diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 5aff6c7..de5eb60 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ add_executable(${PROJECT_NAME}
     basic/uuid.cpp
     basic/dictionary.cpp
     basic/fdbuf.cpp
+    basic/workerthread.cpp
     web/httpserver.cpp
     web/webpage.cpp
     web/errorpage.cpp
diff --git a/basic/workerthread.cpp b/basic/workerthread.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..15aabdb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/basic/workerthread.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+/*
+AirSane Imaging Daemon
+Copyright (C) 2018-2023 Simul Piscator
+
+This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+(at your option) any later version.
+
+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, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+#include "workerthread.h"
+
+#include <mutex>
+#include <condition_variable>
+#include <thread>
+#include <iostream>
+#include <cassert>
+
+struct WorkerThread::Private
+{
+  std::mutex mMutex;
+  std::condition_variable mThreadCondition, mExecuteCondition;
+  Callable* mpCallable = nullptr;
+  bool mCallDone = false;
+  bool mStarted = false;
+  bool mTerminate = false;
+
+  std::thread mThread;
+  void threadFunc();
+};
+
+WorkerThread::WorkerThread()
+  : p(new Private)
+{
+  std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock(p->mMutex);
+  p->mStarted = false;
+  p->mThread = std::thread([this](){ p->threadFunc(); });
+  p->mThreadCondition.wait(lock, [this](){ return p->mStarted; });
+}
+
+WorkerThread::~WorkerThread()
+{
+  std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock(p->mMutex);
+  p->mTerminate = true;
+  lock.unlock();
+  p->mExecuteCondition.notify_one();
+  if (p->mThread.joinable())
+    p->mThread.join();
+  delete p;
+}
+
+void WorkerThread::executeSynchronously(Callable& c)
+{
+  std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock(p->mMutex);
+  assert(p->mpCallable == nullptr);
+  p->mpCallable = &c;
+  p->mCallDone = false;
+  p->mExecuteCondition.notify_one();
+  p->mThreadCondition.wait(lock, [this](){ return p->mCallDone; });
+}
+
+void WorkerThread::Private::threadFunc()
+{
+  std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock(mMutex);
+  mStarted = true;
+  lock.unlock();
+  mThreadCondition.notify_one();
+  while (!mTerminate)
+  {
+    std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock(mMutex);
+    mExecuteCondition.wait(lock, [this](){ return mTerminate || mpCallable; });
+    if (mpCallable) {
+      assert(!mCallDone);
+      mpCallable->onCall();
+      mpCallable = nullptr;
+      mCallDone = true;
+      lock.unlock();
+      mThreadCondition.notify_one();
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/basic/workerthread.h b/basic/workerthread.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a530550
--- /dev/null
+++ b/basic/workerthread.h
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+/*
+AirSane Imaging Daemon
+Copyright (C) 2018-2023 Simul Piscator
+
+This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+(at your option) any later version.
+
+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, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+#ifndef WORKER_THREAD_H
+#define WORKER_THREAD_H
+
+class WorkerThread
+{
+public:
+  WorkerThread();
+  ~WorkerThread();
+
+  WorkerThread(const WorkerThread&) = delete;
+  WorkerThread& operator=(const WorkerThread&) = delete;
+
+  struct Callable
+  {
+    virtual ~Callable() {}
+    virtual void onCall() = 0;
+  };
+  void executeSynchronously(Callable&);
+
+private:
+  struct Private;
+  Private* p;
+};
+
+
+#endif // WORKER_THREAD_H
diff --git a/server/scanjob.cpp b/server/scanjob.cpp
index f15383d..72ab331 100644
--- a/server/scanjob.cpp
+++ b/server/scanjob.cpp
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #include "imageformats/pngencoder.h"
 #include "scanner.h"
 #include "web/httpserver.h"
+#include "basic/workerthread.h"
 
 #include <atomic>
 #include <cassert>
@@ -104,21 +105,29 @@ struct ScanJob::Private
   Scanner* mpScanner;
 
   std::string mUuid;
-  ::time_t mCreated, mLastActive;
+  std::atomic<::time_t> mCreated, mLastActive;
   std::atomic<State> mState;
   std::atomic<const char*> mStateReason;
-  SANE_Status mAdfStatus;
+  std::atomic<SANE_Status> mAdfStatus;
 
   std::string mScanSource, mIntent, mDocumentFormat, mColorMode;
   int mBitDepth, mRes_dpi;
   bool mColorScan;
   double mLeft_px, mTop_px, mWidth_px, mHeight_px;
 
-  int mKind, mImagesCompleted;
+  std::atomic<int> mKind, mImagesCompleted;
   std::shared_ptr<sanecpp::session> mpSession;
 
   OptionsFile::Options mDeviceOptions;
   std::vector<uint16_t> mGammaTable;
+
+  // We need a job-permanent worker thread to execute
+  // beginTransfer() and finishTransfer().
+  // If these functions are called from two different
+  // threads (e.g., requests for NextDocument), we get
+  // into difficulties because backends are not required
+  // to be thread safe.
+  WorkerThread mWorkerThread;
 };
 
 ScanJob::ScanJob(Scanner* scanner, const std::string& uuid)
@@ -126,7 +135,7 @@ ScanJob::ScanJob(Scanner* scanner, const std::string& uuid)
 {
   p->mpScanner = scanner;
   p->mCreated = ::time(nullptr);
-  p->mLastActive = p->mCreated;
+  p->mLastActive = p->mCreated.load();
   p->mUuid = uuid;
   p->mState = pending;
   p->mStateReason = PWG_NONE;
@@ -543,7 +552,18 @@ ScanJob::writeJobInfoXml(std::ostream& os) const
 bool
 ScanJob::beginTransfer()
 {
-  return p->beginTransfer();
+  struct : WorkerThread::Callable
+  {
+    void onCall() override
+    {
+      result = p->beginTransfer();
+    }
+    bool result = false;
+    Private* p = nullptr;
+  } functionCall;
+  functionCall.p = p;
+  p->mWorkerThread.executeSynchronously(functionCall);
+  return functionCall.result;
 }
 
 bool
@@ -629,7 +649,18 @@ ScanJob::Private::closeSession()
 ScanJob&
 ScanJob::finishTransfer(std::ostream& os)
 {
-  p->finishTransfer(os);
+  struct : WorkerThread::Callable
+  {
+    void onCall() override
+    {
+      p->finishTransfer(*pOs);
+    }
+    Private* p = nullptr;
+    std::ostream* pOs = nullptr;
+  } functionCall;
+  functionCall.p = p;
+  functionCall.pOs = &os;
+  p->mWorkerThread.executeSynchronously(functionCall);
   return *this;
 }