diff --git a/clients/simple-egl.c b/clients/simple-egl.c
index 26ebe5c..0eca0f7 100644
--- a/clients/simple-egl.c
+++ b/clients/simple-egl.c
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@
 #include <GLES2/gl2.h>
 #include <EGL/egl.h>
 
+#include <pthread.h>
+
 struct window;
 struct seat;
 
@@ -101,8 +103,17 @@ static const char *frag_shader_text =
 static int running = 1;
 
 static void
-init_egl(struct display *display, int opaque)
+create_surface(struct window *window);
+
+static void
+init_gl(struct window *window);
+
+static void*
+init_egl(void *data)
 {
+	struct display *display = data;
+	struct window *window = display->window;
+	int opaque = window->opaque;
 	static const EGLint context_attribs[] = {
 		EGL_CONTEXT_CLIENT_VERSION, 2,
 		EGL_NONE
@@ -140,7 +151,10 @@ init_egl(struct display *display, int opaque)
 					    display->egl.conf,
 					    EGL_NO_CONTEXT, context_attribs);
 	assert(display->egl.ctx);
+	create_surface(window);
+	init_gl(window);
 
+	return NULL;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -619,6 +633,7 @@ usage(int error_code)
 int
 main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
+	pthread_t thread;
 	struct sigaction sigint;
 	struct display display = { 0 };
 	struct window  window  = { 0 };
@@ -649,9 +664,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	wl_display_dispatch(display.display);
 
-	init_egl(&display, window.opaque);
-	create_surface(&window);
-	init_gl(&window);
+	pthread_create(&thread, NULL, init_egl, (void *) &display);
 
 	display.cursor_surface =
 		wl_compositor_create_surface(display.compositor);