diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 5c3cf2073..ab7154f83 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -418,6 +418,7 @@ set(libdevilutionx_SRCS
   Source/utils/language.cpp
   Source/utils/paths.cpp
   Source/utils/thread.cpp
+  Source/utils/sdl_thread.cpp
   Source/DiabloUI/art.cpp
   Source/DiabloUI/art_draw.cpp
   Source/DiabloUI/button.cpp
diff --git a/Source/utils/sdl_thread.cpp b/Source/utils/sdl_thread.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..168dd25f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Source/utils/sdl_thread.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#include "utils/sdl_thread.h"
+
+namespace devilution {
+
+int SDLCALL SdlThread::ThreadTranslate(void *ptr)
+{
+	auto handler = (void (*)())ptr;
+
+	handler();
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+void SdlThread::ThreadDeleter(SDL_Thread *thread)
+{
+	if (thread != nullptr)
+		app_fatal("Joinable thread destroyed");
+}
+
+} //namespace devilution
diff --git a/Source/utils/sdl_thread.h b/Source/utils/sdl_thread.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..18a0250ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Source/utils/sdl_thread.h
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <memory>
+#include <SDL.h>
+#ifdef USE_SDL1
+#include "utils/sdl2_to_1_2_backports.h"
+#endif
+#include "appfat.h"
+
+namespace devilution {
+
+namespace this_sdl_thread {
+	inline SDL_threadID get_id()
+	{
+		return SDL_GetThreadID(nullptr);
+	}
+} //namespace this_sdl_thread
+
+class SdlThread final {
+	static int SDLCALL ThreadTranslate(void *ptr);
+	static void ThreadDeleter(SDL_Thread *thread);
+
+	std::unique_ptr<SDL_Thread, void(*)(SDL_Thread *)> thread { nullptr, ThreadDeleter };
+
+public:
+	SdlThread(int (SDLCALL *handler)(void *), void *data)
+#ifdef USE_SDL1
+	    : thread(SDL_CreateThread(handler, data), ThreadDeleter)
+#else
+	    : thread(SDL_CreateThread(handler, nullptr, data), ThreadDeleter)
+#endif
+	{
+		if (thread == nullptr)
+			ErrSdl();
+	}
+
+	SdlThread(void (*handler)(void))
+	    : SdlThread(ThreadTranslate, (void *)handler)
+	{
+	}
+
+	SdlThread() = default;
+
+	bool joinable() const
+	{
+		return thread != nullptr;
+	}
+
+	SDL_threadID get_id() const
+	{
+		return SDL_GetThreadID(thread.get());
+	}
+
+	void join()
+	{
+		if (!joinable())
+			return;
+		if (get_id() == this_sdl_thread::get_id())
+			app_fatal("Thread joined from within itself");
+
+		SDL_WaitThread(thread.get(), nullptr);
+		thread.release();
+	}
+};
+
+} // namespace devilution
+