diff --git a/libs/renderengine/gl/GLESRenderEngine.cpp b/libs/renderengine/gl/GLESRenderEngine.cpp
index e11b59f..186aa25 100644
--- a/libs/renderengine/gl/GLESRenderEngine.cpp
+++ b/libs/renderengine/gl/GLESRenderEngine.cpp
@@ -441,6 +441,7 @@
     }
 
     mImageManager = std::make_unique<ImageManager>(this);
+    mImageManager->initThread();
     mDrawingBuffer = createFramebuffer();
 }
 
diff --git a/libs/renderengine/gl/ImageManager.cpp b/libs/renderengine/gl/ImageManager.cpp
index 5af0e4f..6256649 100644
--- a/libs/renderengine/gl/ImageManager.cpp
+++ b/libs/renderengine/gl/ImageManager.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
+//#define LOG_NDEBUG 0
+#undef LOG_TAG
+#define LOG_TAG "RenderEngine"
 #define ATRACE_TAG ATRACE_TAG_GRAPHICS
 
 #include <pthread.h>
@@ -27,7 +30,10 @@
 namespace renderengine {
 namespace gl {
 
-ImageManager::ImageManager(GLESRenderEngine* engine) : mEngine(engine) {
+ImageManager::ImageManager(GLESRenderEngine* engine) : mEngine(engine) {}
+
+void ImageManager::initThread() {
+    mThread = std::thread([this]() { threadMain(); });
     pthread_setname_np(mThread.native_handle(), "ImageManager");
     // Use SCHED_FIFO to minimize jitter
     struct sched_param param = {0};
@@ -133,6 +139,8 @@
             entry.barrier->condition.notify_one();
         }
     }
+
+    ALOGD("Reached end of threadMain, terminating ImageManager thread!");
 }
 
 } // namespace gl
diff --git a/libs/renderengine/gl/ImageManager.h b/libs/renderengine/gl/ImageManager.h
index b5ba554..be67de8 100644
--- a/libs/renderengine/gl/ImageManager.h
+++ b/libs/renderengine/gl/ImageManager.h
@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@
     };
     ImageManager(GLESRenderEngine* engine);
     ~ImageManager();
+    // Starts the background thread for the ImageManager
+    // We need this to guarantee that the class is fully-constructed before the
+    // thread begins running.
+    void initThread();
     void cacheAsync(const sp<GraphicBuffer>& buffer, const std::shared_ptr<Barrier>& barrier)
             EXCLUDES(mMutex);
     status_t cache(const sp<GraphicBuffer>& buffer);
@@ -57,7 +61,7 @@
     void queueOperation(const QueueEntry&& entry);
     void threadMain();
     GLESRenderEngine* const mEngine;
-    std::thread mThread = std::thread([this]() { threadMain(); });
+    std::thread mThread;
     std::condition_variable_any mCondition;
     std::mutex mMutex;
     std::queue<QueueEntry> mQueue GUARDED_BY(mMutex);