diff --git a/sdk/Windows/Helpers.h b/sdk/Windows/Helpers.h
index f6875af..5b3d6f7 100644
--- a/sdk/Windows/Helpers.h
+++ b/sdk/Windows/Helpers.h
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include <windows.h>
 #include <functional>
 #include <memory>
+#include <vector>
 using namespace std;
 
 namespace SMX
@@ -99,6 +100,42 @@ public:
 private:
     Mutex &m_Mutex;
 };
+
+
+class Event
+{
+public:
+    Event(Mutex &lock):
+        m_Lock(lock)
+    {
+        m_hEvent = make_shared<AutoCloseHandle>(CreateEvent(NULL, false, false, NULL));
+    }
+
+    void Set()
+    {
+        SetEvent(m_hEvent->value());
+    }
+
+    // Unlock m_Lock, wait up to iDelayMilliseconds for the event to be set,
+    // then lock m_Lock.  If iDelayMilliseconds is -1, wait forever.
+    void Wait(int iDelayMilliseconds)
+    {
+        if(iDelayMilliseconds == -1)
+            iDelayMilliseconds = INFINITE;
+
+        m_Lock.AssertLockedByCurrentThread();
+
+        m_Lock.Unlock();
+        vector<HANDLE> aHandles = { m_hEvent->value() };
+        WaitForSingleObjectEx(m_hEvent->value(), iDelayMilliseconds, true);
+        m_Lock.Lock();
+    }
+
+private:
+    shared_ptr<SMX::AutoCloseHandle> m_hEvent;
+    Mutex &m_Lock;
+};
+
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/sdk/Windows/SMX.vcxproj b/sdk/Windows/SMX.vcxproj
index e6017b1..0b77f94 100644
--- a/sdk/Windows/SMX.vcxproj
+++ b/sdk/Windows/SMX.vcxproj
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
     <ClInclude Include="SMXDeviceSearchThreaded.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="SMXHelperThread.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="SMXManager.h" />
+    <ClInclude Include="SMXThread.h" />
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <ClCompile Include="Helpers.cpp" />
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@
     <ClCompile Include="SMXDeviceSearchThreaded.cpp" />
     <ClCompile Include="SMXHelperThread.cpp" />
     <ClCompile Include="SMXManager.cpp" />
+    <ClCompile Include="SMXThread.cpp" />
   </ItemGroup>
   <PropertyGroup Label="Globals">
     <ProjectGuid>{C5FC0823-9896-4B7C-BFE1-B60DB671A462}</ProjectGuid>
diff --git a/sdk/Windows/SMX.vcxproj.filters b/sdk/Windows/SMX.vcxproj.filters
index 573ae71..a048bd5 100644
--- a/sdk/Windows/SMX.vcxproj.filters
+++ b/sdk/Windows/SMX.vcxproj.filters
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@
     <ClInclude Include="SMXBuildVersion.h">
       <Filter>Source Files</Filter>
     </ClInclude>
+    <ClInclude Include="SMXThread.h">
+      <Filter>Source Files</Filter>
+    </ClInclude>
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <ClCompile Include="SMX.cpp">
@@ -60,5 +63,8 @@
     <ClCompile Include="Helpers.cpp">
       <Filter>Source Files</Filter>
     </ClCompile>
+    <ClCompile Include="SMXThread.cpp">
+      <Filter>Source Files</Filter>
+    </ClCompile>
   </ItemGroup>
 </Project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/sdk/Windows/SMXHelperThread.cpp b/sdk/Windows/SMXHelperThread.cpp
index 485c405..7166dcb 100644
--- a/sdk/Windows/SMXHelperThread.cpp
+++ b/sdk/Windows/SMXHelperThread.cpp
@@ -1,31 +1,10 @@
 #include "SMXHelperThread.h"
-
-#include <windows.h>
 using namespace SMX;
 
-SMX::SMXHelperThread::SMXHelperThread(const string &sThreadName)
-{
-    m_hEvent = make_shared<AutoCloseHandle>(CreateEvent(NULL, false, false, NULL));
-
-    // Start the thread.
-    m_hThread = CreateThread(NULL, 0, ThreadMainStart, this, 0, &m_iThreadId);
-    SMX::SetThreadName(m_iThreadId, sThreadName);
-}
-
-SMX::SMXHelperThread::~SMXHelperThread()
-{
-}
-
-void SMX::SMXHelperThread::SetHighPriority(bool bHighPriority)
-{
-    SetThreadPriority( m_hThread, THREAD_PRIORITY_HIGHEST );
-}
-
-DWORD WINAPI SMX::SMXHelperThread::ThreadMainStart(void *self_)
+SMX::SMXHelperThread::SMXHelperThread(const string &sThreadName):
+    SMXThread(m_Lock)
 {
-    SMXHelperThread *self = (SMXHelperThread *) self_;
-    self->ThreadMain();
-    return 0;
+    Start(sThreadName);
 }
 
 void SMX::SMXHelperThread::ThreadMain()
@@ -44,26 +23,13 @@ void SMX::SMXHelperThread::ThreadMain()
         m_Lock.Unlock();
         for(auto &func: funcs)
             func();
-
-        WaitForSingleObjectEx(m_hEvent->value(), 250, true);
         m_Lock.Lock();
+
+        m_Event.Wait(250);
     }
     m_Lock.Unlock();
 }
 
-void SMX::SMXHelperThread::Shutdown()
-{
-    if(m_hThread == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
-        return;
-
-    // Tell the thread to shut down, and wait for it before returning.
-    m_bShutdown = true;
-    SetEvent(m_hEvent->value());
-
-    WaitForSingleObject(m_hThread, INFINITE);
-    m_hThread = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
-}
-
 void SMX::SMXHelperThread::RunInThread(function<void()> func)
 {
     m_Lock.AssertNotLockedByCurrentThread();
@@ -71,11 +37,6 @@ void SMX::SMXHelperThread::RunInThread(function<void()> func)
     // Add func to the list, and poke the event to wake up the thread if needed.
     m_Lock.Lock();
     m_FunctionsToCall.push_back(func);
-    SetEvent(m_hEvent->value());
+    m_Event.Set();
     m_Lock.Unlock();
 }
-
-bool SMX::SMXHelperThread::IsCurrentThread() const
-{
-    return GetCurrentThreadId() == m_iThreadId;
-}
diff --git a/sdk/Windows/SMXHelperThread.h b/sdk/Windows/SMXHelperThread.h
index 18ad24d..b19ad28 100644
--- a/sdk/Windows/SMXHelperThread.h
+++ b/sdk/Windows/SMXHelperThread.h
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #define SMXHelperThread_h
 
 #include "Helpers.h"
+#include "SMXThread.h"
 
 #include <functional>
 #include <vector>
@@ -10,34 +11,19 @@ using namespace std;
 
 namespace SMX
 {
-class SMXHelperThread
+class SMXHelperThread: public SMXThread
 {
 public:
     SMXHelperThread(const string &sThreadName);
-    ~SMXHelperThread();
-
-    // Raise the priority of the helper thread.
-    void SetHighPriority(bool bHighPriority);
-
-    // Shut down the thread.  Any calls queued by RunInThread will complete before
-    // this returns.
-    void Shutdown();
-
+   
     // Call func asynchronously from the helper thread.
     void RunInThread(function<void()> func);
 
-    // Return true if this is the calling thread.
-    bool IsCurrentThread() const;
-
 private:
-    static DWORD WINAPI ThreadMainStart(void *self_);
     void ThreadMain();
 
-    DWORD m_iThreadId = 0;
+    // Helper threads use their independent lock.
     SMX::Mutex m_Lock;
-    shared_ptr<SMX::AutoCloseHandle> m_hEvent;
-    bool m_bShutdown = false;
-    HANDLE m_hThread = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
     vector<function<void()>> m_FunctionsToCall;
 };
 }
diff --git a/sdk/Windows/SMXThread.cpp b/sdk/Windows/SMXThread.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4fb06b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sdk/Windows/SMXThread.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+#include "SMXThread.h"
+
+using namespace std;
+using namespace SMX;
+
+SMXThread::SMXThread(Mutex &lock):
+    m_Lock(lock),
+    m_Event(lock)
+{
+}
+
+void SMX::SMXThread::SetHighPriority(bool bHighPriority)
+{
+    if(m_hThread == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
+        throw exception("SetHighPriority called while the thread isn't running");
+
+    SetThreadPriority(m_hThread, THREAD_PRIORITY_HIGHEST);
+}
+
+bool SMX::SMXThread::IsCurrentThread() const
+{
+    return GetCurrentThreadId() == m_iThreadId;
+}
+
+void SMXThread::Start(string name)
+{
+    // Start the thread.
+    m_hThread = CreateThread(NULL, 0, ThreadMainStart, this, 0, &m_iThreadId);
+    SMX::SetThreadName(m_iThreadId, name);
+}
+
+void SMXThread::Shutdown()
+{
+    m_Lock.AssertNotLockedByCurrentThread();
+
+    // Shut down the thread and wait for it to exit.
+    m_bShutdown = true;
+    m_Event.Set();
+
+    WaitForSingleObject(m_hThread, INFINITE);
+    m_hThread = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
+}
+
+DWORD WINAPI SMXThread::ThreadMainStart(void *self_)
+{
+    SMXThread *self = (SMXThread *) self_;
+    self->ThreadMain();
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/sdk/Windows/SMXThread.h b/sdk/Windows/SMXThread.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ea672f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sdk/Windows/SMXThread.h
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+#ifndef SMXThread_h
+#define SMXThread_h
+
+// A base class for a thread.
+#include "Helpers.h"
+#include <string>
+
+namespace SMX
+{
+
+class SMXThread
+{
+public:
+    SMXThread(SMX::Mutex &lock);
+
+    // Raise the priority of the thread.
+    void SetHighPriority(bool bHighPriority);
+
+    // Start the thread, giving it a name for debugging.
+    void Start(std::string name);
+
+    // Shut down the thread.  This function won't return until the thread
+    // has been stopped.
+    void Shutdown();
+
+    // Return true if this is the calling thread.
+    bool IsCurrentThread() const;
+
+    // The derived class implements this.
+    virtual void ThreadMain() = 0;
+
+protected:
+    static DWORD WINAPI ThreadMainStart(void *self);
+
+    SMX::Mutex &m_Lock;
+    SMX::Event m_Event;
+    bool m_bShutdown = false;
+
+private:
+    HANDLE m_hThread = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
+    DWORD m_iThreadId = 0;
+};
+}
+
+#endif