diff --git a/firmware/target/hosted/sdl/button-sdl.c b/firmware/target/hosted/sdl/button-sdl.c
index cfe08de1d2..e9fc03792c 100644
--- a/firmware/target/hosted/sdl/button-sdl.c
+++ b/firmware/target/hosted/sdl/button-sdl.c
@@ -85,20 +85,21 @@ bool remote_button_hold(void) {
 static void button_event(int key, bool pressed);
 extern bool debug_wps;
 extern bool mapping;
-static void gui_message_loop(void)
+
+void gui_message_loop(void)
 {
     SDL_Event event;
     static int x,y,xybutton = 0;
 
-    if (SDL_PollEvent(&event))
+    while (SDL_WaitEvent(&event))
     {
+        sim_enter_irq_handler();
         switch(event.type)
         {
             case SDL_KEYDOWN:
-                button_event(event.key.keysym.sym, true);
-                break;
             case SDL_KEYUP:
-                button_event(event.key.keysym.sym, false);
+                button_event(event.key.keysym.sym, event.type == SDL_KEYDOWN);
+                break;
             case SDL_MOUSEBUTTONDOWN:
                 switch ( event.button.button ) {
 #ifdef HAVE_SCROLLWHEEL
@@ -174,6 +175,7 @@ static void gui_message_loop(void)
 
             case SDL_QUIT:
             {
+                sim_exit_irq_handler();
                 exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
                 break;
             }
@@ -181,6 +183,7 @@ static void gui_message_loop(void)
                 /*printf("Unhandled event\n"); */
                 break;
         }
+        sim_exit_irq_handler();
     }
 }
 
@@ -1502,7 +1505,6 @@ int button_read_device(void)
         return BUTTON_NONE;
     else
 #endif
-        gui_message_loop();
 
     return btn;
 }
diff --git a/firmware/target/hosted/sdl/system-sdl.c b/firmware/target/hosted/sdl/system-sdl.c
index 693e8d1b57..3d67de425b 100644
--- a/firmware/target/hosted/sdl/system-sdl.c
+++ b/firmware/target/hosted/sdl/system-sdl.c
@@ -70,14 +70,37 @@ void sys_poweroff(void)
     SDL_Quit();
 }
 
-void system_init(void)
+/*
+ * Button read loop */
+void gui_message_loop(void);
+
+/*
+ * This callback let's the main thread run again after SDL has been initialized
+ **/
+static uint32_t cond_signal(uint32_t interval, void *param)
 {
+    (void)interval;
+    SDL_cond *c = (SDL_cond*)param;
+    /* remove timer, CondSignal returns 0 on success */
+    return SDL_CondSignal(c);
+}
+
+/*
+ * This thread will read the buttons in an interrupt like fashion, and
+ * also initializes SDL_INIT_VIDEO and the surfaces
+ *
+ * it must be done in the same thread (at least on windows) because events only
+ * work in the thread which called SDL_Init(SubSystem) with SDL_INIT_VIDEO
+ *
+ * This is an SDL thread and relies on preemptive behavoir of the host
+ **/
+static int sdl_event_thread(void * param)
+{
+    SDL_InitSubSystem(SDL_INIT_VIDEO);
+
     SDL_Surface *picture_surface;
     int width, height;
 
-    if (SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO|SDL_INIT_TIMER))
-        panicf("%s", SDL_GetError());
-
     /* Try and load the background image. If it fails go without */
     if (background) {
         picture_surface = SDL_LoadBMP("UI256.bmp");
@@ -122,10 +145,43 @@ void system_init(void)
         sim_lcd_remote_init();
 #endif
 
-    if (background && picture_surface != NULL) {
+    if (background && picture_surface != NULL)
         SDL_BlitSurface(picture_surface, NULL, gui_surface, NULL);
-        SDL_UpdateRect(gui_surface, 0, 0, 0, 0);
-    }
+
+    /* calling SDL_CondSignal() right away here doesn't work reliably so
+     * post-pone it a bit */
+    SDL_AddTimer(100, cond_signal, param);
+    /*
+     * finally enter the button loop */
+    while(1)
+        gui_message_loop();
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
+void system_init(void)
+{
+    SDL_cond *c;
+    SDL_mutex *m;
+    if (SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_TIMER))
+        panicf("%s", SDL_GetError());
+    atexit(SDL_Quit);
+
+    c = SDL_CreateCond();
+    m = SDL_CreateMutex();
+
+    SDL_CreateThread(sdl_event_thread, c);
+
+    /* Lock mutex and wait for sdl_event_thread to run so that it can
+     * initialize the surfaces and video subsystem needed for SDL events */
+    SDL_LockMutex(m);
+    SDL_CondWait(c, m);
+    SDL_UnlockMutex(m);
+
+    /* cleanup */
+    SDL_DestroyCond(c);
+    SDL_DestroyMutex(m);
 }
 
 void system_exception_wait(void)
@@ -138,6 +194,7 @@ void system_reboot(void)
     sim_thread_exception_wait();
 }
 
+
 void sys_handle_argv(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
     if (argc >= 1) 
diff --git a/firmware/target/hosted/sdl/system-sdl.h b/firmware/target/hosted/sdl/system-sdl.h
index 917e6e89da..ad7aa709ab 100644
--- a/firmware/target/hosted/sdl/system-sdl.h
+++ b/firmware/target/hosted/sdl/system-sdl.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ void sim_exit_irq_handler(void);
 void sim_kernel_shutdown(void);
 void sys_poweroff(void);
 void sys_handle_argv(int argc, char *argv[]);
+void gui_message_loop(void);
 
 extern bool background;  /* True if the background image is enabled */
 extern int display_zoom;