diff --git a/libs/ardour/test/test_ui.cc b/libs/ardour/test/test_ui.cc
index 30687cd433..867eafba7d 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/test/test_ui.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/test/test_ui.cc
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ TestUI::TestUI ()
 
 	pthread_set_name ("test_ui_thread");
 
-	run_loop_thread = Glib::Threads::Thread::self ();
+	_run_loop_thread = PBD::Thread::self ();
 
 	set_event_loop_for_thread (this);
 
diff --git a/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtk_ui.cc b/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtk_ui.cc
index 7167eb3449..07b9aa4478 100644
--- a/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtk_ui.cc
+++ b/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtk_ui.cc
@@ -96,10 +96,9 @@ UI::UI (string application_name, string thread_name, int *argc, char ***argv)
 	}
 
 	/* the GUI event loop runs in the main thread of the app,
-	   which is assumed to have called this.
-	*/
-
-	run_loop_thread = Threads::Thread::self();
+	 * which is assumed to have called this.
+	 */
+	_run_loop_thread = PBD::Thread::self ();
 
 	/* store "this" as the UI-for-thread of this thread, same argument
 	   as for previous line.
@@ -144,9 +143,9 @@ UI::~UI ()
 }
 
 bool
-UI::caller_is_ui_thread ()
+UI::caller_is_ui_thread () const
 {
-	return Threads::Thread::self() == run_loop_thread;
+	return caller_is_self ();
 }
 
 int
diff --git a/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtkmm2ext/gtk_ui.h b/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtkmm2ext/gtk_ui.h
index af3d29ed89..718c8cec74 100644
--- a/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtkmm2ext/gtk_ui.h
+++ b/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtkmm2ext/gtk_ui.h
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ public:
 
 	/* Abstract UI interfaces */
 
-	bool caller_is_ui_thread ();
+	bool caller_is_ui_thread () const;
 
 	/* Gtk-UI specific interfaces */
 
diff --git a/libs/pbd/base_ui.cc b/libs/pbd/base_ui.cc
index a4ea861c29..83df2b76b5 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/base_ui.cc
+++ b/libs/pbd/base_ui.cc
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ BaseUI::RequestType BaseUI::Quit = BaseUI::new_request_type();
 BaseUI::BaseUI (const string& loop_name)
 	: EventLoop (loop_name)
 	, m_context(MainContext::get_default())
-	, run_loop_thread (0)
+	, _run_loop_thread (0)
 	, request_channel (true)
 {
 	base_ui_instance = this;
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ BaseUI::BaseUI (const string& loop_name)
 
 BaseUI::~BaseUI()
 {
+	delete _run_loop_thread;
 }
 
 BaseUI::RequestType
@@ -121,7 +122,7 @@ BaseUI::run ()
 	attach_request_source ();
 
 	Glib::Threads::Mutex::Lock lm (_run_lock);
-	run_loop_thread = Glib::Threads::Thread::create (mem_fun (*this, &BaseUI::main_thread));
+	_run_loop_thread = PBD::Thread::create (boost::bind (&BaseUI::main_thread, this));
 	_running.wait (_run_lock);
 }
 
@@ -130,7 +131,7 @@ BaseUI::quit ()
 {
 	if (_main_loop && _main_loop->is_running()) {
 		_main_loop->quit ();
-		run_loop_thread->join ();
+		_run_loop_thread->join ();
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/libs/pbd/pbd/base_ui.h b/libs/pbd/pbd/base_ui.h
index af501fc666..27bdb71644 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/pbd/base_ui.h
+++ b/libs/pbd/pbd/base_ui.h
@@ -53,8 +53,7 @@ class LIBPBD_API BaseUI : public sigc::trackable, public PBD::EventLoop
 	BaseUI* base_instance() { return base_ui_instance; }
 
 	Glib::RefPtr<Glib::MainLoop> main_loop() const { return _main_loop; }
-        Glib::Threads::Thread* event_loop_thread() const { return run_loop_thread; }
-        bool caller_is_self () const { return Glib::Threads::Thread::self() == run_loop_thread; }
+	bool caller_is_self () const { assert (_run_loop_thread); return _run_loop_thread->caller_is_self (); }
 
 	bool ok() const { return _ok; }
 
@@ -80,7 +79,7 @@ class LIBPBD_API BaseUI : public sigc::trackable, public PBD::EventLoop
 
 	Glib::RefPtr<Glib::MainLoop> _main_loop;
 	Glib::RefPtr<Glib::MainContext> m_context;
-	Glib::Threads::Thread*       run_loop_thread;
+	PBD::Thread*                _run_loop_thread;
 	Glib::Threads::Mutex        _run_lock;
 	Glib::Threads::Cond         _running;