diff --git a/pulse-binding/src/mainloop/standard.rs b/pulse-binding/src/mainloop/standard.rs
index 514a12c..137bb72 100644
--- a/pulse-binding/src/mainloop/standard.rs
+++ b/pulse-binding/src/mainloop/standard.rs
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@
 
 use std::os::raw::{c_ulong, c_void};
 use std::rc::Rc;
+use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
 #[cfg(not(windows))]
 use libc::pollfd;
 #[cfg(windows)]
@@ -268,6 +269,85 @@ impl IterateResult {
 pub struct Mainloop {
     /// The ref-counted inner data.
     pub _inner: Rc<MainloopInner<MainloopInternal>>,
+
+    /// Shared with [`MainloopWaker`] clones; invalidated on drop.
+    waker_handle: Arc<MainloopWakerHandle>,
+}
+
+/// Storage shared between a [`Mainloop`] and its [`MainloopWaker`] clones. The
+/// pointer is nulled by `Mainloop::drop` under the mutex, before the underlying
+/// main loop is freed, so wakers can never observe a freed pointer.
+struct MainloopWakerHandle {
+    ptr: Mutex<*mut MainloopInternal>,
+}
+
+// SAFETY: `pa_mainloop_wakeup` is documented as thread safe; the pointer is
+// never used outside that call, serialised by the mutex.
+unsafe impl Send for MainloopWakerHandle {}
+unsafe impl Sync for MainloopWakerHandle {}
+
+/// A `Send + Sync + Clone` handle for waking a [`Mainloop`] from any thread.
+///
+/// Obtain one from [`Mainloop::waker()`]. [`wakeup()`](Self::wakeup) wraps the
+/// thread safe `pa_mainloop_wakeup` C function, and is a no-op once the owning
+/// [`Mainloop`] has been dropped.
+///
+/// # Example
+///
+/// ```rust,no_run
+/// use std::thread;
+/// use std::time::Duration;
+/// use libpulse_binding::mainloop::standard::Mainloop;
+///
+/// let mut mainloop = Mainloop::new().unwrap();
+/// let waker = mainloop.waker();
+///
+/// thread::spawn(move || {
+///     thread::sleep(Duration::from_secs(1));
+///     waker.wakeup();
+/// });
+///
+/// mainloop.iterate(true);
+/// ```
+#[derive(Clone)]
+pub struct MainloopWaker {
+    handle: Arc<MainloopWakerHandle>,
+}
+
+impl std::fmt::Debug for MainloopWaker {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        f.debug_struct("MainloopWaker").finish_non_exhaustive()
+    }
+}
+
+impl MainloopWaker {
+    /// Interrupts a running poll inside the owning [`Mainloop`].
+    ///
+    /// Safe to call from any thread. Becomes a no-op once the owning `Mainloop`
+    /// has been dropped.
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn wakeup(&self) {
+        // poisoning is not reachable in practice (only FFI and a pointer write
+        // run under this lock), but treat it as a no-op for consistency.
+        if let Ok(guard) = self.handle.ptr.lock() {
+            if !guard.is_null() {
+                // SAFETY: thread safe per PulseAudio docs; the pointer is kept
+                // valid for the duration of this call by the mutex.
+                unsafe { capi::pa_mainloop_wakeup(*guard); }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl Drop for Mainloop {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        // invalidate outstanding wakers before the inner `Rc` drop frees the
+        // main loop. concurrent `wakeup` calls hold this lock for the duration
+        // of `pa_mainloop_wakeup`, so no stale pointer survives this release.
+        if let Ok(mut guard) = self.waker_handle.ptr.lock() {
+            *guard = std::ptr::null_mut();
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 impl MainloopTrait for Mainloop {
@@ -301,7 +381,18 @@ impl Mainloop {
             MainloopInner::<MainloopInternal>::new(ptr, std::mem::transmute(api_ptr),
                 MainloopInner::<MainloopInternal>::drop_actual, true)
         };
-        Some(Self { _inner: Rc::new(ml_inner) })
+        Some(Self {
+            _inner: Rc::new(ml_inner),
+            waker_handle: Arc::new(MainloopWakerHandle { ptr: Mutex::new(ptr) }),
+        })
+    }
+
+    /// Returns a [`Send`] handle for interrupting a blocking
+    /// [`iterate()`](Self::iterate) / [`poll()`](Self::poll) call from another
+    /// thread. See [`MainloopWaker`].
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn waker(&self) -> MainloopWaker {
+        MainloopWaker { handle: Arc::clone(&self.waker_handle) }
     }
 
     /// Prepares for a single iteration of the main loop.
@@ -420,6 +511,9 @@ impl Mainloop {
     }
 
     /// Interrupts a running poll (for threaded systems).
+    ///
+    /// To wake the main loop from a different thread, use [`waker()`](Self::waker)
+    /// to obtain a [`Send`] handle.
     #[inline]
     pub fn wakeup(&mut self) {
         unsafe { capi::pa_mainloop_wakeup(self._inner.get_ptr()); }