diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index 6aa2a48f..def8565b 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ SED := @SED@
 LIB_SRCS  := ZNCString.cpp Csocket.cpp znc.cpp IRCNetwork.cpp User.cpp IRCSock.cpp \
 	Client.cpp Chan.cpp Nick.cpp Server.cpp Modules.cpp MD5.cpp Buffer.cpp Utils.cpp \
 	FileUtils.cpp HTTPSock.cpp Template.cpp ClientCommand.cpp Socket.cpp SHA256.cpp \
-	WebModules.cpp Listener.cpp Config.cpp ZNCDebug.cpp version.cpp
+	WebModules.cpp Listener.cpp Config.cpp ZNCDebug.cpp Threads.cpp version.cpp
 LIB_SRCS  := $(addprefix src/,$(LIB_SRCS))
 BIN_SRCS  := src/main.cpp
 LIB_OBJS  := $(patsubst %cpp,%o,$(LIB_SRCS))
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index d3282be7..8f0591f9 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -220,6 +220,7 @@ DNS_TEXT=blocking
 if test "x$TDNS" != "xno"; then
 	old_TDNS=$TDNS
 	AX_PTHREAD([
+        	AC_DEFINE([HAVE_PTHREAD], [1], [Define if you have POSIX threads libraries and header files.])
 		AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether getaddrinfo() supports AI_ADDRCONFIG])
 		AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([
 			AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[
diff --git a/include/znc/Socket.h b/include/znc/Socket.h
index 49bbdb4a..1a413b1f 100644
--- a/include/znc/Socket.h
+++ b/include/znc/Socket.h
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 #include <znc/zncconfig.h>
 #include <znc/Csocket.h>
+#include <znc/Threads.h>
 
 class CModule;
 
@@ -120,7 +121,8 @@ private:
 		addrinfo* aiTarget;
 		addrinfo* aiBind;
 	};
-	struct TDNSArg {
+	class CDNSJob : public CJob {
+	public:
 		CString          sHostname;
 		TDNSTask*        task;
 		int              fd;
@@ -128,33 +130,13 @@ private:
 
 		int              iRes;
 		addrinfo*        aiResult;
-	};
-	struct TDNSStatus {
-		/* mutex which protects this whole struct */
-		pthread_mutex_t mutex;
-		/* condition variable for idle threads */
-		pthread_cond_t cond;
-		/* When this is true, all threads should exit */
-		bool done;
-		/* Total number of running DNS threads */
-		size_t num_threads;
-		/* Number of DNS threads which don't have any work */
-		size_t num_idle;
-		/* List of pending DNS jobs */
-		std::list<TDNSArg *> jobs;
+
+		void run();
 	};
 	void StartTDNSThread(TDNSTask* task, bool bBind);
 	void SetTDNSThreadFinished(TDNSTask* task, bool bBind, addrinfo* aiResult);
 	void RetrieveTDNSResult();
 	static void* TDNSThread(void* argument);
-	static void DoDNS(TDNSArg *arg);
-
-	/** Must be called with threadStatus->mutex held.
-	 * @returns false when the calling DNS thread should exit.
-	 */
-	static bool ThreadNeeded(struct TDNSStatus* status);
-
-	TDNSStatus m_threadStatus;
 #endif
 protected:
 };
diff --git a/include/znc/Threads.h b/include/znc/Threads.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..518d1aad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/znc/Threads.h
@@ -0,0 +1,230 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2004-2012  See the AUTHORS file for details.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 as published
+ * by the Free Software Foundation.
+ */
+
+#ifndef _THREADS_H
+#define _THREADS_H
+
+#include <znc/zncconfig.h>
+
+#ifdef HAVE_PTHREAD
+
+#include <znc/Utils.h>
+
+#include <cerrno>
+#include <csignal>
+#include <cstdlib>
+#include <cstring>
+#include <list>
+#include <pthread.h>
+
+/**
+ * This class represents a non-recursive mutex. Only a single thread may own the
+ * mutex at any point in time.
+ */
+class CMutex {
+public:
+	friend class CConditionVariable;
+
+	CMutex() {
+		int i = pthread_mutex_init(&m_mutex, NULL);
+		if (i) {
+			CUtils::PrintError("Can't initialize mutex: " + CString(strerror(errno)));
+			exit(1);
+		}
+	}
+
+	~CMutex() {
+		int i = pthread_mutex_destroy(&m_mutex);
+		if (i) {
+			CUtils::PrintError("Can't destroy mutex: " + CString(strerror(errno)));
+			exit(1);
+		}
+	}
+
+	void lock() {
+		int i = pthread_mutex_lock(&m_mutex);
+		if (i) {
+			CUtils::PrintError("Can't lock mutex: " + CString(strerror(errno)));
+			exit(1);
+		}
+	}
+
+	void unlock() {
+		int i = pthread_mutex_unlock(&m_mutex);
+		if (i) {
+			CUtils::PrintError("Can't unlock mutex: " + CString(strerror(errno)));
+			exit(1);
+		}
+	}
+
+private:
+	pthread_mutex_t m_mutex;
+};
+
+/**
+ * A mutex locker should always be used as an automatic variable. This
+ * class makes sure that the mutex is unlocked when this class is destructed.
+ * For example, this makes it easier to make code exception-safe.
+ */
+class CMutexLocker {
+public:
+	CMutexLocker(CMutex& mutex, bool initiallyLocked = true)
+			: m_mutex(mutex), m_locked(false) {
+		if (initiallyLocked)
+			lock();
+	}
+
+	~CMutexLocker() {
+		if (m_locked)
+			unlock();
+	}
+
+	void lock() {
+		assert(!m_locked);
+		m_mutex.lock();
+		m_locked = true;
+	}
+
+	void unlock() {
+		assert(m_locked);
+		m_locked = false;
+		m_mutex.unlock();
+	}
+
+private:
+	CMutex &m_mutex;
+	bool m_locked;
+};
+
+/**
+ * A condition variable makes it possible for threads to wait until some
+ * condition is reached at which point the thread can wake up again.
+ */
+class CConditionVariable {
+public:
+	CConditionVariable() {
+		int i = pthread_cond_init(&m_cond, NULL);
+		if (i) {
+			CUtils::PrintError("Can't initialize condition variable: "
+					+ CString(strerror(errno)));
+			exit(1);
+		}
+	}
+
+	~CConditionVariable() {
+		int i = pthread_cond_destroy(&m_cond);
+		if (i) {
+			CUtils::PrintError("Can't destroy condition variable: "
+					+ CString(strerror(errno)));
+			exit(1);
+		}
+	}
+
+	void wait(CMutex& mutex) {
+		int i = pthread_cond_wait(&m_cond, &mutex.m_mutex);
+		if (i) {
+			CUtils::PrintError("Can't wait on condition variable: "
+					+ CString(strerror(errno)));
+			exit(1);
+		}
+	}
+
+	void signal() {
+		int i = pthread_cond_signal(&m_cond);
+		if (i) {
+			CUtils::PrintError("Can't signal condition variable: "
+					+ CString(strerror(errno)));
+			exit(1);
+		}
+	}
+
+	void broadcast() {
+		int i = pthread_cond_broadcast(&m_cond);
+		if (i) {
+			CUtils::PrintError("Can't broadcast condition variable: "
+					+ CString(strerror(errno)));
+			exit(1);
+		}
+	}
+
+private:
+	pthread_cond_t m_cond;
+};
+
+class CThread {
+public:
+	typedef void *threadRoutine(void *);
+	static void startThread(threadRoutine *func, void *arg) {
+		pthread_t thr;
+		sigset_t old_sigmask, sigmask;
+
+		/* Block all signals. The thread will inherit our signal mask
+		 * and thus won't ever try to handle signals.
+		 */
+		int i = sigfillset(&sigmask);
+		i |= pthread_sigmask(SIG_SETMASK, &sigmask, &old_sigmask);
+		i |= pthread_create(&thr, NULL, func, arg);
+		i |= pthread_sigmask(SIG_SETMASK, &old_sigmask, NULL);
+		i |= pthread_detach(thr);
+		if (i) {
+			CUtils::PrintError("Can't start new thread: "
+					+ CString(strerror(errno)));
+			exit(1);
+		}
+	}
+};
+
+class CJob {
+public:
+	virtual ~CJob() {}
+	virtual void run() = 0;
+};
+
+class CThreadPool {
+private:
+	CThreadPool() : m_done(false), m_num_threads(0), m_num_idle(0) {
+	}
+
+	~CThreadPool();
+
+public:
+	static CThreadPool& Get();
+
+	void addJob(CJob *job);
+
+private:
+	// Check if the calling thread is still needed, must be called with m_mutex held
+	bool threadNeeded() const;
+
+	void threadFunc();
+	static void *threadPoolFunc(void *arg) {
+		CThreadPool &pool = *reinterpret_cast<CThreadPool *>(arg);
+		pool.threadFunc();
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	// mutex protecting all of these members
+	CMutex m_mutex;
+
+	// condition variable for waiting idle threads
+	CConditionVariable m_cond;
+
+	// when this is true, all threads should exit
+	bool m_done;
+
+	// total number of running threads
+	size_t m_num_threads;
+
+	// number of idle threads waiting on the condition variable
+	size_t m_num_idle;
+
+	std::list<CJob *> m_jobs;
+};
+
+#endif // HAVE_PTHREAD
+#endif // !_THREADS_H
diff --git a/src/Socket.cpp b/src/Socket.cpp
index 2ac7da39..ecd9165b 100644
--- a/src/Socket.cpp
+++ b/src/Socket.cpp
@@ -10,9 +10,6 @@
 #include <znc/IRCNetwork.h>
 #include <signal.h>
 
-/* We should need 2 DNS threads (host, bindhost) per IRC connection */
-static const size_t MAX_IDLE_THREADS = 2;
-
 unsigned int CSockManager::GetAnonConnectionCount(const CString &sIP) const {
 	const_iterator it;
 	unsigned int ret = 0;
@@ -55,55 +52,7 @@ public:
 	}
 };
 
-bool CSockManager::ThreadNeeded(struct TDNSStatus* threadStatus)
-{
-	// We should keep a number of idle threads alive
-	if (threadStatus->num_idle > MAX_IDLE_THREADS)
-		return false;
-	// If ZNC is shutting down, all threads should exit
-	return !threadStatus->done;
-}
-
-void* CSockManager::TDNSThread(void* argument) {
-	TDNSStatus *threadStatus = (TDNSStatus *) argument;
-
-	pthread_mutex_lock(&threadStatus->mutex);
-	threadStatus->num_threads++;
-	threadStatus->num_idle++;
-	while (true) {
-		/* Wait for a DNS job for us to do. This is a while()-loop
-		 * because POSIX allows spurious wakeups from pthread_cond_wait.
-		 */
-		while (threadStatus->jobs.empty()) {
-			if (!ThreadNeeded(threadStatus))
-				break;
-			pthread_cond_wait(&threadStatus->cond, &threadStatus->mutex);
-		}
-
-		if (!ThreadNeeded(threadStatus))
-			break;
-
-		/* Figure out a DNS job to do */
-		assert(threadStatus->num_idle > 0);
-		TDNSArg *job = threadStatus->jobs.front();
-		threadStatus->jobs.pop_front();
-		threadStatus->num_idle--;
-		pthread_mutex_unlock(&threadStatus->mutex);
-
-		/* Now do the actual work */
-		DoDNS(job);
-
-		pthread_mutex_lock(&threadStatus->mutex);
-		threadStatus->num_idle++;
-	}
-	assert(threadStatus->num_threads > 0 && threadStatus->num_idle > 0);
-	threadStatus->num_threads--;
-	threadStatus->num_idle--;
-	pthread_mutex_unlock(&threadStatus->mutex);
-	return NULL;
-}
-
-void CSockManager::DoDNS(TDNSArg *arg) {
+void CSockManager::CDNSJob::run() {
 	int iCount = 0;
 	while (true) {
 		addrinfo hints;
@@ -112,25 +61,25 @@ void CSockManager::DoDNS(TDNSArg *arg) {
 		hints.ai_socktype = SOCK_STREAM;
 		hints.ai_protocol = IPPROTO_TCP;
 		hints.ai_flags = AI_ADDRCONFIG;
-		arg->iRes = getaddrinfo(arg->sHostname.c_str(), NULL, &hints, &arg->aiResult);
-		if (EAGAIN != arg->iRes) {
+		iRes = getaddrinfo(sHostname.c_str(), NULL, &hints, &aiResult);
+		if (EAGAIN != iRes) {
 			break;
 		}
 
 		iCount++;
 		if (iCount > 5) {
-			arg->iRes = ETIMEDOUT;
+			iRes = ETIMEDOUT;
 			break;
 		}
 		sleep(5); // wait 5 seconds before next try
 	}
 
-	size_t need = sizeof(TDNSArg*);
-	char* x = (char*)&arg;
 	// This write() must succeed because POSIX guarantees that writes of
 	// less than PIPE_BUF are atomic (and PIPE_BUF is at least 512).
-	size_t w = write(arg->fd, x, need);
-	if (w != need) {
+	// (Yes, this really wants to write a pointer(!) to the pipe.
+	CDNSJob *job = this;
+	size_t w = write(fd, &job, sizeof(job));
+	if (w != sizeof(job)) {
 		DEBUG("Something bad happened during write() to a pipe from TDNSThread, wrote " << w << " bytes: " << strerror(errno));
 		exit(1);
 	}
@@ -138,7 +87,7 @@ void CSockManager::DoDNS(TDNSArg *arg) {
 
 void CSockManager::StartTDNSThread(TDNSTask* task, bool bBind) {
 	CString sHostname = bBind ? task->sBindhost : task->sHostname;
-	TDNSArg* arg = new TDNSArg;
+	CDNSJob* arg = new CDNSJob;
 	arg->sHostname = sHostname;
 	arg->task      = task;
 	arg->fd        = m_iTDNSpipe[1];
@@ -146,62 +95,7 @@ void CSockManager::StartTDNSThread(TDNSTask* task, bool bBind) {
 	arg->iRes      = 0;
 	arg->aiResult  = NULL;
 
-	pthread_mutex_lock(&m_threadStatus.mutex);
-	m_threadStatus.jobs.push_back(arg);
-	/* Do we need a new DNS thread? */
-	if (m_threadStatus.num_idle > 0) {
-		/* Nope, there is one waiting for a job */
-		pthread_cond_signal(&m_threadStatus.cond);
-		pthread_mutex_unlock(&m_threadStatus.mutex);
-		return;
-	}
-	pthread_mutex_unlock(&m_threadStatus.mutex);
-
-	pthread_attr_t attr;
-	if (pthread_attr_init(&attr)) {
-		CString sError = "Couldn't init pthread_attr for " + sHostname;
-		DEBUG(sError);
-		CZNC::Get().Broadcast(sError, /* bAdminOnly = */ true);
-		SetTDNSThreadFinished(task, bBind, NULL);
-		return;
-	}
-	pthread_attr_setdetachstate(&attr, PTHREAD_CREATE_DETACHED);
-
-	pthread_t thr;
-	sigset_t old_sigmask;
-	sigset_t sigmask;
-	sigfillset(&sigmask);
-	/* Block all signals. The thread will inherit our signal mask and thus
-	 * won't ever try to handle any signals.
-	 */
-	if (pthread_sigmask(SIG_SETMASK, &sigmask, &old_sigmask)) {
-		CString sError = "Couldn't block signals";
-		DEBUG(sError);
-		CZNC::Get().Broadcast(sError, /* bAdminOnly = */ true);
-		delete arg;
-		pthread_attr_destroy(&attr);
-		SetTDNSThreadFinished(task, bBind, NULL);
-		return;
-	}
-	if (pthread_create(&thr, &attr, TDNSThread, &m_threadStatus)) {
-		CString sError = "Couldn't create thread for " + sHostname;
-		DEBUG(sError);
-		CZNC::Get().Broadcast(sError, /* bAdminOnly = */ true);
-		delete arg;
-		pthread_attr_destroy(&attr);
-		SetTDNSThreadFinished(task, bBind, NULL);
-		return;
-	}
-	if (pthread_sigmask(SIG_SETMASK, &old_sigmask, NULL)) {
-		CString sError = "Couldn't unblock signals";
-		DEBUG(sError);
-		CZNC::Get().Broadcast(sError, /* bAdminOnly = */ true);
-		delete arg;
-		pthread_attr_destroy(&attr);
-		SetTDNSThreadFinished(task, bBind, NULL);
-		return;
-	}
-	pthread_attr_destroy(&attr);
+	CThreadPool::Get().addJob(arg);
 }
 
 void CSockManager::SetTDNSThreadFinished(TDNSTask* task, bool bBind, addrinfo* aiResult) {
@@ -285,18 +179,12 @@ void CSockManager::SetTDNSThreadFinished(TDNSTask* task, bool bBind, addrinfo* a
 }
 
 void CSockManager::RetrieveTDNSResult() {
-	TDNSArg* a = NULL;
-	size_t readed = 0;
-	size_t need = sizeof(TDNSArg*);
-	char* x = (char*)&a;
-	while (readed < need) {
-		ssize_t r = read(m_iTDNSpipe[0], x, need - readed);
-		if (-1 == r) {
-			DEBUG("Something bad happened during read() from a pipe when getting result of TDNSThread: " << strerror(errno));
-			exit(1);
-		}
-		readed += r;
-		x += r;
+	CDNSJob* a = NULL;
+	ssize_t need = sizeof(a);
+	ssize_t r = read(m_iTDNSpipe[0], &a, need);
+	if (r != need) {
+		DEBUG("Something bad happened during read() from a pipe when getting result of TDNSThread: " << strerror(errno));
+		exit(1);
 	}
 	TDNSTask* task = a->task;
 	if (0 != a->iRes) {
@@ -313,21 +201,6 @@ void CSockManager::RetrieveTDNSResult() {
 
 CSockManager::CSockManager() {
 #ifdef HAVE_THREADED_DNS
-	int m = pthread_mutex_init(&m_threadStatus.mutex, NULL);
-	if (m) {
-		CUtils::PrintError("Can't initialize mutex: " + CString(strerror(errno)));
-		exit(1);
-	}
-	m = pthread_cond_init(&m_threadStatus.cond, NULL);
-	if (m) {
-		CUtils::PrintError("Can't initialize condition variable: " + CString(strerror(errno)));
-		exit(1);
-	}
-
-	m_threadStatus.num_threads = 0;
-	m_threadStatus.num_idle = 0;
-	m_threadStatus.done = false;
-
 	if (pipe(m_iTDNSpipe)) {
 		DEBUG("Ouch, can't open pipe for threaded DNS resolving: " << strerror(errno));
 		exit(1);
@@ -338,20 +211,6 @@ CSockManager::CSockManager() {
 }
 
 CSockManager::~CSockManager() {
-#ifdef HAVE_THREADED_DNS
-	/* Anyone has an idea how this can be done less ugly? */
-	pthread_mutex_lock(&m_threadStatus.mutex);
-	m_threadStatus.done = true;
-	while (m_threadStatus.num_threads > 0) {
-		pthread_cond_broadcast(&m_threadStatus.cond);
-		pthread_mutex_unlock(&m_threadStatus.mutex);
-		usleep(100);
-		pthread_mutex_lock(&m_threadStatus.mutex);
-	}
-	pthread_mutex_unlock(&m_threadStatus.mutex);
-	pthread_cond_destroy(&m_threadStatus.cond);
-	pthread_mutex_destroy(&m_threadStatus.mutex);
-#endif
 }
 
 void CSockManager::Connect(const CString& sHostname, u_short iPort, const CString& sSockName, int iTimeout, bool bSSL, const CString& sBindHost, CZNCSock *pcSock) {
diff --git a/src/Threads.cpp b/src/Threads.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cb1c38b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Threads.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2004-2012  See the AUTHORS file for details.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 as published
+ * by the Free Software Foundation.
+ */
+
+#include <znc/Threads.h>
+
+#ifdef HAVE_PTHREAD
+
+/* Just an arbitrary limit for the number of idle threads */
+static const size_t MAX_IDLE_THREADS = 3;
+
+/* Just an arbitrary limit for the number of running threads */
+static const size_t MAX_TOTAL_THREADS = 20;
+
+CThreadPool& CThreadPool::Get() {
+	// Beware! The following is not thread-safe! This function must
+	// be called once any thread is started.
+	static CThreadPool pool;
+	return pool;
+}
+
+CThreadPool::~CThreadPool() {
+	/* Anyone has an idea how this can be done less ugly? */
+	CMutexLocker guard(m_mutex);
+	m_done = true;
+
+	while (m_num_threads > 0) {
+		m_cond.broadcast();
+		guard.unlock();
+		usleep(100);
+		guard.lock();
+	}
+}
+
+bool CThreadPool::threadNeeded() const {
+	if (m_num_idle > MAX_IDLE_THREADS)
+		return false;
+	return !m_done;
+}
+
+void CThreadPool::threadFunc() {
+	CMutexLocker guard(m_mutex);
+	m_num_threads++;
+	m_num_idle++;
+
+	while (true) {
+		while (m_jobs.empty()) {
+			if (!threadNeeded())
+				break;
+			m_cond.wait(m_mutex);
+		}
+		if (!threadNeeded())
+			break;
+
+		// Figure out a job to do
+		CJob *job = m_jobs.front();
+		m_jobs.pop_front();
+
+		// Now do the actual job
+		m_num_idle--;
+		guard.unlock();
+
+		job->run();
+
+		guard.lock();
+		m_num_idle++;
+	}
+	assert(m_num_threads > 0 && m_num_idle > 0);
+	m_num_threads--;
+	m_num_idle--;
+}
+
+void CThreadPool::addJob(CJob *job) {
+	CMutexLocker guard(m_mutex);
+	m_jobs.push_back(job);
+
+	// Do we already have a thread which can handle this job?
+	if (m_num_idle > 0) {
+		m_cond.signal();
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (m_num_threads >= MAX_TOTAL_THREADS)
+		// We can't start a new thread. The job will be handled once
+		// some thread finishes its current job.
+		return;
+
+	// Start a new thread for our pool
+	CThread::startThread(threadPoolFunc, this);
+}
+
+#endif // HAVE_PTHREAD