diff --git a/spa/plugins/support/evl-system.c b/spa/plugins/support/evl-system.c
index 336b1080b..a5cb9fd5e 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/support/evl-system.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/support/evl-system.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <sys/eventfd.h>
 #include <sys/signalfd.h>
+#include <pthread.h>
 
 #include <evl/evl.h>
 #include <evl/timer.h>
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ struct poll_entry {
 	int fd;
 	uint32_t events;
 	void *data;
+	unsigned attached:1;
 };
 
 struct impl {
@@ -45,6 +47,7 @@ struct impl {
 
 	uint32_t n_xbuf;
 	int attached;
+	pthread_t thread;
 	int pid;
 };
 
@@ -110,6 +113,21 @@ static int impl_pollfd_create(void *object, int flags)
 	return retval;
 }
 
+static inline struct poll_entry *find_free(struct impl *impl)
+{
+	uint32_t i;
+	for (i = 0; i < impl->n_entries; i++) {
+		struct poll_entry *e = &impl->entries[i];
+		if (e->fd == -1)
+			return e;
+	}
+	if (impl->n_entries == MAX_POLL) {
+		errno = ENOSPC;
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	return &impl->entries[impl->n_entries++];
+}
+
 static inline struct poll_entry *find_entry(struct impl *impl, int pfd, int fd)
 {
 	uint32_t i;
@@ -121,20 +139,36 @@ static inline struct poll_entry *find_entry(struct impl *impl, int pfd, int fd)
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+static int attach_entry(struct impl *impl, struct poll_entry *e)
+{
+	if (!e->attached && e->fd != -1) {
+		int res;
+
+		res = evl_add_pollfd(e->pfd, e->fd, e->events, evl_nil);
+		if (res < 0)
+			return res;
+
+		e->attached = true;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int impl_pollfd_add(void *object, int pfd, int fd, uint32_t events, void *data)
 {
 	struct impl *impl = object;
 	struct poll_entry *e;
+	int res = 0;
 
-	if (impl->n_entries == MAX_POLL)
-		return -ENOSPC;
+	if ((e = find_free(impl)) == NULL)
+		return -errno;
 
-	e = &impl->entries[impl->n_entries++];
 	e->pfd = pfd;
 	e->fd = fd;
 	e->events = events;
 	e->data = data;
-	return evl_add_pollfd(pfd, fd, e->events, evl_nil);
+	if (impl->attached != 0)
+		attach_entry(impl, e);
+	return res;
 }
 
 static int impl_pollfd_mod(void *object, int pfd, int fd, uint32_t events, void *data)
@@ -162,6 +196,7 @@ static int impl_pollfd_del(void *object, int pfd, int fd)
 
 	e->pfd = -1;
 	e->fd = -1;
+	e->attached = false;
 	return evl_del_pollfd(pfd, fd);
 }
 
@@ -178,6 +213,12 @@ static int impl_pollfd_wait(void *object, int pfd,
 		if (res < 0)
 			return res;
 		impl->attached = res;
+		impl->thread = pthread_self();
+
+		for (i = 0; i < (int)impl->n_entries; i++) {
+			struct poll_entry *e = &impl->entries[i];
+			attach_entry(impl, e);
+		}
 	}
 
 	if (timeout == -1) {
@@ -259,12 +300,14 @@ static int impl_eventfd_create(void *object, int flags)
 {
 	struct impl *impl = object;
 	int res, fl;
+	struct evl_flags flg;
 
-	fl = EVL_CLONE_PRIVATE;
+	fl = EVL_CLONE_PUBLIC;
 	if (flags & SPA_FD_NONBLOCK)
 		fl |= EVL_CLONE_NONBLOCK;
 
-	res = evl_create_xbuf(1024, 1024, fl, "xbuf-%d-%p-%d", impl->pid, impl, impl->n_xbuf);
+	res = evl_create_flags(&flg, EVL_CLOCK_MONOTONIC, 0, fl,
+			"flags-%d-%p-%d", impl->pid, impl, impl->n_xbuf);
 	if (res < 0)
 		return res;
 
@@ -275,14 +318,35 @@ static int impl_eventfd_create(void *object, int flags)
 
 static int impl_eventfd_write(void *object, int fd, uint64_t count)
 {
-	if (write(fd, &count, sizeof(uint64_t)) != sizeof(uint64_t))
-		return -errno;
-	return 0;
+	int res;
+	int flags = count;
+	struct impl *impl = object;
+	pthread_t tid = pthread_self();
+
+	if (impl->thread != tid)
+		res = write(fd, &flags, sizeof(flags));
+	else
+		res = oob_write(fd, &flags, sizeof(flags));
+
+	if (res != sizeof(flags))
+		res = -errno;
+	return res;
 }
 
 static int impl_eventfd_read(void *object, int fd, uint64_t *count)
 {
-	if (oob_read(fd, count, sizeof(uint64_t)) != sizeof(uint64_t))
+	int res;
+	int flags;
+	struct impl *impl = object;
+	pthread_t tid = pthread_self();
+
+	if (impl->thread != tid)
+		res = read(fd, &flags, sizeof(flags));
+	else
+		res = oob_read(fd, &flags, sizeof(flags));
+
+	*count = flags;
+	if (res != sizeof(flags))
 		return -errno;
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -400,12 +464,12 @@ impl_init(const struct spa_handle_factory *factory,
 
 	impl->pid = getpid();
 
-	if ((res = evl_attach_self("evl-system-%d-%p", impl->pid, impl)) < 0) {
+	if ((res = evl_init()) < 0) {
 		spa_log_error(impl->log, NAME " %p: init failed: %s", impl, spa_strerror(res));
 		return res;
 	}
 
-	spa_log_debug(impl->log, NAME " %p: initialized", impl);
+	spa_log_info(impl->log, NAME " %p: initialized", impl);
 
 	return 0;
 }