diff --git a/compile b/compile
index 6983f6f..5b91d66 100755
--- a/compile
+++ b/compile
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ INCLUDES="\
 "
 LIBS="\
 	-lm \
+	-pthread \
 	$(pkg-config --libs sdl2) \
 "
 SRC="\
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index df9fe69..f625743 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include <SDL2/SDL_surface.h>
 #include <SDL2/SDL_video.h>
 #include <netinet/in.h>
+#include <pthread.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
@@ -32,8 +33,13 @@ struct point {
 };
 
 internal void write_debug_ppm6(const Image *img);
-internal SDL_Texture *image_to_texture(SDL_Renderer *renderer,
-                                       const Image *img);
+internal void *load_tiff_image(void *args);
+
+typedef struct img_thread_args ImgThreadArgs;
+struct img_thread_args {
+  const char *filename;
+  Arena *arena;
+};
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
   int exit_code = EXIT_SUCCESS;
@@ -45,14 +51,13 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 
   const char *file_to_open = argc > 1 ? argv[1] : "./resources/test.tif";
 
-  Image *img = read_baseline_tiff(file_to_open, arena);
-  if (!img) {
+  pthread_t img_thread;
+  ImgThreadArgs args = {.filename = file_to_open, .arena = arena};
+  if (pthread_create(&img_thread, NULL, load_tiff_image, &args) != 0) {
     exit_code = EXIT_FAILURE;
     goto MAIN_DESTROY_ARENA;
   }
 
-  write_debug_ppm6(img);
-
   if (SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_EVERYTHING) != 0) {
     exit_code = EXIT_FAILURE;
     goto MAIN_DESTROY_ARENA;
@@ -73,17 +78,23 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     goto MAIN_DESTROY_WINDOW;
   }
 
-  SDL_Texture *texture = image_to_texture(renderer, img);
-  if (!texture) {
+  SDL_Surface *surface = NULL;
+  if (pthread_join(img_thread, (void **)&surface) != 0 || !surface) {
     exit_code = EXIT_FAILURE;
     goto MAIN_DESTROY_RENDERER;
   }
 
+  SDL_Texture *texture = SDL_CreateTextureFromSurface(renderer, surface);
+  if (!texture) {
+    exit_code = EXIT_FAILURE;
+    goto MAIN_DESTROY_SURFACE;
+  }
+
   SDL_Rect dest = {
-      .h = img->height,
-      .w = img->width,
-      .x = (WINDOW_WIDTH - img->width) / 2,
-      .y = (WINDOW_HEIGHT - img->height) / 2,
+      .h = surface->h,
+      .w = surface->w,
+      .x = (WINDOW_WIDTH - surface->w) / 2,
+      .y = (WINDOW_HEIGHT - surface->h) / 2,
   };
 
   bool running = true;
@@ -110,6 +121,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 
   SDL_DestroyTexture(texture);
 
+MAIN_DESTROY_SURFACE:
+  SDL_FreeSurface(surface);
+
 MAIN_DESTROY_RENDERER:
   SDL_DestroyRenderer(renderer);
 
@@ -146,17 +160,19 @@ internal void write_debug_ppm6(const Image *img) {
   fclose(out);
 }
 
-internal SDL_Texture *image_to_texture(SDL_Renderer *renderer,
-                                       const Image *img) {
-  SDL_Texture *output = NULL;
-  if (!renderer || !img) {
-    goto IMAGE_TO_TEXTURE_RETURN;
+internal void *load_tiff_image(void *args) {
+  ImgThreadArgs *img_args = (ImgThreadArgs *)args;
+  Image *img = read_baseline_tiff(img_args->filename, img_args->arena);
+  if (!img) {
+    return NULL;
   }
 
+  write_debug_ppm6(img);
+
   SDL_Surface *surface = SDL_CreateRGBSurface(0, img->width, img->height, 32,
                                               RMASK, GMASK, BMASK, AMASK);
   if (!surface) {
-    goto IMAGE_TO_TEXTURE_RETURN;
+    return NULL;
   }
 
   SDL_LockSurface(surface);
@@ -170,10 +186,5 @@ internal SDL_Texture *image_to_texture(SDL_Renderer *renderer,
   }
   SDL_UnlockSurface(surface);
 
-  output = SDL_CreateTextureFromSurface(renderer, surface);
-
-  SDL_FreeSurface(surface);
-
-IMAGE_TO_TEXTURE_RETURN:
-  return output;
+  return surface;
 }