* loop,
+                     struct uv__work* w,
+                     void (*work)(struct uv__work* w),
+                     void (*done)(struct uv__work* w)) {
+  pthread_once(&once, init_once);
+  w->loop = loop;
+  w->work = work;
+  w->done = done;
+  post(&w->wq);
+}
+
+
+void uv__work_done(uv_async_t* handle, int status) {
+  struct uv__work* w;
+  uv_loop_t* loop;
+  ngx_queue_t* q;
+  ngx_queue_t wq;
+
+  loop = container_of(handle, uv_loop_t, wq_async);
+  ngx_queue_init(&wq);
+
+  uv_mutex_lock(&loop->wq_mutex);
+  if (!ngx_queue_empty(&loop->wq)) {
+    q = ngx_queue_head(&loop->wq);
+    ngx_queue_split(&loop->wq, q, &wq);
+  }
+  uv_mutex_unlock(&loop->wq_mutex);
+
+  while (!ngx_queue_empty(&wq)) {
+    q = ngx_queue_head(&wq);
+    ngx_queue_remove(q);
+
+    w = container_of(q, struct uv__work, wq);
+    w->done(w);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/uv.gyp b/uv.gyp
index 15fa7d5a9..4d7f54948 100644
--- a/uv.gyp
+++ b/uv.gyp
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@
             'src/unix/stream.c',
             'src/unix/tcp.c',
             'src/unix/thread.c',
+            'src/unix/threadpool.c',
             'src/unix/timer.c',
             'src/unix/tty.c',
             'src/unix/udp.c',