diff --git a/src/compile.cpp b/src/compile.cpp
index 286d64cdec..6cce909980 100644
--- a/src/compile.cpp
+++ b/src/compile.cpp
@@ -970,7 +970,7 @@ enum Thunk {
 #undef THUNK
 };
 
-const unsigned ThunkCount = gcIfNecessaryThunk + 1;
+const unsigned ThunkCount = idleIfNecessaryThunk + 1;
 
 intptr_t
 getThunk(MyThread* t, Thunk thunk);
@@ -3298,6 +3298,11 @@ gcIfNecessary(MyThread* t)
   }
 }
 
+void idleIfNecessary(MyThread* t)
+{
+  ENTER(t, Thread::IdleState);
+}
+
 unsigned
 resultSize(MyThread* t, unsigned code)
 {
@@ -3413,6 +3418,16 @@ useLongJump(MyThread* t, uintptr_t target)
     or (target < start && (end - target) > reach);
 }
 
+void compileSafePoint(MyThread* t, Compiler* c, Frame* frame) {
+  c->call
+    (c->constant(getThunk(t, idleIfNecessaryThunk), Compiler::AddressType),
+     0,
+     frame->trace(0, 0),
+     0,
+     Compiler::VoidType,
+     1, c->register_(t->arch->thread()));
+}
+
 Compiler::Operand*
 compileDirectInvoke(MyThread* t, Frame* frame, object target, bool tailCall,
                     bool useThunk, unsigned rSize, avian::codegen::Promise* addressPromise)
@@ -4951,6 +4966,10 @@ compile(MyThread* t, Frame* initialFrame, unsigned initialIp,
       uint32_t newIp = (ip - 3) + offset;
       assert(t, newIp < codeLength(t, code));
 
+      if(newIp <= ip) {
+        compileSafePoint(t, c, frame);
+      }
+
       c->jmp(frame->machineIp(newIp));
       ip = newIp;
     } break;
@@ -4960,6 +4979,10 @@ compile(MyThread* t, Frame* initialFrame, unsigned initialIp,
       uint32_t newIp = (ip - 5) + offset;
       assert(t, newIp < codeLength(t, code));
 
+      if(newIp <= ip) {
+        compileSafePoint(t, c, frame);
+      }
+
       c->jmp(frame->machineIp(newIp));
       ip = newIp;
     } break;
@@ -5048,6 +5071,10 @@ compile(MyThread* t, Frame* initialFrame, unsigned initialIp,
       uint32_t offset = codeReadInt16(t, code, ip);
       newIp = (ip - 3) + offset;
       assert(t, newIp < codeLength(t, code));
+
+      if(newIp <= ip) {
+        compileSafePoint(t, c, frame);
+      }
         
       Compiler::Operand* a = frame->popObject();
       Compiler::Operand* b = frame->popObject();
@@ -5069,6 +5096,10 @@ compile(MyThread* t, Frame* initialFrame, unsigned initialIp,
       uint32_t offset = codeReadInt16(t, code, ip);
       newIp = (ip - 3) + offset;
       assert(t, newIp < codeLength(t, code));
+
+      if(newIp <= ip) {
+        compileSafePoint(t, c, frame);
+      }
         
       Compiler::Operand* a = frame->popInt();
       Compiler::Operand* b = frame->popInt();
@@ -5110,6 +5141,10 @@ compile(MyThread* t, Frame* initialFrame, unsigned initialIp,
 
       Compiler::Operand* target = frame->machineIp(newIp);
 
+      if(newIp <= ip) {
+        compileSafePoint(t, c, frame);
+      }
+
       Compiler::Operand* a = c->constant(0, Compiler::IntegerType);
       Compiler::Operand* b = frame->popInt();
 
@@ -5143,6 +5178,10 @@ compile(MyThread* t, Frame* initialFrame, unsigned initialIp,
       newIp = (ip - 3) + offset;
       assert(t, newIp < codeLength(t, code));
 
+      if(newIp <= ip) {
+        compileSafePoint(t, c, frame);
+      }
+
       Compiler::Operand* a = c->constant(0, Compiler::ObjectType);
       Compiler::Operand* b = frame->popObject();
       Compiler::Operand* target = frame->machineIp(newIp);
diff --git a/src/interpret.cpp b/src/interpret.cpp
index a1d855079a..feac47591f 100644
--- a/src/interpret.cpp
+++ b/src/interpret.cpp
@@ -765,6 +765,10 @@ pushField(Thread* t, object target, object field)
   }
 }
 
+void safePoint(Thread* t) {
+  ENTER(t, Thread::IdleState);
+}
+
 object
 interpret3(Thread* t, const int base)
 {
@@ -1489,12 +1493,12 @@ interpret3(Thread* t, const int base)
   case goto_: {
     int16_t offset = codeReadInt16(t, code, ip);
     ip = (ip - 3) + offset;
-  } goto loop;
+  } goto back_branch;
     
   case goto_w: {
     int32_t offset = codeReadInt32(t, code, ip);
     ip = (ip - 5) + offset;
-  } goto loop;
+  } goto back_branch;
 
   case i2b: {
     pushInt(t, static_cast<int8_t>(popInt(t)));
@@ -1626,7 +1630,7 @@ interpret3(Thread* t, const int base)
     if (a == b) {
       ip = (ip - 3) + offset;
     }
-  } goto loop;
+  } goto back_branch;
 
   case if_acmpne: {
     int16_t offset = codeReadInt16(t, code, ip);
@@ -1637,7 +1641,7 @@ interpret3(Thread* t, const int base)
     if (a != b) {
       ip = (ip - 3) + offset;
     }
-  } goto loop;
+  } goto back_branch;
 
   case if_icmpeq: {
     int16_t offset = codeReadInt16(t, code, ip);
@@ -1648,7 +1652,7 @@ interpret3(Thread* t, const int base)
     if (a == b) {
       ip = (ip - 3) + offset;
     }
-  } goto loop;
+  } goto back_branch;
 
   case if_icmpne: {
     int16_t offset = codeReadInt16(t, code, ip);
@@ -1659,7 +1663,7 @@ interpret3(Thread* t, const int base)
     if (a != b) {
       ip = (ip - 3) + offset;
     }
-  } goto loop;
+  } goto back_branch;
 
   case if_icmpgt: {
     int16_t offset = codeReadInt16(t, code, ip);
@@ -1670,7 +1674,7 @@ interpret3(Thread* t, const int base)
     if (a > b) {
       ip = (ip - 3) + offset;
     }
-  } goto loop;
+  } goto back_branch;
 
   case if_icmpge: {
     int16_t offset = codeReadInt16(t, code, ip);
@@ -1681,7 +1685,7 @@ interpret3(Thread* t, const int base)
     if (a >= b) {
       ip = (ip - 3) + offset;
     }
-  } goto loop;
+  } goto back_branch;
 
   case if_icmplt: {
     int16_t offset = codeReadInt16(t, code, ip);
@@ -1692,7 +1696,7 @@ interpret3(Thread* t, const int base)
     if (a < b) {
       ip = (ip - 3) + offset;
     }
-  } goto loop;
+  } goto back_branch;
 
   case if_icmple: {
     int16_t offset = codeReadInt16(t, code, ip);
@@ -1703,7 +1707,7 @@ interpret3(Thread* t, const int base)
     if (a <= b) {
       ip = (ip - 3) + offset;
     }
-  } goto loop;
+  } goto back_branch;
 
   case ifeq: {
     int16_t offset = codeReadInt16(t, code, ip);
@@ -1711,7 +1715,7 @@ interpret3(Thread* t, const int base)
     if (popInt(t) == 0) {
       ip = (ip - 3) + offset;
     }
-  } goto loop;
+  } goto back_branch;
 
   case ifne: {
     int16_t offset = codeReadInt16(t, code, ip);
@@ -1719,7 +1723,7 @@ interpret3(Thread* t, const int base)
     if (popInt(t)) {
       ip = (ip - 3) + offset;
     }
-  } goto loop;
+  } goto back_branch;
 
   case ifgt: {
     int16_t offset = codeReadInt16(t, code, ip);
@@ -1727,7 +1731,7 @@ interpret3(Thread* t, const int base)
     if (static_cast<int32_t>(popInt(t)) > 0) {
       ip = (ip - 3) + offset;
     }
-  } goto loop;
+  } goto back_branch;
 
   case ifge: {
     int16_t offset = codeReadInt16(t, code, ip);
@@ -1735,7 +1739,7 @@ interpret3(Thread* t, const int base)
     if (static_cast<int32_t>(popInt(t)) >= 0) {
       ip = (ip - 3) + offset;
     }
-  } goto loop;
+  } goto back_branch;
 
   case iflt: {
     int16_t offset = codeReadInt16(t, code, ip);
@@ -1743,7 +1747,7 @@ interpret3(Thread* t, const int base)
     if (static_cast<int32_t>(popInt(t)) < 0) {
       ip = (ip - 3) + offset;
     }
-  } goto loop;
+  } goto back_branch;
 
   case ifle: {
     int16_t offset = codeReadInt16(t, code, ip);
@@ -1751,7 +1755,7 @@ interpret3(Thread* t, const int base)
     if (static_cast<int32_t>(popInt(t)) <= 0) {
       ip = (ip - 3) + offset;
     }
-  } goto loop;
+  } goto back_branch;
 
   case ifnonnull: {
     int16_t offset = codeReadInt16(t, code, ip);
@@ -1759,7 +1763,7 @@ interpret3(Thread* t, const int base)
     if (popObject(t)) {
       ip = (ip - 3) + offset;
     }
-  } goto loop;
+  } goto back_branch;
 
   case ifnull: {
     int16_t offset = codeReadInt16(t, code, ip);
@@ -1767,7 +1771,7 @@ interpret3(Thread* t, const int base)
     if (popObject(t) == 0) {
       ip = (ip - 3) + offset;
     }
-  } goto loop;
+  } goto back_branch;
 
   case iinc: {
     uint8_t index = codeBody(t, code, ip++);
@@ -2711,6 +2715,10 @@ interpret3(Thread* t, const int base)
   default: abort(t);
   }
 
+ back_branch:
+  safePoint(t);
+  goto loop;
+
  invoke: {
     if (methodFlags(t, code) & ACC_NATIVE) {
       invokeNative(t, code);
diff --git a/src/thunks.cpp b/src/thunks.cpp
index 328e62c8f3..9c0278876b 100644
--- a/src/thunks.cpp
+++ b/src/thunks.cpp
@@ -70,3 +70,4 @@ THUNK(set)
 THUNK(getJClass64)
 THUNK(getJClassFromReference)
 THUNK(gcIfNecessary)
+THUNK(idleIfNecessary)
diff --git a/test/Busy.java b/test/Busy.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e301896416
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/Busy.java
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+public class Busy {
+  private static volatile int foo = 0;
+  private static volatile boolean go;
+
+  public static void main(String[] args) {
+    final Object lock = new Object();
+
+    synchronized (lock) {
+      new Thread() {
+        public void run() {
+          while (foo < 100) {
+            go = true;
+          }
+        }
+      }.start();
+
+      while (foo < 100) {
+        while (! go) { }
+        go = false;
+        byte[] array = new byte[256 * 1024];
+        ++ foo;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file