diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-event.c b/clutter/clutter/clutter-event.c
index bcda1bb7b..8c17cee38 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/clutter-event.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-event.c
@@ -1000,8 +1000,11 @@ _clutter_event_push (const ClutterEvent *event,
       event = copy;
     }
 
-  g_async_queue_push (context->events_queue, (gpointer) event);
-  g_main_context_wakeup (NULL);
+  g_async_queue_lock (context->events_queue);
+  g_async_queue_push_unlocked (context->events_queue, (gpointer) event);
+  if (g_async_queue_length_unlocked (context->events_queue) == 1)
+    g_main_context_wakeup (NULL);
+  g_async_queue_unlock (context->events_queue);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-thread-impl.c b/src/backends/native/meta-thread-impl.c
index d02d49203..c32790f40 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-thread-impl.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-thread-impl.c
@@ -599,8 +599,11 @@ meta_thread_impl_queue_task (MetaThreadImpl *thread_impl,
   MetaThreadImplPrivate *priv =
     meta_thread_impl_get_instance_private (thread_impl);
 
-  g_async_queue_push (priv->task_queue, task);
-  g_main_context_wakeup (priv->thread_context);
+  g_async_queue_lock (priv->task_queue);
+  g_async_queue_push_unlocked (priv->task_queue, task);
+  if (g_async_queue_length_unlocked (priv->task_queue) == 1)
+    g_main_context_wakeup (priv->thread_context);
+  g_async_queue_unlock (priv->task_queue);
 }
 
 gboolean