diff --git a/src/NTwain/Internals/ExceptionExtensions.cs b/src/NTwain/Internals/ExceptionExtensions.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f186b38
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/NTwain/Internals/ExceptionExtensions.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Reflection;
+using System.Text;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
+
+namespace NTwain.Internals
+{
+    static class ExceptionExtensions
+    {
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Rethrows the specified excetion while keeping stack trace
+        /// if not null.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="ex">The ex.</param>
+        public static void TryRethrow(this Exception ex)
+        {
+            if (ex != null)
+            {
+                typeof(Exception).GetMethod("PrepForRemoting",
+                    BindingFlags.NonPublic | BindingFlags.Instance)?.Invoke(ex, new object[0]);
+                throw ex;
+            }
+        }
+
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/NTwain/Threading/ActionItem.cs b/src/NTwain/Threading/ActionItem.cs
index 310bdd6..32a947f 100644
--- a/src/NTwain/Threading/ActionItem.cs
+++ b/src/NTwain/Threading/ActionItem.cs
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ namespace NTwain.Threading
         private ManualResetEventSlim waiter;
         private Action action;
 
+        public Exception Error { get; private set; }
+
         public ActionItem(Action action)
         {
             this.action = action;
@@ -27,7 +29,7 @@ namespace NTwain.Threading
             }
             catch (Exception ex)
             {
-                // TODO: do something
+                Error = ex;
             }
             finally
             {
diff --git a/src/NTwain/Threading/DispatcherLoop.cs b/src/NTwain/Threading/DispatcherLoop.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..68e7e75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/NTwain/Threading/DispatcherLoop.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+using NTwain.Data.Win32;
+using NTwain.Internals;
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Concurrent;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.ComponentModel;
+using System.Diagnostics;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Reflection;
+using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
+using System.Security;
+using System.Text;
+using System.Threading;
+
+namespace NTwain.Threading
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Provides an internal message pump on non-Windows using a background thread.
+    /// </summary>
+    class DispatcherLoop : IThreadContext
+    {
+        readonly TwainSession session;
+        BlockingCollection<ActionItem> actionQueue;
+        CancellationTokenSource stopToken;
+
+        Thread loopThread;
+
+        public DispatcherLoop(TwainSession session)
+        {
+            this.session = session;
+        }
+
+        public void Start()
+        {
+            if (loopThread != null) return;
+
+            Debug.WriteLine($"Thread {Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId}: {nameof(WinMsgLoop)}.{nameof(Start)}()");
+
+            actionQueue = new BlockingCollection<ActionItem>();
+            stopToken = new CancellationTokenSource();
+
+            // startWaiter ensures thread is running before this method returns
+            using (var startWaiter = new ManualResetEventSlim())
+            {
+                loopThread = new Thread(new ThreadStart(() =>
+                {
+                    Debug.WriteLine($"Thread {Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId}: starting msg pump...");
+
+                    startWaiter.Set();
+
+                    try
+                    {
+                        while (actionQueue.TryTake(out ActionItem work, -1, stopToken.Token))
+                        {
+                            work.DoAction();
+                        }
+                    }
+                    catch (OperationCanceledException) { }
+                    finally
+                    {
+                        // clear queue
+                        actionQueue.Dispose();
+
+                        loopThread = null;
+                    }
+                }));
+                loopThread.IsBackground = true;
+                loopThread.TrySetApartmentState(ApartmentState.STA);
+                loopThread.Start();
+                startWaiter.Wait();
+            }
+        }
+
+        public void Stop()
+        {
+            if (!stopToken.IsCancellationRequested) stopToken.Cancel();
+        }
+
+        bool IsSameThread()
+        {
+            return loopThread == Thread.CurrentThread || loopThread == null;
+        }
+
+
+        public void Invoke(Action action)
+        {
+            if (IsSameThread())
+            {
+                // ok
+                action();
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                // queue up work
+                using (var waiter = new ManualResetEventSlim())
+                {
+                    var work = new ActionItem(waiter, action);
+                    actionQueue.TryAdd(work);
+                    waiter.Wait();
+                    work.Error.TryRethrow();
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        public void BeginInvoke(Action action)
+        {
+            actionQueue.TryAdd(new ActionItem(action));
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/NTwain/Threading/UIThreadContext.cs b/src/NTwain/Threading/UIThreadContext.cs
index c58b19f..770b186 100644
--- a/src/NTwain/Threading/UIThreadContext.cs
+++ b/src/NTwain/Threading/UIThreadContext.cs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-using System;
+using NTwain.Internals;
+using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Reflection;
@@ -68,18 +69,7 @@ namespace NTwain.Threading
                 }
             }, null);
 
-            if (error != null) { Rethrow(error); }
-        }
-
-        /// <summary>
-        /// Rethrows the specified excetion while keeping stack trace.
-        /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="ex">The ex.</param>
-        static void Rethrow(Exception ex)
-        {
-            typeof(Exception).GetMethod("PrepForRemoting",
-                BindingFlags.NonPublic | BindingFlags.Instance)?.Invoke(ex, new object[0]);
-            throw ex;
+            error.TryRethrow();
         }
 
         void IThreadContext.Start()
diff --git a/src/NTwain/Threading/WinMsgLoop.cs b/src/NTwain/Threading/WinMsgLoop.cs
index 4176a3a..36992a4 100644
--- a/src/NTwain/Threading/WinMsgLoop.cs
+++ b/src/NTwain/Threading/WinMsgLoop.cs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 using NTwain.Data.Win32;
+using NTwain.Internals;
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Concurrent;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
@@ -160,7 +161,7 @@ namespace NTwain.Threading
                 loopThread.Start();
                 startWaiter.Wait();
 
-                if (startErr != null) Rethrow(startErr);
+                startErr.TryRethrow();
             }
         }
 
@@ -203,9 +204,11 @@ namespace NTwain.Threading
                 // queue up work
                 using (var waiter = new ManualResetEventSlim())
                 {
-                    actionQueue.Enqueue(new ActionItem(waiter, action));
+                    var work = new ActionItem(waiter, action);
+                    actionQueue.Enqueue(work);
                     UnsafeNativeMethods.PostMessageW(hWnd, dequeMsg, IntPtr.Zero, IntPtr.Zero);
                     waiter.Wait();
+                    work.Error.TryRethrow();
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -222,17 +225,6 @@ namespace NTwain.Threading
         }
 
 
-        /// <summary>
-        /// Rethrows the specified excetion while keeping stack trace.
-        /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="ex">The ex.</param>
-        static void Rethrow(Exception ex)
-        {
-            typeof(Exception).GetMethod("PrepForRemoting",
-                BindingFlags.NonPublic | BindingFlags.Instance)?.Invoke(ex, new object[0]);
-            throw ex;
-        }
-
         [SuppressUnmanagedCodeSecurity]
         internal static class UnsafeNativeMethods
         {
diff --git a/src/NTwain/TwainSession.cs b/src/NTwain/TwainSession.cs
index 6fed785..bb06e02 100644
--- a/src/NTwain/TwainSession.cs
+++ b/src/NTwain/TwainSession.cs
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ namespace NTwain
             {
                 case PlatformID.MacOSX:
                 case PlatformID.Unix:
+                    _internalContext = new DispatcherLoop(this);
+                    break;
                 default:
                     _internalContext = new WinMsgLoop(this);
                     _callback32Delegate = new Callback32(Handle32BitCallback);