diff --git a/src/gba/gba-thread.c b/src/gba/gba-thread.c
index a53d67a44..65ebcb323 100644
--- a/src/gba/gba-thread.c
+++ b/src/gba/gba-thread.c
@@ -26,6 +26,12 @@ static void* _GBAThreadRun(void* context) {
 		GBALoadROM(&gba, threadContext->fd);
 	}
 	GBAAttachDebugger(&gba, &debugger);
+
+	threadContext->started = 1;
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&threadContext->mutex);
+	pthread_cond_broadcast(&threadContext->cond);
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&threadContext->mutex);
+
 	ARMDebuggerRun(&debugger);
 	GBADeinit(&gba);
 
@@ -33,5 +39,21 @@ static void* _GBAThreadRun(void* context) {
 }
 
 int GBAThreadStart(struct GBAThread* threadContext, pthread_t* thread) {
-	return pthread_create(thread, 0, _GBAThreadRun, threadContext);
+	// TODO: error check
+	{
+		pthread_mutex_t mutex = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
+		threadContext->mutex = mutex;
+		pthread_cond_t cond = PTHREAD_COND_INITIALIZER;
+		threadContext->cond = cond;
+	}
+	pthread_mutex_init(&threadContext->mutex, 0);
+	pthread_cond_init(&threadContext->cond, 0);
+
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&threadContext->mutex);
+	threadContext->started = 0;
+	pthread_create(thread, 0, _GBAThreadRun, threadContext);
+	pthread_cond_wait(&threadContext->cond, &threadContext->mutex);
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&threadContext->mutex);
+
+	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/gba/gba-thread.h b/src/gba/gba-thread.h
index 0ccfe3dcd..57591f6ef 100644
--- a/src/gba/gba-thread.h
+++ b/src/gba/gba-thread.h
@@ -5,12 +5,17 @@
 
 struct GBAThread {
 	// Output
+	int started;
 	struct GBA* gba;
 	struct ARMDebugger* debugger;
 
 	// Input
 	struct GBAVideoRenderer* renderer;
 	int fd;
+
+	// Threading state
+	pthread_mutex_t mutex;
+	pthread_cond_t cond;
 };
 
 int GBAThreadStart(struct GBAThread* threadContext, pthread_t* thread);
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 0bd115430..90f3792a2 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #include "gba-thread.h"
-
+#include "renderers/video-software.h"
 
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <errno.h>
@@ -15,8 +15,11 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 	pthread_sigmask(SIG_BLOCK, &signals, 0);
 
 	struct GBAThread context;
+	struct GBAVideoSoftwareRenderer renderer;
 	context.fd = fd;
+	context.renderer = 0;
 	pthread_t thread;
+
 	GBAThreadStart(&context, &thread);
 
 	pthread_join(thread, 0);