diff --git a/src/application.rs b/src/application.rs
index e251e37..6bd7eda 100644
--- a/src/application.rs
+++ b/src/application.rs
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ mod imp {
                     window.present();
 
                     let mut mpv = self.mpv.borrow_mut();
-                    mpv.initialize().expect("could not initialize mpv");
                     mpv.set_property("audio-client-name", "audrey").unwrap();
                     mpv.set_property("user-agent", crate::USER_AGENT).unwrap();
                     mpv.set_property("video", false).unwrap();
@@ -44,8 +43,7 @@ mod imp {
                         self,
                         async move {
                             loop {
-                                app.mpv.borrow().wait().await;
-                                app.mpv.borrow_mut().tick();
+                                app.mpv.borrow_mut().tick().await;
                             }
                         }
                     ));
diff --git a/src/mpv.rs b/src/mpv.rs
index a97aab5..61a05ee 100644
--- a/src/mpv.rs
+++ b/src/mpv.rs
@@ -46,11 +46,13 @@ impl std::error::Error for Error {}
 
 use std::pin::Pin;
 use std::ptr::NonNull;
+use event_listener::{Event, IntoNotification};
+use std::cell::RefCell;
 
 pub struct Handle {
     inner: NonNull<ffi::mpv_handle>,
-    _wakeup_send: Pin<Box<async_channel::Sender<()>>>, // the wakeup callback controls this one
-    wakeup_recv: async_channel::Receiver<()>,
+    wakeup: Pin<Box<Event>>, // the wakeup callback holds a pointer to this
+    tick_cell: RefCell<()>,
 
     observed_property_callbacks:
         Vec<Pin<Box<Box<dyn FnMut(ffi::mpv_format, *mut c_void) + 'static>>>>,
@@ -63,52 +65,43 @@ pub struct Handle {
 
 impl Default for Handle {
     fn default() -> Self {
-        Self::create()
+        Self::new()
     }
 }
 
 impl Handle {
-    pub fn create() -> Self {
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
         let inner =
             NonNull::new(unsafe { ffi::mpv_create() }).expect("could not create mpv handle");
 
-        let (wakeup_send, wakeup_recv) = async_channel::bounded(1);
-        let wakeup_send = Box::pin(wakeup_send);
+        let wakeup = Box::pin(Event::new());
 
         extern "C" fn wakeup_callback(d: *mut c_void) {
-            let d = d as *const async_channel::Sender<()>;
-            let wakeup_send = unsafe { &*d };
-            match wakeup_send.try_send(()) {
-                Ok(()) => {}
-                Err(async_channel::TrySendError::Full(())) => {
-                    // assume the main thread has already been notified
-                }
-                Err(async_channel::TrySendError::Closed(())) => {
-                    panic!("wakeup channgel was closed before mpv handle was finalized");
-                }
-            }
+            let d = d as *const Event;
+            let wakeup = unsafe { &*d };
+            wakeup.notify(1_u32.relaxed()); // mpv has its own synchronization, trust it
         }
         unsafe {
             ffi::mpv_set_wakeup_callback(
                 inner.as_ptr(),
                 Some(wakeup_callback),
-                std::ptr::from_ref::<async_channel::Sender<()>>(&wakeup_send) as *mut c_void,
+                std::ptr::from_ref::<Event>(&wakeup) as *mut c_void,
             );
         }
 
+        // TODO: maybe we need to set something before initialization, but idk
+        // also wed need a builder, since "Note that you should avoid doing concurrent accesses on the uninitialized client handle."
+        Error::from_return_code(unsafe { ffi::mpv_initialize(inner.as_ptr()) }).expect("could not initialize mpv handle");
+
         Self {
             inner: inner,
-            _wakeup_send: wakeup_send,
-            wakeup_recv: wakeup_recv,
+            wakeup: wakeup,
+            tick_cell: RefCell::new(()),
 
             observed_property_callbacks: vec![],
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn initialize(&self) -> Result<(), Error> {
-        Error::from_return_code(unsafe { ffi::mpv_initialize(self.inner.as_ptr()) })
-    }
-
     pub fn set_property<'a>(&self, name: &str, value: impl FormatValue) -> Result<(), Error> {
         // need to add zero terminator
         let name = CString::new(name).expect("null bytes in property name");
@@ -143,14 +136,13 @@ impl Handle {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    pub async fn wait(&self) {
-        match self.wakeup_recv.recv().await {
-            Ok(()) => {}
-            Err(async_channel::RecvError) => unreachable!(),
-        }
-    }
+    pub async fn tick(&self) {
+        // mpv_wait_event is not reentrant!! use a refcell to ensure that
+        self.tick_cell.borrow_mut();
+
+        // take listener before we drain the event loop, so we don't miss any notifications
+        let listener = self.wakeup.listen();
 
-    pub fn tick(&mut self) {
         loop {
             let event = unsafe { &*ffi::mpv_wait_event(self.inner.as_ptr(), 0.0) };
             match event.event_id {
@@ -170,6 +162,8 @@ impl Handle {
                 _ => todo!("event {}", event.event_id),
             }
         }
+
+        listener.await;
     }
 }