diff --git a/src/stratifier.c b/src/stratifier.c
index 7fd4ae16..dcffe6a8 100644
--- a/src/stratifier.c
+++ b/src/stratifier.c
@@ -480,6 +480,7 @@ struct stratifier_data {
 	char lasthash[68];
 	char lastswaphash[68];
 
+	ckmsgq_t *updateq;	// Generator base work updates
 	ckmsgq_t *ssends;	// Stratum sends
 	ckmsgq_t *srecvs;	// Stratum receives
 	ckmsgq_t *ckdbq;	// ckdb
@@ -1170,12 +1171,6 @@ static void send_generator(ckpool_t *ckp, const char *msg, const int prio)
 		sdata->gen_priority = 0;
 }
 
-struct update_req {
-	pthread_t *pth;
-	ckpool_t *ckp;
-	int prio;
-};
-
 static void broadcast_ping(sdata_t *sdata);
 
 /* Build a hashlist of all transactions, allowing us to compare with the list of
@@ -1429,37 +1424,23 @@ static void gbt_witness_data(workbase_t *wb, json_t *txn_array)
 
 /* This function assumes it will only receive a valid json gbt base template
  * since checking should have been done earlier, and creates the base template
- * for generating work templates. */
-static void *do_update(void *arg)
+ * for generating work templates. This is a ckmsgq so all uses of this function
+ * are serialised. */
+static void block_update(ckpool_t *ckp, int *prio)
 {
-	struct update_req *ur = (struct update_req *)arg;
 	json_t *val, *txn_array, *rules_array;
 	const char* witnessdata_check, *rule;
-	int i, prio = ur->prio, retries = 0;
-	ckpool_t *ckp = ur->ckp;
 	sdata_t *sdata = ckp->sdata;
 	bool new_block = false;
+	int i, retries = 0;
 	bool ret = false;
 	workbase_t *wb;
 	time_t now_t;
 
-	pthread_detach(pthread_self());
-	rename_proc("updater");
-
-	/* Serialise access to getbase to avoid out of order new block notifies */
-	if (prio < GEN_PRIORITY) {
-		/* Don't queue another routine update if one is already in
-		 * progress. */
-		if (cksem_trywait(&sdata->update_sem)) {
-			LOGINFO("Skipped lowprio update base");
-			goto out_free;
-		}
-	} else
-		cksem_wait(&sdata->update_sem);
 retry:
 	val = generator_genbase(ckp);
 	if (unlikely(!val)) {
-		if (retries++ < 5 || prio == GEN_PRIORITY) {
+		if (retries++ < 5 || *prio == GEN_PRIORITY) {
 			LOGWARNING("Generator returned failure in update_base, retry #%d", retries);
 			goto retry;
 		}
@@ -1536,10 +1517,7 @@ out:
 		LOGINFO("Broadcast ping due to failed stratum base update");
 		broadcast_ping(sdata);
 	}
-out_free:
-	free(ur->pth);
-	free(ur);
-	return NULL;
+	free(prio);
 }
 
 static bool rebuild_txns(ckpool_t *ckp, sdata_t *sdata, workbase_t *wb, json_t *txnhashes)
@@ -1963,15 +1941,26 @@ out:
 	free(enonce1);
 }
 
-static void update_base(ckpool_t *ckp, const int prio)
+static void update_base(sdata_t *sdata, const int prio)
 {
-	struct update_req *ur = ckalloc(sizeof(struct update_req));
-	pthread_t *pth = ckalloc(sizeof(pthread_t));
+	int *uprio;
+
+	/* All uses of block_update are serialised so if we have more
+	 * update_base calls waiting there is no point servicing them unless
+	 * they are high priority. */
+	if (prio < GEN_PRIORITY) {
+		/* Don't queue another routine update if one is already in
+		 * progress. */
+		if (cksem_trywait(&sdata->update_sem)) {
+			LOGINFO("Skipped lowprio update base");
+			return;
+		}
+	} else
+		cksem_wait(&sdata->update_sem);
 
-	ur->pth = pth;
-	ur->ckp = ckp;
-	ur->prio = prio;
-	create_pthread(pth, do_update, ur);
+	uprio = ckalloc(sizeof(int));
+	*uprio = prio;
+	ckmsgq_add(sdata->updateq, NULL);
 }
 
 /* Instead of removing the client instance, we add it to a list of recycled
@@ -3415,7 +3404,7 @@ static void block_solve(ckpool_t *ckp, const char *blockhash)
 	json_t *val;
 
 	if (!ckp->node)
-		update_base(ckp, GEN_PRIORITY);
+		update_base(sdata, GEN_PRIORITY);
 
 	ts_realtime(&ts_now);
 	sprintf(cdfield, "%lu,%lu", ts_now.tv_sec, ts_now.tv_nsec);
@@ -4251,7 +4240,7 @@ retry:
 			if (!ckp->proxy) {
 				LOGDEBUG("%ds elapsed in strat_loop, updating gbt base",
 					 ckp->update_interval);
-				update_base(ckp, GEN_NORMAL);
+				update_base(sdata, GEN_NORMAL);
 			} else if (!ckp->passthrough) {
 				LOGDEBUG("%ds elapsed in strat_loop, pinging miners",
 					 ckp->update_interval);
@@ -4351,7 +4340,7 @@ retry:
 	Close(umsg->sockd);
 	LOGDEBUG("Stratifier received request: %s", buf);
 	if (cmdmatch(buf, "update")) {
-		update_base(ckp, GEN_PRIORITY);
+		update_base(sdata, GEN_PRIORITY);
 	} else if (cmdmatch(buf, "subscribe")) {
 		/* Proxifier has a new subscription */
 		update_subscribe(ckp, buf);
@@ -4418,7 +4407,7 @@ static void *blockupdate(void *arg)
 		if (buf && cmdmatch(buf, "notify"))
 			cksleep_ms(5000);
 		else if (buf && strcmp(buf, sdata->lastswaphash) && !cmdmatch(buf, "failed"))
-			update_base(ckp, GEN_PRIORITY);
+			update_base(sdata, GEN_PRIORITY);
 		else
 			cksleep_ms(ckp->blockpoll);
 	}
@@ -8165,6 +8154,7 @@ void *stratifier(void *arg)
 	/* Create half as many share processing and receiving threads as there
 	 * are CPUs */
 	threads = sysconf(_SC_NPROCESSORS_ONLN) / 2 ? : 1;
+	sdata->updateq = create_ckmsgq(ckp, "updater", &block_update);
 	sdata->sshareq = create_ckmsgqs(ckp, "sprocessor", &sshare_process, threads);
 	sdata->ssends = create_ckmsgqs(ckp, "ssender", &ssend_process, threads);
 	sdata->sauthq = create_ckmsgq(ckp, "authoriser", &sauth_process);