diff --git a/libs/pbd/downloader.cc b/libs/pbd/downloader.cc
index 4ed2bf0a6e..1d561acaf4 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/downloader.cc
+++ b/libs/pbd/downloader.cc
@@ -82,14 +82,13 @@ Downloader::start ()
 
 	_cancel = false;
 	_status = 0; /* unknown at this point */
-	thr = std::thread (&Downloader::download, this);
-	return 0;
+	return 0 != (thread = PBD::Thread::create (boost::bind (&Downloader::download, this)));
 }
 
 void
 Downloader::cleanup ()
 {
-	thr.join ();
+	thread->join ();
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/libs/pbd/pbd/downloader.h b/libs/pbd/pbd/downloader.h
index 19f8f46042..191bb95ab6 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/pbd/downloader.h
+++ b/libs/pbd/pbd/downloader.h
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@
 
 namespace PBD {
 
+class Thread;
+
 class LIBPBD_API Downloader {
   public:
 	Downloader (std::string const & url, std::string const & destdir);
@@ -58,7 +60,7 @@ class LIBPBD_API Downloader {
 	std::atomic<uint64_t> _download_size; /* read-only from requestor thread */
 	std::atomic<uint64_t> _downloaded; /* read-only from requestor thread */
 	std::atomic<int> _status;
-	std::thread thr;
+	PBD::Thread* thread;
 
 	void download ();
 };