diff --git a/src/logic/AppCenterCrashes.swift b/src/logic/AppCenterCrashes.swift
index 80d8b2e9..7c2a47b8 100755
--- a/src/logic/AppCenterCrashes.swift
+++ b/src/logic/AppCenterCrashes.swift
@@ -22,15 +22,13 @@ class AppCenterCrash: NSObject, CrashesDelegate {
         if defaults.string(forKey: "crashPolicy") == nil {
             defaults.register(defaults: ["crashPolicy": "1"])
         }
-        if BackgroundWork.crashReportsQueue == nil {
-            BackgroundWork.crashReportsQueue = DispatchQueue.globalConcurrent("crashReportsQueue", .utility)
-        }
     }
 
     // periphery:ignore
     func confirmationHandler(_ errorReports: [ErrorReport]) -> Bool {
         self.initNecessaryFacilities()
         let shouldSend = checkIfShouldSend()
+        BackgroundWork.startCrashReportsQueue()
         BackgroundWork.crashReportsQueue.async {
             AppCenter.networkRequestsAllowed = shouldSend
             Crashes.notify(with: shouldSend ? .send : .dontSend)
diff --git a/src/logic/BackgroundWork.swift b/src/logic/BackgroundWork.swift
index 2a556573..b0ade154 100644
--- a/src/logic/BackgroundWork.swift
+++ b/src/logic/BackgroundWork.swift
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ class BackgroundWork {
     static var crashReportsQueue: DispatchQueue!
     static var accessibilityEventsThread: BackgroundThreadWithRunLoop!
     static var mouseEventsThread: BackgroundThreadWithRunLoop!
+    static var keyboardEventsThread: BackgroundThreadWithRunLoop!
     static var systemPermissionsThread: BackgroundThreadWithRunLoop!
     static var repeatingKeyThread: BackgroundThreadWithRunLoop!
     static var missionControlThread: BackgroundThreadWithRunLoop!
@@ -19,17 +20,33 @@ class BackgroundWork {
 
     // swift static variables are lazy; we artificially force the threads to init
     static func start() {
+        // TODO: clarify how this works
         mainQueueConcurrentWorkQueue = DispatchQueue.globalConcurrent("mainQueueConcurrentWorkQueue", .userInteractive)
+        // calls to act on windows (e.g. AXUIElementSetAttributeValue, AXUIElementPerformAction) are done off the main thread
         accessibilityCommandsQueue = DispatchQueue.globalConcurrent("accessibilityCommandsQueue", .userInteractive)
+        // calls to the AX APIs are blocking. We dispatch those on a globalConcurrent queue
         axCallsQueue = DispatchQueue.globalConcurrent("axCallsQueue", .userInteractive)
-        crashReportsQueue = DispatchQueue.globalConcurrent("crashReportsQueue", .utility)
+        // we observe app and windows notifications. They arrive on this thread, and are handled off the main thread initially
         accessibilityEventsThread = BackgroundThreadWithRunLoop("accessibilityEventsThread", .userInteractive)
+        // we observe mouse clicks when thumbnailsPanel is open. They arrive on this thread, and are handled off the main thread initially
         mouseEventsThread = BackgroundThreadWithRunLoop("mouseEventsThread", .userInteractive)
+        // some instances of events can be handled off the main thread; maybe not worth moving to a background thread
+        keyboardEventsThread = BackgroundThreadWithRunLoop("keyboardEventsThread", .userInteractive)
+        // not 100% sure this shouldn't be on the main-thread; it doesn't do anything except dispatch to main.async
         repeatingKeyThread = BackgroundThreadWithRunLoop("repeatingKeyThread", .userInteractive)
+        // not 100% sure this shouldn't be on the main-thread; it doesn't do anything except dispatch to main.async
         missionControlThread = BackgroundThreadWithRunLoop("missionControlThread", .userInteractive)
     }
 
+    static func startCrashReportsQueue() {
+        if crashReportsQueue == nil {
+            // crash reports can be sent off the main thread
+            crashReportsQueue = DispatchQueue.globalConcurrent("crashReportsQueue", .utility)
+        }
+    }
+
     static func startSystemPermissionThread() {
+        // not 100% sure this shouldn't be on the main-thread; it doesn't do anything except dispatch to main.async
         systemPermissionsThread = BackgroundThreadWithRunLoop("systemPermissionsThread", .utility)
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/logic/events/DockEvents.swift b/src/logic/events/DockEvents.swift
index c36d135f..782382a3 100644
--- a/src/logic/events/DockEvents.swift
+++ b/src/logic/events/DockEvents.swift
@@ -27,5 +27,7 @@ class DockEvents {
 
 fileprivate let handleEvent: AXObserverCallback = { _, _, notificationName, _ in
     logger.d(notificationName)
-    MissionControl.setState(MissionControlState(rawValue: notificationName as String)!)
+    DispatchQueue.main.async {
+        MissionControl.setState(MissionControlState(rawValue: notificationName as String)!)
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/logic/events/KeyboardEvents.swift b/src/logic/events/KeyboardEvents.swift
index ccf430da..fb7fb796 100644
--- a/src/logic/events/KeyboardEvents.swift
+++ b/src/logic/events/KeyboardEvents.swift
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ class KeyboardEvents {
         addCgEventTapForModifierFlags()
     }
 
+    // TODO: handle this on a background thread?
     private static func addLocalMonitorForKeyDownAndKeyUp() {
         NSEvent.addLocalMonitorForEvents(matching: [.keyDown, .keyUp]) { (event: NSEvent) in
             let someShortcutTriggered = handleEvent(nil, nil, event.type == .keyDown ? UInt32(event.keyCode) : nil, cocoaToCarbonFlags(event.modifierFlags), event.type == .keyDown ? event.isARepeat : false)
@@ -91,7 +92,7 @@ class KeyboardEvents {
             userInfo: nil)
         if let eventTap = eventTap {
             let runLoopSource = CFMachPortCreateRunLoopSource(nil, eventTap, 0)
-            CFRunLoopAddSource(CFRunLoopGetMain(), runLoopSource, .commonModes)
+            CFRunLoopAddSource(BackgroundWork.keyboardEventsThread.runLoop, runLoopSource, .commonModes)
         } else {
             App.app.restart()
         }
@@ -145,10 +146,13 @@ fileprivate func handleEvent(_ id: EventHotKeyID?, _ shortcutState: ShortcutStat
 
 fileprivate let cgEventFlagsChangedHandler: CGEventTapCallBack = {_, type, cgEvent, _ in
     if type == .flagsChanged {
-        let modifiers = cocoaToCarbonFlags(NSEvent.ModifierFlags(rawValue: UInt(cgEvent.flags.rawValue)))
-        handleEvent(nil, nil, nil, modifiers, false)
+        DispatchQueue.main.async {
+            let modifiers = cocoaToCarbonFlags(NSEvent.ModifierFlags(rawValue: UInt(cgEvent.flags.rawValue)))
+            handleEvent(nil, nil, nil, modifiers, false)
+        }
     } else if (type == .tapDisabledByUserInput || type == .tapDisabledByTimeout) {
         CGEvent.tapEnable(tap: eventTap!, enable: true)
     }
-    return Unmanaged.passUnretained(cgEvent) // focused app will receive the event
+    // we always return this because we want to let these event pass through to the currently focused app
+    return Unmanaged.passUnretained(cgEvent)
 }
diff --git a/src/logic/events/RunningApplicationsEvents.swift b/src/logic/events/RunningApplicationsEvents.swift
index 6d9d7f41..b5f6f48a 100644
--- a/src/logic/events/RunningApplicationsEvents.swift
+++ b/src/logic/events/RunningApplicationsEvents.swift
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ class RunningApplicationsEvents {
         appsObserver = NSWorkspace.shared.observe(\.runningApplications, options: [.old, .new], changeHandler: handleEvent)
     }
 
+    // TODO: handle this on a separate thread?
     private static func handleEvent<A>(_: NSWorkspace, _ change: NSKeyValueObservedChange<A>) {
         let workspaceApps = Set(NSWorkspace.shared.runningApplications)
         // TODO: symmetricDifference has bad performance