diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index f8f5438dc..83021b150 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ open = "1.2"
 structopt = "0.2"
 foreign-types = "0.3"
 winit = "0.18"
+boxfnonce = "0.1"
 
 [target.'cfg(unix)'.dependencies]
 harfbuzz-sys = "~0.3"
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 2d35dcafc..f12384a61 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ mod guicommon;
 mod guiloop;
 mod mux;
 mod opengl;
+mod promise;
 mod server;
 use crate::guicommon::tabs::Tab;
 use crate::guiloop::GuiSelection;
diff --git a/src/promise.rs b/src/promise.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0dc395d9d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/promise.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,238 @@
+use boxfnonce::SendBoxFnOnce;
+use failure::Error;
+use std::sync::{Arc, Condvar, Mutex};
+
+type NextFunc<T> = SendBoxFnOnce<'static, (Result<T, Error>,)>;
+
+enum PromiseState<T> {
+    Waiting(Arc<Core<T>>),
+    Fulfilled,
+}
+
+enum FutureState<T> {
+    Waiting(Arc<Core<T>>),
+    Ready(Result<T, Error>),
+    Done,
+}
+
+struct CoreData<T> {
+    result: Option<Result<T, Error>>,
+    propagate: Option<NextFunc<T>>,
+}
+
+struct Core<T> {
+    data: Mutex<CoreData<T>>,
+    cond: Condvar,
+}
+
+pub struct Promise<T> {
+    state: PromiseState<T>,
+    future: Option<Future<T>>,
+}
+
+pub struct Future<T> {
+    state: FutureState<T>,
+}
+
+impl<T> Promise<T> {
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
+        let core = Arc::new(Core {
+            data: Mutex::new(CoreData {
+                result: None,
+                propagate: None,
+            }),
+            cond: Condvar::new(),
+        });
+
+        Self {
+            state: PromiseState::Waiting(Arc::clone(&core)),
+            future: Some(Future {
+                state: FutureState::Waiting(core),
+            }),
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn get_future(&mut self) -> Option<Future<T>> {
+        self.future.take()
+    }
+
+    pub fn ok(&mut self, value: T) {
+        self.result(Ok(value));
+    }
+
+    pub fn err(&mut self, err: Error) {
+        self.result(Err(err));
+    }
+
+    pub fn result(&mut self, result: Result<T, Error>) {
+        match std::mem::replace(&mut self.state, PromiseState::Fulfilled) {
+            PromiseState::Waiting(core) => {
+                let mut locked = core.data.lock().unwrap();
+                match locked.propagate.take() {
+                    Some(func) => func.call(result),
+                    None => locked.result = Some(result),
+                }
+                core.cond.notify_one();
+            }
+            PromiseState::Fulfilled => panic!("Promise already fulfilled"),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl<T: 'static> std::convert::From<Result<T, Error>> for Future<T> {
+    fn from(result: Result<T, Error>) -> Future<T> {
+        Future::result(result)
+    }
+}
+
+impl<T: 'static> Future<T> {
+    /// Create a leaf future which is immediately ready with
+    /// the provided value
+    pub fn ok(value: T) -> Self {
+        Self::result(Ok(value))
+    }
+
+    /// Create a leaf future which is immediately ready with
+    /// the provided error
+    pub fn err(err: Error) -> Self {
+        Self::result(Err(err))
+    }
+
+    /// Create a leaf future which is immediately ready with
+    /// the provided result
+    pub fn result(result: Result<T, Error>) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            state: FutureState::Ready(result),
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn chain(self, f: NextFunc<T>) {
+        match self.state {
+            FutureState::Done => panic!("chaining an already done future"),
+            FutureState::Ready(result) => {
+                f.call(result);
+            }
+            FutureState::Waiting(core) => {
+                let mut locked = core.data.lock().unwrap();
+                if let Some(result) = locked.result.take() {
+                    f.call(result);
+                } else {
+                    locked.propagate = Some(f);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Blocks until the associated promise is fulfilled
+    pub fn wait(self) -> Result<T, Error> {
+        match self.state {
+            FutureState::Waiting(core) => {
+                let mut locked = core.data.lock().unwrap();
+                loop {
+                    if let Some(result) = locked.result.take() {
+                        return result;
+                    }
+                    locked = core.cond.wait(locked).unwrap();
+                }
+            }
+            FutureState::Ready(result) => result,
+            FutureState::Done => bail!("Future is already done"),
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn then<U, F, IF>(self, f: F) -> Future<U>
+    where
+        F: FnOnce(Result<T, Error>) -> IF,
+        IF: Into<Future<U>>,
+        IF: 'static,
+        F: Send + 'static,
+        U: Send + 'static,
+    {
+        let mut promise = Promise::<U>::new();
+        let future = promise.get_future().unwrap();
+        let func = SendBoxFnOnce::from(f);
+
+        let promise_chain = NextFunc::from(move |result| promise.result(result));
+
+        self.chain(SendBoxFnOnce::from(move |result| {
+            let future = func.call(result).into();
+            future.chain(promise_chain);
+        }));
+        future
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod test {
+    use super::*;
+    #[test]
+    fn basic_promise() {
+        let mut p = Promise::new();
+        p.ok(true);
+        assert_eq!(p.get_future().unwrap().wait().unwrap(), true);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn basic_promise_future_first() {
+        let mut p = Promise::new();
+        let f = p.get_future().unwrap();
+        p.ok(true);
+        assert_eq!(f.wait().unwrap(), true);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn promise_chain() {
+        let mut p = Promise::new();
+        let f = p
+            .get_future()
+            .unwrap()
+            .then(|result| Ok(result.unwrap() + 1))
+            .then(|result| Ok(result.unwrap() + 3));
+        p.ok(1);
+        assert_eq!(f.wait().unwrap(), 5);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn promise_chain_future() {
+        let mut p = Promise::new();
+        let f = p
+            .get_future()
+            .unwrap()
+            .then(|result| Future::ok(result.unwrap() + 1))
+            .then(|result| Ok(result.unwrap() + 3));
+        p.ok(1);
+        assert_eq!(f.wait().unwrap(), 5);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn promise_thread() {
+        let mut p = Promise::new();
+        let f = p.get_future().unwrap();
+
+        std::thread::spawn(move || {
+            std::thread::sleep(std::time::Duration::new(0, 500));
+            p.ok(123);
+        });
+
+        let f2 = f.then(move |result| Ok(result.unwrap() * 2));
+
+        assert_eq!(f2.wait().unwrap(), 246);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn promise_thread_slow_chain() {
+        let mut p = Promise::new();
+        let f = p.get_future().unwrap();
+
+        std::thread::spawn(move || {
+            std::thread::sleep(std::time::Duration::new(0, 500));
+            p.ok(123);
+        });
+
+        std::thread::sleep(std::time::Duration::new(1, 0));
+
+        let f2 = f.then(move |result| Ok(result.unwrap() * 2));
+
+        assert_eq!(f2.wait().unwrap(), 246);
+    }
+}