diff --git a/libivykis.posix.ver b/libivykis.posix.ver
index 2962cb60..9bb7891f 100644
--- a/libivykis.posix.ver
+++ b/libivykis.posix.ver
@@ -111,3 +111,7 @@ IVYKIS_0.40 {
 	# iv_timer
 	__iv_now_location_valid;
 } IVYKIS_0.33;
+
+IVYKIS_0.42 {
+	iv_work_pool_submit_continuation;
+} IVYKIS_0.40;
diff --git a/man3/iv_work.3 b/man3/iv_work.3
index 011fcf9a..4d7f5b8a 100644
--- a/man3/iv_work.3
+++ b/man3/iv_work.3
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 .\" of the modification is added to the header.
 .TH iv_work 3 2010-09-14 "ivykis" "ivykis programmer's manual"
 .SH NAME
-IV_WORK_POOL_INIT, iv_work_pool_create, iv_work_pool_put, IV_WORK_ITEM_INIT, iv_work_pool_submit_work \- ivykis
+IV_WORK_POOL_INIT, iv_work_pool_create, iv_work_pool_put, IV_WORK_ITEM_INIT, iv_work_pool_submit_work, iv_work_pool_submit_continuation \- ivykis
 worker thread management
 .SH SYNOPSIS
 .B #include <iv_work.h>
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ struct iv_work_item {
 .br
 .BI "int iv_work_pool_submit_work(struct iv_work_pool *" this ", struct iv_work_item *" work ");"
 .br
+.BI "int iv_work_pool_submit_continuation(struct iv_work_pool *" this ", struct iv_work_item *" work ");"
+.br
 .SH DESCRIPTION
 Calling
 .B iv_work_pool_create
@@ -81,6 +83,20 @@ as its sole argument, in the thread that
 .B iv_work_pool_create
 was called in for this pool object.
 .PP
+Calling
+.B iv_work_pool_submit_continuation
+from a worker thread allows submitting a work item similarly to
+.B iv_work_pool_submit_work.
+But while 
+.B iv_work_pool_submit_work
+can only be called from the thread owning 
+.B iv_work, 
+.B iv_work_pool_submit_continuation
+can be called from any of the worker threads. The
+.B ->completion
+callback of these jobs will be executed from the thread owning
+.B iv_work.
+.PP
 As a special case, calling
 .B iv_work_pool_submit_work
 with a
@@ -117,6 +133,8 @@ are also not explicitly serialised.
 can only be called from the thread that
 .B iv_work_pool_create
 for this pool object was called in.
+.B iv_work_pool_submit_continuation
+can called from any of the worker threads.
 .PP
 There is no way to cancel submitted work items.
 .PP
diff --git a/src/include/iv_work.h b/src/include/iv_work.h
index 5e90fc7e..840ddfa1 100644
--- a/src/include/iv_work.h
+++ b/src/include/iv_work.h
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ int iv_work_pool_create(struct iv_work_pool *this);
 void iv_work_pool_put(struct iv_work_pool *this);
 void iv_work_pool_submit_work(struct iv_work_pool *this,
 			      struct iv_work_item *work);
+void iv_work_pool_submit_continuation(struct iv_work_pool *this,
+                                      struct iv_work_item *work);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
diff --git a/src/iv_work.c b/src/iv_work.c
index 20af69d2..9ee74cf2 100644
--- a/src/iv_work.c
+++ b/src/iv_work.c
@@ -34,7 +34,9 @@
 struct work_pool_priv {
 	___mutex_t		lock;
 	struct iv_event		ev;
+	struct iv_event		thread_needed;
 	int			shutting_down;
+	int			max_threads;
 	int			started_threads;
 	struct iv_list_head	idle_threads;
 	void			*cookie;
@@ -44,6 +46,7 @@ struct work_pool_priv {
 	uint32_t		seq_tail;
 	struct iv_list_head	work_items;
 	struct iv_list_head	work_done;
+	unsigned long		tid;
 };
 
 struct work_pool_thread {
@@ -213,6 +216,7 @@ static void iv_work_event(void *_pool)
 			___mutex_unlock(&pool->lock);
 			___mutex_destroy(&pool->lock);
 			iv_event_unregister(&pool->ev);
+			iv_event_unregister(&pool->thread_needed);
 			free(pool);
 			return;
 		}
@@ -220,6 +224,23 @@ static void iv_work_event(void *_pool)
 	}
 }
 
+static int iv_work_start_thread(struct work_pool_priv *pool);
+
+static void iv_work_thread_needed(void *_pool)
+{
+	struct work_pool_priv *pool = _pool;
+
+	___mutex_lock(&pool->lock);
+
+	if (iv_list_empty(&pool->idle_threads) && 
+	    pool->started_threads < pool->max_threads) {
+		iv_work_start_thread(pool);
+	}
+
+	___mutex_unlock(&pool->lock);
+
+}
+
 int iv_work_pool_create(struct iv_work_pool *this)
 {
 	struct work_pool_priv *pool;
@@ -240,6 +261,12 @@ int iv_work_pool_create(struct iv_work_pool *this)
 	pool->ev.handler = iv_work_event;
 	iv_event_register(&pool->ev);
 
+	IV_EVENT_INIT(&pool->thread_needed);
+	pool->thread_needed.cookie = pool;
+	pool->thread_needed.handler = iv_work_thread_needed;
+	iv_event_register(&pool->thread_needed);
+
+	pool->max_threads = this->max_threads;
 	pool->shutting_down = 0;
 	pool->started_threads = 0;
 	INIT_IV_LIST_HEAD(&pool->idle_threads);
@@ -250,6 +277,8 @@ int iv_work_pool_create(struct iv_work_pool *this)
 	pool->seq_tail = 0;
 	INIT_IV_LIST_HEAD(&pool->work_items);
 	INIT_IV_LIST_HEAD(&pool->work_done);
+	
+	pool->tid = iv_get_thread_id();
 
 	this->priv = pool;
 
@@ -308,9 +337,13 @@ static int iv_work_start_thread(struct work_pool_priv *pool)
 }
 
 static void
-iv_work_submit_pool(struct iv_work_pool *this, struct iv_work_item *work)
+iv_work_submit_pool(struct iv_work_pool *this, struct iv_work_item *work, int continuation)
 {
 	struct work_pool_priv *pool = this->priv;
+	int called_from_owner_thread = (pool->tid == iv_get_thread_id());
+
+	if (!continuation && !called_from_owner_thread)
+		iv_fatal("iv_work_submit_pool: work items can only be submitted from the owning thread");
 
 	___mutex_lock(&pool->lock);
 
@@ -325,7 +358,10 @@ iv_work_submit_pool(struct iv_work_pool *this, struct iv_work_item *work)
 		thr->kicked = 1;
 		iv_event_post(&thr->kick);
 	} else if (pool->started_threads < this->max_threads) {
-		iv_work_start_thread(pool);
+		if (called_from_owner_thread)
+			iv_work_start_thread(pool);
+		else
+			iv_event_post(&pool->thread_needed);
 	}
 
 	___mutex_unlock(&pool->lock);
@@ -391,7 +427,16 @@ void
 iv_work_pool_submit_work(struct iv_work_pool *this, struct iv_work_item *work)
 {
 	if (this != NULL)
-		iv_work_submit_pool(this, work);
+		iv_work_submit_pool(this, work, 0);
+	else
+		iv_work_submit_local(work);
+}
+
+void
+iv_work_pool_submit_continuation(struct iv_work_pool *this, struct iv_work_item *work)
+{
+	if (this != NULL)
+		iv_work_submit_pool(this, work, 1);
 	else
 		iv_work_submit_local(work);
 }