diff --git a/fs/btrfs/async-thread.c b/fs/btrfs/async-thread.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2911b67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fs/btrfs/async-thread.c
@@ -0,0 +1,288 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2007 Oracle.  All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public
+ * License v2 as published by the Free Software Foundation.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public
+ * License along with this program; if not, write to the
+ * Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330,
+ * Boston, MA 021110-1307, USA.
+ */
+
+#include <linux/kthread.h>
+#include <linux/list.h>
+#include <linux/spinlock.h>
+#include <linux/freezer.h>
+#include "async-thread.h"
+
+/*
+ * container for the kthread task pointer and the list of pending work
+ * One of these is allocated per thread.
+ */
+struct btrfs_worker_thread {
+	/* list of struct btrfs_work that are waiting for service */
+	struct list_head pending;
+
+	/* list of worker threads from struct btrfs_workers */
+	struct list_head worker_list;
+
+	/* kthread */
+	struct task_struct *task;
+
+	/* number of things on the pending list */
+	atomic_t num_pending;
+
+	/* protects the pending list. */
+	spinlock_t lock;
+
+	/* set to non-zero when this thread is already awake and kicking */
+	int working;
+};
+
+/*
+ * main loop for servicing work items
+ */
+static int worker_loop(void *arg)
+{
+	struct btrfs_worker_thread *worker = arg;
+	struct list_head *cur;
+	struct btrfs_work *work;
+	do {
+		spin_lock_irq(&worker->lock);
+		while(!list_empty(&worker->pending)) {
+			cur = worker->pending.next;
+			work = list_entry(cur, struct btrfs_work, list);
+			list_del(&work->list);
+			clear_bit(0, &work->flags);
+
+			work->worker = worker;
+			spin_unlock_irq(&worker->lock);
+
+			work->func(work);
+
+			atomic_dec(&worker->num_pending);
+			spin_lock_irq(&worker->lock);
+		}
+		worker->working = 0;
+		if (freezing(current)) {
+			refrigerator();
+		} else {
+			set_current_state(TASK_INTERRUPTIBLE);
+			spin_unlock_irq(&worker->lock);
+			schedule();
+			__set_current_state(TASK_RUNNING);
+		}
+	} while (!kthread_should_stop());
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/*
+ * this will wait for all the worker threads to shutdown
+ */
+int btrfs_stop_workers(struct btrfs_workers *workers)
+{
+	struct list_head *cur;
+	struct btrfs_worker_thread *worker;
+
+	while(!list_empty(&workers->worker_list)) {
+		cur = workers->worker_list.next;
+		worker = list_entry(cur, struct btrfs_worker_thread,
+				    worker_list);
+		kthread_stop(worker->task);
+		list_del(&worker->worker_list);
+		kfree(worker);
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/*
+ * simple init on struct btrfs_workers
+ */
+void btrfs_init_workers(struct btrfs_workers *workers, int max)
+{
+	workers->num_workers = 0;
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&workers->worker_list);
+	workers->last = NULL;
+	spin_lock_init(&workers->lock);
+	workers->max_workers = max;
+}
+
+/*
+ * starts new worker threads.  This does not enforce the max worker
+ * count in case you need to temporarily go past it.
+ */
+int btrfs_start_workers(struct btrfs_workers *workers, int num_workers)
+{
+	struct btrfs_worker_thread *worker;
+	int ret = 0;
+	int i;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < num_workers; i++) {
+		worker = kzalloc(sizeof(*worker), GFP_NOFS);
+		if (!worker) {
+			ret = -ENOMEM;
+			goto fail;
+		}
+
+		INIT_LIST_HEAD(&worker->pending);
+		INIT_LIST_HEAD(&worker->worker_list);
+		spin_lock_init(&worker->lock);
+		atomic_set(&worker->num_pending, 0);
+		worker->task = kthread_run(worker_loop, worker, "btrfs");
+		if (IS_ERR(worker->task)) {
+			ret = PTR_ERR(worker->task);
+			goto fail;
+		}
+
+		spin_lock_irq(&workers->lock);
+		list_add_tail(&worker->worker_list, &workers->worker_list);
+		workers->last = worker;
+		workers->num_workers++;
+		spin_unlock_irq(&workers->lock);
+	}
+	return 0;
+fail:
+	btrfs_stop_workers(workers);
+	return ret;
+}
+
+/*
+ * run through the list and find a worker thread that doesn't have a lot
+ * to do right now.  This can return null if we aren't yet at the thread
+ * count limit and all of the threads are busy.
+ */
+static struct btrfs_worker_thread *next_worker(struct btrfs_workers *workers)
+{
+	struct btrfs_worker_thread *worker;
+	struct list_head *next;
+	struct list_head *start;
+	int enforce_min = workers->num_workers < workers->max_workers;
+
+	/* start with the last thread if it isn't busy */
+	worker = workers->last;
+	if (atomic_read(&worker->num_pending) < 64)
+		goto done;
+
+	next = worker->worker_list.next;
+	start = &worker->worker_list;
+
+	/*
+	 * check all the workers for someone that is bored.  FIXME, do
+	 * something smart here
+	 */
+	while(next != start) {
+		if (next == &workers->worker_list) {
+			next = workers->worker_list.next;
+			continue;
+		}
+		worker = list_entry(next, struct btrfs_worker_thread,
+				    worker_list);
+		if (atomic_read(&worker->num_pending) < 64 || !enforce_min)
+			goto done;
+		next = next->next;
+	}
+	/*
+	 * nobody was bored, if we're already at the max thread count,
+	 * use the last thread
+	 */
+	if (!enforce_min || atomic_read(&workers->last->num_pending) < 64) {
+		return workers->last;
+	}
+	return NULL;
+done:
+	workers->last = worker;
+	return worker;
+}
+
+static struct btrfs_worker_thread *find_worker(struct btrfs_workers *workers)
+{
+	struct btrfs_worker_thread *worker;
+	unsigned long flags;
+
+again:
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&workers->lock, flags);
+	worker = next_worker(workers);
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&workers->lock, flags);
+
+	if (!worker) {
+		spin_lock_irqsave(&workers->lock, flags);
+		if (workers->num_workers >= workers->max_workers) {
+			/*
+			 * we have failed to find any workers, just
+			 * return the force one
+			 */
+			worker = list_entry(workers->worker_list.next,
+				  struct btrfs_worker_thread, worker_list);
+			spin_unlock_irqrestore(&workers->lock, flags);
+		} else {
+			spin_unlock_irqrestore(&workers->lock, flags);
+			/* we're below the limit, start another worker */
+			btrfs_start_workers(workers, 1);
+			goto again;
+		}
+	}
+	return worker;
+}
+
+/*
+ * btrfs_requeue_work just puts the work item back on the tail of the list
+ * it was taken from.  It is intended for use with long running work functions
+ * that make some progress and want to give the cpu up for others.
+ */
+int btrfs_requeue_work(struct btrfs_work *work)
+{
+	struct btrfs_worker_thread *worker = work->worker;
+	unsigned long flags;
+
+	if (test_and_set_bit(0, &work->flags))
+		goto out;
+
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&worker->lock, flags);
+	atomic_inc(&worker->num_pending);
+	list_add_tail(&work->list, &worker->pending);
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&worker->lock, flags);
+out:
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/*
+ * places a struct btrfs_work into the pending queue of one of the kthreads
+ */
+int btrfs_queue_worker(struct btrfs_workers *workers, struct btrfs_work *work)
+{
+	struct btrfs_worker_thread *worker;
+	unsigned long flags;
+	int wake = 0;
+
+	/* don't requeue something already on a list */
+	if (test_and_set_bit(0, &work->flags))
+		goto out;
+
+	worker = find_worker(workers);
+
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&worker->lock, flags);
+	atomic_inc(&worker->num_pending);
+	list_add_tail(&work->list, &worker->pending);
+
+	/*
+	 * avoid calling into wake_up_process if this thread has already
+	 * been kicked
+	 */
+	if (!worker->working)
+		wake = 1;
+	worker->working = 1;
+
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&worker->lock, flags);
+
+	if (wake)
+		wake_up_process(worker->task);
+out:
+	return 0;
+}