diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index b95de24a3..7559b7167 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -715,6 +715,7 @@ version = "1.12.0"
 dependencies = [
  "crossbeam-deque 0.6.1 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "fnv 1.0.6 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "futures 0.1.25 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "log 0.4.5 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "mio 0.6.16 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "num_cpus 1.8.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
@@ -722,6 +723,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "slab 0.4.1 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "time 0.1.40 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "timer 0.2.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "tokio 0.1.11 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
diff --git a/util/io/Cargo.toml b/util/io/Cargo.toml
index e53b302b7..2f6b8e28b 100644
--- a/util/io/Cargo.toml
+++ b/util/io/Cargo.toml
@@ -16,3 +16,5 @@ slab = "0.4"
 num_cpus = "1.8"
 timer = "0.2"
 time = "0.1"
+tokio = "0.1"
+futures = "0.1"
diff --git a/util/io/src/lib.rs b/util/io/src/lib.rs
index 3aa51fbdf..0673e8da3 100644
--- a/util/io/src/lib.rs
+++ b/util/io/src/lib.rs
@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ extern crate num_cpus;
 extern crate timer;
 extern crate fnv;
 extern crate time;
+extern crate tokio;
+extern crate futures;
 
 #[cfg(feature = "mio")]
 mod service_mio;
diff --git a/util/io/src/worker.rs b/util/io/src/worker.rs
index 1d3359416..74418159c 100644
--- a/util/io/src/worker.rs
+++ b/util/io/src/worker.rs
@@ -14,11 +14,13 @@
 // You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 // along with Parity.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
+use futures::future::{self, Loop};
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::thread::{JoinHandle, self};
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering as AtomicOrdering};
 use deque;
 use service_mio::{HandlerId, IoChannel, IoContext};
+use tokio::{self};
 use IoHandler;
 use LOCAL_STACK_SIZE;
 
@@ -69,37 +71,33 @@ impl Worker {
 		worker.thread = Some(thread::Builder::new().stack_size(STACK_SIZE).name(format!("IO Worker #{}", index)).spawn(
 			move || {
 				LOCAL_STACK_SIZE.with(|val| val.set(STACK_SIZE));
-				Worker::work_loop(stealer, channel.clone(), wait, wait_mutex.clone(), deleting)
+				let ini = (stealer, channel.clone(), wait, wait_mutex.clone(), deleting);
+				let future = future::loop_fn(ini, |(stealer, channel, wait, wait_mutex, deleting)| {
+					{
+						let mut lock = wait_mutex.lock();
+						if deleting.load(AtomicOrdering::Acquire) {
+							return Ok(Loop::Break(()));
+						}
+						wait.wait(&mut lock);
+					}
+
+					while !deleting.load(AtomicOrdering::Acquire) {
+						match stealer.steal() {
+							deque::Steal::Data(work) => Worker::do_work(work, channel.clone()),
+							deque::Steal::Retry => {},
+							deque::Steal::Empty => break,
+						}
+					}
+					Ok(Loop::Continue((stealer, channel, wait, wait_mutex, deleting)))
+				});
+				if let Err(()) = tokio::runtime::current_thread::block_on_all(future) {
+					error!(target: "ioworker", "error while executing future")
+				}
 			})
 			.expect("Error creating worker thread"));
 		worker
 	}
 
-	fn work_loop<Message>(stealer: deque::Stealer<Work<Message>>,
-						channel: IoChannel<Message>,
-						wait: Arc<Condvar>,
-						wait_mutex: Arc<Mutex<()>>,
-						deleting: Arc<AtomicBool>)
-						where Message: Send + Sync + 'static {
-		loop {
-			{
-				let mut lock = wait_mutex.lock();
-				if deleting.load(AtomicOrdering::Acquire) {
-					return;
-				}
-				wait.wait(&mut lock);
-			}
-
-			while !deleting.load(AtomicOrdering::Acquire) {
-				match stealer.steal() {
-					deque::Steal::Data(work) => Worker::do_work(work, channel.clone()),
-					deque::Steal::Retry => {},
-					deque::Steal::Empty => break,
-				}
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
 	fn do_work<Message>(work: Work<Message>, channel: IoChannel<Message>) where Message: Send + Sync + 'static {
 		match work.work_type {
 			WorkType::Readable => {