diff --git a/Common/GPU/OpenGL/GLRenderManager.cpp b/Common/GPU/OpenGL/GLRenderManager.cpp
index 5b9e6b7da2..8a0960f425 100644
--- a/Common/GPU/OpenGL/GLRenderManager.cpp
+++ b/Common/GPU/OpenGL/GLRenderManager.cpp
@@ -163,16 +163,6 @@ bool GLRenderManager::ThreadFrame(bool waitIfEmpty) {
 	return true;
 }
 
-void GLRenderManager::StartThread() {
-	// There's not really a lot to do here anymore.
-	INFO_LOG(Log::G3D, "GLRenderManager::StartThread()");
-	if (!runCompileThread_) {
-		runCompileThread_ = true;
-	} else {
-		INFO_LOG(Log::G3D, "GL submission thread was already running.");
-	}
-}
-
 std::string GLRenderManager::GetGpuProfileString() const {
 	int curFrame = curFrame_;
 	const GLQueueProfileContext &profile = frameData_[curFrame].profile;
diff --git a/Common/GPU/OpenGL/GLRenderManager.h b/Common/GPU/OpenGL/GLRenderManager.h
index 15114e3d80..766bd1916f 100644
--- a/Common/GPU/OpenGL/GLRenderManager.h
+++ b/Common/GPU/OpenGL/GLRenderManager.h
@@ -823,8 +823,6 @@ public:
 		}
 	}
 
-	void StartThread();  // Currently only used on iOS, since we fully recreate the context on Android
-
 	// Only supports a common subset.
 	std::string GetGLString(int name) const {
 		return queueRunner_.GetGLString(name);
diff --git a/ios/ViewController.mm b/ios/ViewController.mm
index 51e615a1e5..52e3af2fef 100644
--- a/ios/ViewController.mm
+++ b/ios/ViewController.mm
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 
 #include "Core/Config.h"
 #include "Core/ConfigValues.h"
+#include "Core/EmuThread.h"
 #include "Core/KeyMap.h"
 #include "Core/System.h"
 
@@ -95,10 +96,6 @@ public:
 		renderManager_->ThreadEnd();
 	}
 
-	void StartThread() {
-		renderManager_->StartThread();
-	}
-
 protected:
 	void BeginShutdown() {
 		renderManager_->SetSkipGLCalls();
@@ -109,9 +106,8 @@ private:
 	GLRenderManager *renderManager_;
 };
 
-static std::atomic<bool> exitRenderLoop;
 static std::atomic<bool> renderLoopRunning;
-static std::thread g_renderLoopThread;
+static std::thread g_emuThread;
 
 PPSSPPBaseViewController *sharedViewController;
 
@@ -141,61 +137,25 @@ PPSSPPBaseViewController *sharedViewController;
 	return self;
 }
 
-// The actual rendering is NOT on this thread, this is the emu thread
-// that runs game logic.
-void GLRenderLoop(IOSGLESContext *graphicsContext) {
-	SetCurrentThreadName("EmuThreadGL");
-	renderLoopRunning = true;
-
-	NativeInitGraphics(graphicsContext);
-
-	INFO_LOG(Log::System, "Emulation thread starting\n");
-	while (!exitRenderLoop) {
-		NativeFrame(graphicsContext);
-	}
-
-	INFO_LOG(Log::System, "Emulation thread shutting down\n");
-	NativeShutdownGraphics(graphicsContext);
-
-	// Also ask the main thread to stop, so it doesn't hang waiting for a new frame.
-	INFO_LOG(Log::System, "Emulation thread stopping\n");
-
-	exitRenderLoop = false;
-	renderLoopRunning = false;
-}
-
 - (bool)runGLRenderLoop {
 	if (!graphicsContext) {
-		ERROR_LOG(Log::G3D, "runVulkanRenderLoop: Tried to enter without a created graphics context.");
+		ERROR_LOG(Log::G3D, "runGLRenderLoop: Tried to enter without a created graphics context.");
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	if (g_renderLoopThread.joinable()) {
-		ERROR_LOG(Log::G3D, "runVulkanRenderLoop: Already running");
+	if (g_emuThread.joinable()) {
+		ERROR_LOG(Log::G3D, "runGLRenderLoop: Already running");
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	_dbg_assert_(!renderLoopRunning);
-	_dbg_assert_(!exitRenderLoop);
-
-	graphicsContext->StartThread();
-
-	g_renderLoopThread = std::thread(GLRenderLoop, graphicsContext);
+	g_emuThread = EmuThread_Start(graphicsContext, new NativeApplication(), [](){});
 	return true;
 }
 
 - (void)requestExitGLRenderLoop {
-	if (!renderLoopRunning) {
-		ERROR_LOG(Log::System, "Render loop already exited");
-		return;
-	}
-	_assert_(g_renderLoopThread.joinable());
-	exitRenderLoop = true;
-	graphicsContext->ThreadFrameUntilCondition([]() -> bool {
-		return !renderLoopRunning.load();
-	});
-	g_renderLoopThread.join();
-	_assert_(!g_renderLoopThread.joinable());
+	_assert_(g_emuThread.joinable());
+	EmuThread_Join(graphicsContext, g_emuThread);
+	_assert_(!g_emuThread.joinable());
 }
 
 - (void)viewDidLoad {
@@ -325,7 +285,7 @@ void GLRenderLoop(IOSGLESContext *graphicsContext) {
 }
 
 - (void)glkView:(GLKView *)view drawInRect:(CGRect)rect {
-	if (!renderLoopRunning) {
+	if (!g_emuThread.joinable()) {
 		INFO_LOG(Log::G3D, "Ignoring drawInRect");
 		return;
 	}
@@ -374,10 +334,6 @@ void GLRenderLoop(IOSGLESContext *graphicsContext) {
 
 	[[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] removeObserver:self];
 
-	// Skipping GL calls here because the old context is lost.
-	graphicsContext->ThreadFrameUntilCondition([]() -> bool {
-		return !renderLoopRunning;
-	});
 	graphicsContext->ShutdownSurface();
 	graphicsContext->ShutdownAPI();
 	delete graphicsContext;