diff --git a/src/editor/main.rs b/src/editor/main.rs
index ada93534..15a5c313 100644
--- a/src/editor/main.rs
+++ b/src/editor/main.rs
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ macro_rules! action {
 
 #[allow(unused_mut)]
 fn main() {
+    // This RefCell is only a minor layer of safety in a wildly unsafe setup
     let mut state_cell = RefCell::new(State::new());
     macro_rules! state {
         () => {&mut *state_cell.borrow_mut()}
@@ -359,60 +360,75 @@ impl State {
     }
 
     unsafe fn load_env(&mut self, path: PathBuf) {
+        let self_ptr: *mut Self = self;
+        let window_ptr = self.widgets.window;
+
         println!("Environment: {}", path.display());
 
-        let mut preprocessor;
-        match dm::preprocessor::Preprocessor::new(path.clone()) {
-            Err(_) => return show_error(self.widgets.window(), &format!("Could not open for reading:\n{}", path.display())),
-            Ok(pp) => preprocessor = pp,
-        };
+        let path2 = path.clone();
+        qt::future::spawn(move || -> Option<ObjectTree> {
+            let mut preprocessor;
+            match dm::preprocessor::Preprocessor::new(path2.clone()) {
+                Err(_) => {
+                    show_error(&mut *static_cast_mut(window_ptr), &format!("Could not open for reading:\n{}", path2.display()));
+                    return None;
+                },
+                Ok(pp) => preprocessor = pp,
+            };
 
-        let objtree;
-        match dm::parser::parse(dm::indents::IndentProcessor::new(&mut preprocessor)) {
-            Err(e) => {
-                let mut message = format!("\
-                    Could not parse the environment:\n\
-                    {}\n\n\
-                    This may be caused by incorrect or unusual code, but is typically a parser bug. \
-                    Change the code to use a more common form, or report the parsing problem.\n\
-                ", path.display());
-                let mut message_buf = Vec::new();
-                let _ = dm::pretty_print_error(&mut message_buf, &preprocessor, &e);
-                message.push_str(&String::from_utf8_lossy(&message_buf[..]));
-                return show_error(self.widgets.window(), &message);
-            },
-            Ok(t) => objtree = t,
-        }
-
-        // fill the object tree
-        {
-            let widget = self.widgets.tree();
-            widget.clear();
-            let root = objtree.root();
-            for &root_child in ["area", "turf", "obj", "mob"].iter() {
-                let ty = root.child(root_child, &objtree).expect("builtins missing");
-
-                let mut root_item = TreeWidgetItem::new(());
-                root_item.set_text(0, qstr!(&ty.name));
-                add_children(&mut root_item, ty, &objtree);
-                widget.add_top_level_item(qt_own!(root_item));
+            match dm::parser::parse(dm::indents::IndentProcessor::new(&mut preprocessor)) {
+                Err(e) => {
+                    let mut message = format!("\
+                        Could not parse the environment:\n\
+                        {}\n\n\
+                        This may be caused by incorrect or unusual code, but is typically a parser bug. \
+                        Change the code to use a more common form, or report the parsing problem.\n\
+                    ", path2.display());
+                    let mut message_buf = Vec::new();
+                    let _ = dm::pretty_print_error(&mut message_buf, &preprocessor, &e);
+                    message.push_str(&String::from_utf8_lossy(&message_buf[..]));
+                    show_error(&mut *static_cast_mut(window_ptr), &message);
+                    None
+                },
+                Ok(t) => Some(t)
             }
-        }
-        self.config.make_recent(&path);
-        self.update_recent();
-        self.config.save();
+        }, move |objtree| {
+            let this = &mut *self_ptr;
+            let objtree = match objtree {
+                Some(t) => t,
+                None => return
+            };
 
-        self.env = Some(Environment {
-            root: path.parent().unwrap().to_owned(),
-            dme: path,
-            objtree: objtree,
+            // fill the object tree
+            {
+                let widget = this.widgets.tree();
+                widget.clear();
+                let root = objtree.root();
+                for &root_child in ["area", "turf", "obj", "mob"].iter() {
+                    let ty = root.child(root_child, &objtree).expect("builtins missing");
+
+                    let mut root_item = TreeWidgetItem::new(());
+                    root_item.set_text(0, qstr!(&ty.name));
+                    add_children(&mut root_item, ty, &objtree);
+                    widget.add_top_level_item(qt_own!(root_item));
+                }
+            }
+            this.config.make_recent(&path);
+            this.update_recent();
+            this.config.save();
+
+            this.env = Some(Environment {
+                root: path.parent().unwrap().to_owned(),
+                dme: path,
+                objtree: objtree,
+            });
+
+            // un-disable the actions
+            let actions = this.widgets.menu_file().actions();
+            for i in 0..actions.count() {
+                (**actions.at(i)).set_disabled(false);
+            }
         });
-
-        // un-disable the actions
-        let actions = self.widgets.menu_file().actions();
-        for i in 0..actions.count() {
-            (**actions.at(i)).set_disabled(false);
-        }
     }
 
     unsafe fn new_map(&mut self) {
diff --git a/src/qt-extras/future.rs b/src/qt-extras/future.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..765b5093
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/qt-extras/future.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+use std::sync::mpsc;
+use libc::c_void;
+
+// doesn't check for Send or Sync
+pub unsafe fn spawn<F1, F2, R>(task: F1, callback: F2) where
+    F1: 'static + FnOnce() -> R,
+    F2: 'static + FnOnce(R),
+{
+    let (tx, rx) = mpsc::channel();
+    let (task, task_data) = make_callback(move || {
+        let _ = tx.send(task());
+    });
+    let (cb, cb_data) = make_callback(move || {
+        if let Ok(data) = rx.try_recv() {
+            callback(data);
+        }
+    });
+    qt_spawn_future(task, task_data, cb, cb_data);
+}
+
+unsafe fn make_callback<F: FnOnce()>(f: F) -> (callback_fn, *mut c_void) {
+    unsafe extern "C" fn callback<F: FnOnce()>(ptr: *mut c_void) {
+        Box::from_raw(ptr as *mut F)();
+    }
+    (callback::<F>, Box::into_raw(Box::new(f)) as *mut c_void)
+}
+
+#[allow(non_camel_case_types)]
+type callback_fn = unsafe extern "C" fn(*mut c_void);
+extern {
+    fn qt_spawn_future(task: callback_fn, task_data: *mut c_void, cb: callback_fn, cb_data: *mut c_void);
+}
+
+cpp! {{
+    #include <QtCore/QFuture.h>
+    #include <QtCore/QFutureWatcher.h>
+    #include <QtConcurrent/QtConcurrent>
+
+    extern "C" typedef void (*callback_fn)(void*);
+
+    class RustSignaller: public QFutureWatcher<void> {
+        callback_fn callback;
+        void* data;
+        void handleFinished() {
+            callback(data);
+            delete this;
+        }
+
+    public:
+        RustSignaller(callback_fn callback, void* data)
+            : callback(callback)
+            , data(data)
+        {
+            QObject::connect(this, &QFutureWatcher::finished, this, &RustSignaller::handleFinished);
+        }
+    };
+
+    extern "C" void qt_spawn_future(callback_fn task, void* taskData, callback_fn cb, void* cbData) {
+        RustSignaller* signaller = new RustSignaller(cb, cbData);
+        QFuture<void> future = QtConcurrent::run([=]() {
+            task(taskData);
+        });
+        signaller->setFuture(future);
+    }
+}}
diff --git a/src/qt-extras/lib.rs b/src/qt-extras/lib.rs
index 35902b86..81bc2972 100644
--- a/src/qt-extras/lib.rs
+++ b/src/qt-extras/lib.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ pub extern crate cpp_utils;
 #[macro_use] extern crate cpp;
 
 pub mod glium_widget;
+pub mod future;
 
 pub use widgets::qt_core as core;
 pub use widgets::qt_gui as gui;