diff --git a/compat/fsmonitor/fsm-darwin-gcc.h b/compat/fsmonitor/fsm-darwin-gcc.h
index 1c75c3d48e..3496e29b3a 100644
--- a/compat/fsmonitor/fsm-darwin-gcc.h
+++ b/compat/fsmonitor/fsm-darwin-gcc.h
@@ -80,9 +80,7 @@ void CFRunLoopRun(void);
 void CFRunLoopStop(CFRunLoopRef run_loop);
 CFRunLoopRef CFRunLoopGetCurrent(void);
 extern CFStringRef kCFRunLoopDefaultMode;
-void FSEventStreamScheduleWithRunLoop(FSEventStreamRef stream,
-				      CFRunLoopRef run_loop,
-				      CFStringRef run_loop_mode);
+void FSEventStreamSetDispatchQueue(FSEventStreamRef stream, dispatch_queue_t q);
 unsigned char FSEventStreamStart(FSEventStreamRef stream);
 void FSEventStreamStop(FSEventStreamRef stream);
 void FSEventStreamInvalidate(FSEventStreamRef stream);
diff --git a/compat/fsmonitor/fsm-listen-darwin.c b/compat/fsmonitor/fsm-listen-darwin.c
index cc9af1e3cb..97a55a6f0a 100644
--- a/compat/fsmonitor/fsm-listen-darwin.c
+++ b/compat/fsmonitor/fsm-listen-darwin.c
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #ifndef __clang__
+#include <dispatch/dispatch.h>
 #include "fsm-darwin-gcc.h"
 #else
 #include <CoreFoundation/CoreFoundation.h>
@@ -38,7 +39,9 @@ struct fsm_listen_data
 
 	FSEventStreamRef stream;
 
-	CFRunLoopRef rl;
+	dispatch_queue_t dq;
+	pthread_cond_t dq_finished;
+	pthread_mutex_t dq_lock;
 
 	enum shutdown_style {
 		SHUTDOWN_EVENT = 0,
@@ -379,8 +382,11 @@ force_shutdown:
 	fsmonitor_batch__free_list(batch);
 	string_list_clear(&cookie_list, 0);
 
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&data->dq_lock);
 	data->shutdown_style = FORCE_SHUTDOWN;
-	CFRunLoopStop(data->rl);
+	pthread_cond_broadcast(&data->dq_finished);
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&data->dq_lock);
+
 	strbuf_release(&tmp);
 	return;
 }
@@ -441,10 +447,6 @@ int fsm_listen__ctor(struct fsmonitor_daemon_state *state)
 	if (!data->stream)
 		goto failed;
 
-	/*
-	 * `data->rl` needs to be set inside the listener thread.
-	 */
-
 	return 0;
 
 failed:
@@ -471,6 +473,11 @@ void fsm_listen__dtor(struct fsmonitor_daemon_state *state)
 		FSEventStreamRelease(data->stream);
 	}
 
+	if (data->dq)
+		dispatch_release(data->dq);
+	pthread_cond_destroy(&data->dq_finished);
+	pthread_mutex_destroy(&data->dq_lock);
+
 	FREE_AND_NULL(state->listen_data);
 }
 
@@ -479,9 +486,11 @@ void fsm_listen__stop_async(struct fsmonitor_daemon_state *state)
 	struct fsm_listen_data *data;
 
 	data = state->listen_data;
-	data->shutdown_style = SHUTDOWN_EVENT;
 
-	CFRunLoopStop(data->rl);
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&data->dq_lock);
+	data->shutdown_style = SHUTDOWN_EVENT;
+	pthread_cond_broadcast(&data->dq_finished);
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&data->dq_lock);
 }
 
 void fsm_listen__loop(struct fsmonitor_daemon_state *state)
@@ -490,9 +499,11 @@ void fsm_listen__loop(struct fsmonitor_daemon_state *state)
 
 	data = state->listen_data;
 
-	data->rl = CFRunLoopGetCurrent();
+	pthread_mutex_init(&data->dq_lock, NULL);
+	pthread_cond_init(&data->dq_finished, NULL);
+	data->dq = dispatch_queue_create("FSMonitor", NULL);
 
-	FSEventStreamScheduleWithRunLoop(data->stream, data->rl, kCFRunLoopDefaultMode);
+	FSEventStreamSetDispatchQueue(data->stream, data->dq);
 	data->stream_scheduled = 1;
 
 	if (!FSEventStreamStart(data->stream)) {
@@ -501,7 +512,9 @@ void fsm_listen__loop(struct fsmonitor_daemon_state *state)
 	}
 	data->stream_started = 1;
 
-	CFRunLoopRun();
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&data->dq_lock);
+	pthread_cond_wait(&data->dq_finished, &data->dq_lock);
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&data->dq_lock);
 
 	switch (data->shutdown_style) {
 	case FORCE_ERROR_STOP: