diff --git a/lib/bb/command.py b/lib/bb/command.py
index 0208e30ec4..20a8b86653 100644
--- a/lib/bb/command.py
+++ b/lib/bb/command.py
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ class Command:
                 if not hasattr(command_method, 'readonly') or not getattr(command_method, 'readonly'):
                     return None, "Not able to execute not readonly commands in readonly mode"
             try:
-                self.cooker.process_inotify_updates()
+                self.cooker.process_inotify_updates_apply()
                 if getattr(command_method, 'needconfig', True):
                     self.cooker.updateCacheSync()
                 result = command_method(self, commandline)
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ class Command:
 
     def runAsyncCommand(self):
         try:
-            self.cooker.process_inotify_updates()
+            self.cooker.process_inotify_updates_apply()
             if self.cooker.state in (bb.cooker.state.error, bb.cooker.state.shutdown, bb.cooker.state.forceshutdown):
                 # updateCache will trigger a shutdown of the parser
                 # and then raise BBHandledException triggering an exit
diff --git a/lib/bb/cooker.py b/lib/bb/cooker.py
index 815610ff82..1daa587ac5 100644
--- a/lib/bb/cooker.py
+++ b/lib/bb/cooker.py
@@ -220,6 +220,8 @@ class BBCooker:
         bb.debug(1, "BBCooker startup complete %s" % time.time())
         sys.stdout.flush()
 
+        self.inotify_threadlock = threading.Lock()
+
     def init_configdata(self):
         if not hasattr(self, "data"):
             self.initConfigurationData()
@@ -248,11 +250,18 @@ class BBCooker:
         self.notifier = pyinotify.Notifier(self.watcher, self.notifications)
 
     def process_inotify_updates(self):
-        for n in [self.confignotifier, self.notifier]:
-            if n and n.check_events(timeout=0):
-                # read notified events and enqueue them
-                n.read_events()
-                n.process_events()
+        with self.inotify_threadlock:
+            for n in [self.confignotifier, self.notifier]:
+                if n and n.check_events(timeout=0):
+                    # read notified events and enqueue them
+                    n.read_events()
+
+    def process_inotify_updates_apply(self):
+        with self.inotify_threadlock:
+            for n in [self.confignotifier, self.notifier]:
+                if n and n.check_events(timeout=0):
+                    n.read_events()
+                    n.process_events()
 
     def config_notifications(self, event):
         if event.maskname == "IN_Q_OVERFLOW":
diff --git a/lib/bb/server/process.py b/lib/bb/server/process.py
index 91eb6e0ad9..6f43330fae 100644
--- a/lib/bb/server/process.py
+++ b/lib/bb/server/process.py
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ class ProcessServer():
         self.maxuiwait = 30
         self.xmlrpc = False
 
+        self.idle = None
         self._idlefuns = {}
 
         self.bitbake_lock = lock
@@ -148,6 +149,7 @@ class ProcessServer():
         self.cooker.pre_serve()
 
         bb.utils.set_process_name("Cooker")
+        bb.event.enable_threadlock()
 
         ready = []
         newconnections = []
@@ -278,6 +280,9 @@ class ProcessServer():
 
             ready = self.idle_commands(.1, fds)
 
+        if self.idle:
+            self.idle.join()
+
         serverlog("Exiting (socket: %s)" % os.path.exists(self.sockname))
         # Remove the socket file so we don't get any more connections to avoid races
         # The build directory could have been renamed so if the file isn't the one we created
@@ -352,33 +357,44 @@ class ProcessServer():
                     msg.append(":\n%s" % procs)
                 serverlog("".join(msg))
 
+    def idle_thread(self):
+        while not self.quit:
+            nextsleep = 0.1
+            fds = []
+            for function, data in list(self._idlefuns.items()):
+                try:
+                    retval = function(self, data, False)
+                    if retval is False:
+                        del self._idlefuns[function]
+                        nextsleep = None
+                    elif retval is True:
+                        nextsleep = None
+                    elif isinstance(retval, float) and nextsleep:
+                        if (retval < nextsleep):
+                            nextsleep = retval
+                    elif nextsleep is None:
+                        continue
+                    else:
+                        fds = fds + retval
+                except SystemExit:
+                    raise
+                except Exception as exc:
+                    if not isinstance(exc, bb.BBHandledException):
+                        logger.exception('Running idle function')
+                    del self._idlefuns[function]
+                    self.quit = True
+
+            if nextsleep is not None:
+                select.select(fds,[],[],nextsleep)[0]
+
     def idle_commands(self, delay, fds=None):
         nextsleep = delay
         if not fds:
             fds = []
 
-        for function, data in list(self._idlefuns.items()):
-            try:
-                retval = function(self, data, False)
-                if retval is False:
-                    del self._idlefuns[function]
-                    nextsleep = None
-                elif retval is True:
-                    nextsleep = None
-                elif isinstance(retval, float) and nextsleep:
-                    if (retval < nextsleep):
-                        nextsleep = retval
-                elif nextsleep is None:
-                    continue
-                else:
-                    fds = fds + retval
-            except SystemExit:
-                raise
-            except Exception as exc:
-                if not isinstance(exc, bb.BBHandledException):
-                    logger.exception('Running idle function')
-                del self._idlefuns[function]
-                self.quit = True
+        if not self.idle:
+            self.idle = threading.Thread(target=self.idle_thread)
+            self.idle.start()
 
         # Create new heartbeat event?
         now = time.time()