diff --git a/include/components/controller.hpp b/include/components/controller.hpp
index 30958d9b..94c67888 100644
--- a/include/components/controller.hpp
+++ b/include/components/controller.hpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <moodycamel/blockingconcurrentqueue.h>
+#include <thread>
 
 #include "common.hpp"
 #include "config.hpp"
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ using modulemap_t = std::map<alignment, vector<module_t>>;
 
 // }}}
 
+using std::thread;
 namespace chrono = std::chrono;
 using namespace std::chrono_literals;
 
@@ -83,6 +85,8 @@ class controller : public signal_receiver<SIGN_PRIORITY_CONTROLLER, sig_ev::proc
   unique_ptr<file_descriptor> m_fdevent_rd;
   unique_ptr<file_descriptor> m_fdevent_wr;
 
+  thread m_event_thread;
+
   /**
    * @brief Controls weather the output gets printed to stdout
    */
diff --git a/src/components/controller.cpp b/src/components/controller.cpp
index 54c2b0c2..6eb744d8 100644
--- a/src/components/controller.cpp
+++ b/src/components/controller.cpp
@@ -183,8 +183,15 @@ bool controller::run(bool writeback) {
 
   m_connection.flush();
 
+  m_event_thread = thread(&controller::process_eventqueue, this);
+
   read_events();
 
+  if (m_event_thread.joinable()) {
+    m_queue.enqueue(make_quit_evt(static_cast<bool>(g_reload)));
+    m_event_thread.join();
+  }
+
   m_log.warn("Termination signal received, shutting down...");
 
   return !g_reload;
@@ -198,9 +205,9 @@ bool controller::enqueue(event&& evt) {
     m_log.warn("Failed to enqueue event");
     return false;
   }
-  if (write(g_eventpipe[PIPE_WRITE], " ", 1) == -1) {
-    m_log.err("Failed to write to eventpipe (reason: %s)", strerror(errno));
-  }
+  // if (write(g_eventpipe[PIPE_WRITE], " ", 1) == -1) {
+  //   m_log.err("Failed to write to eventpipe (reason: %s)", strerror(errno));
+  // }
   return true;
 }
 
@@ -223,6 +230,8 @@ bool controller::enqueue(string&& input_data) {
  * Read events from configured file descriptors
  */
 void controller::read_events() {
+  m_log.info("Entering event loop (thread-id=%lu)", this_thread::get_id());
+
   int fd_connection{m_connection.get_file_descriptor()};
   int fd_confwatch{0};
   int fd_ipc{0};
@@ -241,8 +250,6 @@ void controller::read_events() {
     fds.emplace_back((fd_ipc = m_ipc->get_file_descriptor()));
   }
 
-  m_sig.emit(sig_ev::process_update{make_update_evt(true)});
-
   while (!g_terminate) {
     fd_set readfds{};
     FD_ZERO(&readfds);
@@ -263,7 +270,6 @@ void controller::read_events() {
 
     // Process event on the internal fd
     if (m_fdevent_rd && FD_ISSET(*m_fdevent_rd, &readfds)) {
-      process_eventqueue();
       char buffer[BUFSIZ]{'\0'};
       if (read(*m_fdevent_rd, &buffer, BUFSIZ) == -1) {
         m_log.err("Failed to read from eventpipe (err: %s)", strerror(errno));
@@ -301,46 +307,53 @@ void controller::read_events() {
 }
 
 /**
- * Dequeue items from the eventqueue
+ * Eventqueue worker loop
  */
 void controller::process_eventqueue() {
-  event evt{};
+  m_log.info("Eventqueue worker (thread-id=%lu)", this_thread::get_id());
 
-  if (!m_queue.try_dequeue(evt)) {
-    return m_log.err("Failed to dequeue event");
-  }
+  m_queue.enqueue(make_update_evt(true));
 
-  if (evt.type == static_cast<uint8_t>(event_type::INPUT)) {
-    process_inputdata();
-  } else {
-    event next{};
-    size_t swallowed{0};
-    while (swallowed++ < m_swallow_limit && m_queue.wait_dequeue_timed(next, m_swallow_update)) {
-      if (next.type == static_cast<uint8_t>(event_type::QUIT)) {
-        evt = next;
-        break;
-      } else if (next.type == static_cast<uint8_t>(event_type::INPUT)) {
-        evt = next;
-        break;
-      } else if (evt.type != next.type) {
-        m_queue.try_enqueue(move(next));
-        break;
-      } else {
-        m_log.trace_x("controller: Swallowing event within timeframe");
-        evt = next;
-      }
+  while (!g_terminate) {
+    event evt{};
+    m_queue.wait_dequeue(evt);
+
+    if (g_terminate || evt.type == static_cast<uint8_t>(event_type::QUIT)) {
+      break;
     }
 
-    if (evt.type == static_cast<uint8_t>(event_type::UPDATE)) {
-      m_sig.emit(sig_ev::process_update{make_update_evt(evt.flag)});
-    } else if (evt.type == static_cast<uint8_t>(event_type::INPUT)) {
+    if (evt.type == static_cast<uint8_t>(event_type::INPUT)) {
       process_inputdata();
-    } else if (evt.type == static_cast<uint8_t>(event_type::QUIT)) {
-      m_sig.emit(sig_ev::process_quit{make_quit_evt(evt.flag)});
-    } else if (evt.type == static_cast<uint8_t>(event_type::CHECK)) {
-      m_sig.emit(sig_ev::process_check{});
     } else {
-      m_log.warn("Unknown event type for enqueued event (%d)", evt.type);
+      event next{};
+      size_t swallowed{0};
+      while (swallowed++ < m_swallow_limit && m_queue.wait_dequeue_timed(next, m_swallow_update)) {
+        if (next.type == static_cast<uint8_t>(event_type::QUIT)) {
+          evt = next;
+          break;
+        } else if (next.type == static_cast<uint8_t>(event_type::INPUT)) {
+          evt = next;
+          break;
+        } else if (evt.type != next.type) {
+          m_queue.try_enqueue(move(next));
+          break;
+        } else {
+          m_log.trace_x("controller: Swallowing event within timeframe");
+          evt = next;
+        }
+      }
+
+      if (evt.type == static_cast<uint8_t>(event_type::UPDATE)) {
+        m_sig.emit(sig_ev::process_update{make_update_evt(evt.flag)});
+      } else if (evt.type == static_cast<uint8_t>(event_type::INPUT)) {
+        process_inputdata();
+      } else if (evt.type == static_cast<uint8_t>(event_type::QUIT)) {
+        m_sig.emit(sig_ev::process_quit{make_quit_evt(evt.flag)});
+      } else if (evt.type == static_cast<uint8_t>(event_type::CHECK)) {
+        m_sig.emit(sig_ev::process_check{});
+      } else {
+        m_log.warn("Unknown event type for enqueued event (%d)", evt.type);
+      }
     }
   }
 }
@@ -514,7 +527,7 @@ bool controller::on(const sig_ev::process_check&) {
  * Process ui button press event
  */
 bool controller::on(const sig_ui::button_press& evt) {
-  string input{*evt.data()};
+  string input{*evt()};
 
   if (input.empty()) {
     m_log.err("Cannot enqueue empty input");
@@ -529,8 +542,7 @@ bool controller::on(const sig_ui::button_press& evt) {
  * Process ipc action messages
  */
 bool controller::on(const sig_ipc::process_action& evt) {
-  ipc_action a{*evt.data()};
-  string action{a.payload};
+  string action{(*evt()).payload};
   action.erase(0, strlen(ipc_action::prefix));
 
   if (action.empty()) {
@@ -547,8 +559,7 @@ bool controller::on(const sig_ipc::process_action& evt) {
  * Process ipc command messages
  */
 bool controller::on(const sig_ipc::process_command& evt) {
-  ipc_command c{*evt.data()};
-  string command{c.payload};
+  string command{(*evt()).payload};
   command.erase(0, strlen(ipc_command::prefix));
 
   if (command.empty()) {
@@ -570,7 +581,7 @@ bool controller::on(const sig_ipc::process_command& evt) {
  * Process ipc hook messages
  */
 bool controller::on(const sig_ipc::process_hook& evt) {
-  const ipc_hook hook{*evt.data()};
+  const ipc_hook hook{*evt()};
 
   for (const auto& block : m_modules) {
     for (const auto& module : block.second) {