diff --git a/pageserver/src/jobs.rs b/pageserver/src/jobs.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f6cf6147b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pageserver/src/jobs.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+use std::{collections::VecDeque, sync::{Condvar, Mutex}, time::Duration};
+
+use crate::thread_mgr::{is_shutdown_requested, shutdown_watcher};
+
+pub trait Job: std::fmt::Debug + Send + 'static {
+    fn run(&self);
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+struct Pool<J: Job> {
+    job_queue: Mutex<VecDeque<J>>,
+    condvar: Condvar,  // Notified when queue becomes nonempty
+}
+
+impl<J: Job> Pool<J> {
+    fn new() -> Self {
+        Pool {
+            job_queue: Mutex::new(VecDeque::<J>::new()),
+            condvar: Condvar::new(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn worker_main_2(&self) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+        let runtime = tokio::runtime::Builder::new_current_thread()
+             .enable_all()
+             .build()?;
+
+        runtime.block_on(async {
+            loop {
+                tokio::select! {
+                    _ = shutdown_watcher() => break,
+                    // TODO i need tokio::sync::Mutex
+                    q = self.job_queue.lock() {
+                        if let Some(job) = q.pop_front() {
+                            drop(q);
+                            job.run();
+                            q = self.job_queue.lock().unwrap();
+                        } else {
+                            // TODO can't wait here, i might want to shut down
+                            // q = self.condvar.wait(q).unwrap();
+                            std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(5))
+                        }
+                    },
+                };
+            }
+        });
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn worker_main(&self) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+        let mut q = self.job_queue.lock().unwrap();
+        while !is_shutdown_requested() {
+            if let Some(job) = q.pop_front() {
+                drop(q);
+                job.run();
+                q = self.job_queue.lock().unwrap();
+            } else {
+                // TODO can't wait here, i might want to shut down
+                // q = self.condvar.wait(q).unwrap();
+                std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(5))
+            }
+        }
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn queue_job(&self, job: J) {
+        // Add the job to the back of the queue
+        let mut q = self.job_queue.lock().unwrap();
+        q.push_back(job);
+
+        // If the queue was empty, wake up the next worker thread to pick up
+        // the job.
+        if q.len() == 1 {
+            self.condvar.notify_one();
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use std::time::Duration;
+
+    use once_cell::sync::OnceCell;
+
+    use crate::thread_mgr::{self, ThreadKind};
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[derive(Debug, Clone, Eq, PartialEq)]
+    struct PrintJob {
+        to_print: String
+    }
+
+    impl Job for PrintJob {
+        fn run(&self) {
+            println!("{}", self.to_print);
+        }
+    }
+
+    static TEST_POOL: OnceCell<Pool<PrintJob>> = OnceCell::new();
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn pool_1() {
+        TEST_POOL.set(Pool::<PrintJob>::new()).unwrap();
+
+        thread_mgr::spawn(
+            ThreadKind::GarbageCollector,  // change this
+            None,
+            None,
+            "test_worker_1",
+            true,
+            move || {
+                TEST_POOL.get().unwrap().worker_main()
+            },
+        ).unwrap();
+
+        let j = PrintJob {
+            to_print: "hello from job".to_string(),
+        };
+        TEST_POOL.get().unwrap().queue_job(j.clone());
+        TEST_POOL.get().unwrap().queue_job(j.clone());
+        TEST_POOL.get().unwrap().queue_job(j.clone());
+
+        tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(100)).await;
+
+        thread_mgr::shutdown_threads(None, None, None);
+        TEST_POOL.get().unwrap().queue_job(j.clone());
+    }
+}
diff --git a/pageserver/src/lib.rs b/pageserver/src/lib.rs
index 83985069ec..8bc709cbc6 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/lib.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/lib.rs
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ pub mod walingest;
 pub mod walreceiver;
 pub mod walrecord;
 pub mod walredo;
+pub mod jobs;
 
 use lazy_static::lazy_static;
 use tracing::info;