diff --git a/platform/android/src/asset_manager_file_source.cpp b/platform/android/src/asset_manager_file_source.cpp
index 6a3113d69..71e03f10b 100644
--- a/platform/android/src/asset_manager_file_source.cpp
+++ b/platform/android/src/asset_manager_file_source.cpp
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 #include "asset_manager_file_source.hpp"
 
+#include <mbgl/storage/file_source_request.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/storage/response.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/util/util.hpp>
-#include <mbgl/util/thread.hpp>
+#include <mbgl/util/threaded_object.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/util/url.hpp>
 
 #include <android/asset_manager.h>
@@ -12,10 +13,10 @@ namespace mbgl {
 
 class AssetManagerFileSource::Impl {
 public:
-    Impl(AAssetManager* assetManager_) : assetManager(assetManager_) {
+    Impl(ActorRef<Impl>, AAssetManager* assetManager_) : assetManager(assetManager_) {
     }
 
-    void request(const std::string& url, FileSource::Callback callback) {
+    void request(const std::string& url, ActorRef<FileSourceRequest> req) {
         // Note: AssetManager already prepends "assets" to the filename.
         const std::string path = mbgl::util::percentDecode(url.substr(8));
 
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ public:
                                                                "Could not read asset");
         }
 
-        callback(response);
+        req.invoke(&FileSourceRequest::setResponse, response);
     }
 
 private:
@@ -39,15 +40,18 @@ private:
 
 AssetManagerFileSource::AssetManagerFileSource(jni::JNIEnv& env, jni::Object<android::AssetManager> assetManager_)
     : assetManager(assetManager_.NewGlobalRef(env)),
-    thread(std::make_unique<util::Thread<Impl>>(
-        util::ThreadContext{"AssetManagerFileSource", util::ThreadPriority::Low},
-        AAssetManager_fromJava(&env, jni::Unwrap(**assetManager)))) {
+      impl(std::make_unique<util::ThreadedObject<Impl>>("AssetManagerFileSource",
+          AAssetManager_fromJava(&env, jni::Unwrap(**assetManager)))) {
 }
 
 AssetManagerFileSource::~AssetManagerFileSource() = default;
 
 std::unique_ptr<AsyncRequest> AssetManagerFileSource::request(const Resource& resource, Callback callback) {
-    return thread->invokeWithCallback(&Impl::request, resource.url, callback);
+    auto req = std::make_unique<FileSourceRequest>(std::move(callback));
+
+    impl->actor().invoke(&Impl::request, resource.url, req->actor());
+
+    return std::move(req);
 }
 
 } // namespace mbgl
diff --git a/platform/android/src/asset_manager_file_source.hpp b/platform/android/src/asset_manager_file_source.hpp
index 7a447a2c6..9a86da6c4 100644
--- a/platform/android/src/asset_manager_file_source.hpp
+++ b/platform/android/src/asset_manager_file_source.hpp
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 namespace mbgl {
 
 namespace util {
-template <typename T> class Thread;
+template <typename T> class ThreadedObject;
 } // namespace util
 
 class AssetManagerFileSource : public FileSource {
@@ -20,9 +20,10 @@ public:
     std::unique_ptr<AsyncRequest> request(const Resource&, Callback) override;
 
 private:
-    jni::UniqueObject<android::AssetManager> assetManager;
     class Impl;
-    std::unique_ptr<util::Thread<Impl>> thread;
+
+    jni::UniqueObject<android::AssetManager> assetManager;
+    std::unique_ptr<util::ThreadedObject<Impl>> impl;
 };
 
 } // namespace mbgl
diff --git a/platform/android/src/run_loop.cpp b/platform/android/src/run_loop.cpp
index 49d28f2eb..9a63c9929 100644
--- a/platform/android/src/run_loop.cpp
+++ b/platform/android/src/run_loop.cpp
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 #include "run_loop_impl.hpp"
 
 #include <mbgl/util/platform.hpp>
-#include <mbgl/util/thread.hpp>
-#include <mbgl/util/thread_context.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/util/thread_local.hpp>
+#include <mbgl/util/threaded_object.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/util/timer.hpp>
 
 #include <android/looper.h>
@@ -62,9 +61,13 @@ namespace util {
 // timeout, but on the main thread `ALooper_pollAll` is called by the activity
 // automatically, thus we cannot set the timeout. Instead we wake the loop
 // with an external file descriptor event coming from this thread.
+//
+// Usually an actor should not carry pointers to other threads, but in
+// this case the RunLoop itself owns the Alarm and calling wake() is the most
+// efficient way of waking up the RunLoop and it is also thread-safe.
 class Alarm {
 public:
-    Alarm(RunLoop::Impl* loop_) : loop(loop_) {}
+    Alarm(ActorRef<Alarm>, RunLoop::Impl* loop_) : loop(loop_) {}
 
     void set(const Milliseconds& timeout) {
         alarm.start(timeout, mbgl::Duration::zero(), [this]() { loop->wake(); });
@@ -102,7 +105,7 @@ RunLoop::Impl::Impl(RunLoop* runLoop_, RunLoop::Type type) : runLoop(runLoop_) {
     case Type::Default:
         ret = ALooper_addFd(loop, fds[PIPE_OUT], ALOOPER_POLL_CALLBACK,
             ALOOPER_EVENT_INPUT, looperCallbackDefault, this);
-        alarm = std::make_unique<Thread<Alarm>>(ThreadContext{"Alarm"}, this);
+        alarm = std::make_unique<ThreadedObject<Alarm>>("Alarm", this);
         running = true;
         break;
     }
@@ -190,7 +193,7 @@ Milliseconds RunLoop::Impl::processRunnables() {
 
     auto timeout = std::chrono::duration_cast<Milliseconds>(nextDue - now);
     if (alarm) {
-        alarm->invoke(&Alarm::set, timeout);
+        alarm->actor().invoke(&Alarm::set, timeout);
     }
 
     return timeout;
diff --git a/platform/android/src/run_loop_impl.hpp b/platform/android/src/run_loop_impl.hpp
index 15cbfa14a..1706051be 100644
--- a/platform/android/src/run_loop_impl.hpp
+++ b/platform/android/src/run_loop_impl.hpp
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ struct ALooper;
 namespace mbgl {
 namespace util {
 
-template <typename T> class Thread;
+template <typename T> class ThreadedObject;
 class Alarm;
 
 class RunLoop::Impl {
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ private:
     JNIEnv *env = nullptr;
     bool detach = false;
 
-    std::unique_ptr<Thread<Alarm>> alarm;
+    std::unique_ptr<ThreadedObject<Alarm>> alarm;
 
     std::recursive_mutex mtx;
     std::list<Runnable*> runnables;