diff --git a/gio/glocaldirectorymonitor.c b/gio/glocaldirectorymonitor.c
index 588f6e1c1..942643e89 100644
--- a/gio/glocaldirectorymonitor.c
+++ b/gio/glocaldirectorymonitor.c
@@ -200,9 +200,11 @@ mounts_changed (GUnixMountMonitor *mount_monitor,
 
 GFileMonitor*
 _g_local_directory_monitor_new (const char         *dirname,
-				GFileMonitorFlags   flags,
+                                GFileMonitorFlags   flags,
+                                GMainContext       *context,
                                 gboolean            is_remote_fs,
-				GError            **error)
+                                gboolean            do_start,
+                                GError            **error)
 {
   GFileMonitor *monitor = NULL;
   GType type = G_TYPE_INVALID;
@@ -218,12 +220,12 @@ _g_local_directory_monitor_new (const char         *dirname,
                                           G_STRUCT_OFFSET (GLocalDirectoryMonitorClass, is_supported));
 
   if (type != G_TYPE_INVALID)
-    monitor = G_FILE_MONITOR (g_object_new (type, "dirname", dirname, "flags", flags, NULL));
+    monitor = G_FILE_MONITOR (g_object_new (type, "dirname", dirname, "flags", flags, "context", context, NULL));
   else
     g_set_error_literal (error, G_IO_ERROR, G_IO_ERROR_FAILED,
                          _("Unable to find default local directory monitor type"));
 
-  if (monitor)
+  if (monitor && do_start)
     g_local_directory_monitor_start (G_LOCAL_DIRECTORY_MONITOR (monitor));
 
   return monitor;
diff --git a/gio/glocaldirectorymonitor.h b/gio/glocaldirectorymonitor.h
index 16d8ac1ec..94740bd77 100644
--- a/gio/glocaldirectorymonitor.h
+++ b/gio/glocaldirectorymonitor.h
@@ -70,10 +70,17 @@ GType           g_local_directory_monitor_get_type (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
 
 GFileMonitor * _g_local_directory_monitor_new      (const char         *dirname,
                                                     GFileMonitorFlags   flags,
+                                                    GMainContext       *context,
                                                     gboolean            is_remote_fs,
+                                                    gboolean            do_start,
                                                     GError            **error);
 void            g_local_directory_monitor_start    (GLocalDirectoryMonitor *local_monitor);
 
+/* Actually in glocalfile.c */
+GLocalDirectoryMonitor *  g_local_directory_monitor_new_in_worker (const char         *pathname,
+                                                                   GFileMonitorFlags   flags,
+                                                                   GError            **error);
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* __G_LOCAL_DIRECTORY_MONITOR_H__ */
diff --git a/gio/glocalfile.c b/gio/glocalfile.c
index 3763a464d..e28a8be85 100644
--- a/gio/glocalfile.c
+++ b/gio/glocalfile.c
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@
 #endif
 #include "glib-private.h"
 
+#include "glib-private.h"
+
 #ifdef G_OS_WIN32
 #include <windows.h>
 #include <io.h>
@@ -2505,7 +2507,7 @@ g_local_file_monitor_dir (GFile             *file,
 			  GError           **error)
 {
   GLocalFile* local_file = G_LOCAL_FILE(file);
-  return _g_local_directory_monitor_new (local_file->filename, flags, is_remote (local_file->filename), error);
+  return _g_local_directory_monitor_new (local_file->filename, flags, NULL, is_remote (local_file->filename), TRUE, error);
 }
 
 static GFileMonitor*
@@ -2515,7 +2517,27 @@ g_local_file_monitor_file (GFile             *file,
 			   GError           **error)
 {
   GLocalFile* local_file = G_LOCAL_FILE(file);
-  return _g_local_file_monitor_new (local_file->filename, flags, is_remote (local_file->filename), error);
+  return _g_local_file_monitor_new (local_file->filename, flags, NULL, is_remote (local_file->filename), TRUE, error);
+}
+
+GLocalDirectoryMonitor *
+g_local_directory_monitor_new_in_worker (const char         *pathname,
+                                         GFileMonitorFlags   flags,
+                                         GError            **error)
+{
+  return (gpointer) _g_local_directory_monitor_new (pathname, flags,
+                                                    GLIB_PRIVATE_CALL (g_get_worker_context) (),
+                                                    is_remote (pathname), FALSE, error);
+}
+
+GLocalFileMonitor *
+g_local_file_monitor_new_in_worker (const char         *pathname,
+                                    GFileMonitorFlags   flags,
+                                    GError            **error)
+{
+  return (gpointer) _g_local_file_monitor_new (pathname, flags,
+                                               GLIB_PRIVATE_CALL (g_get_worker_context) (),
+                                               is_remote (pathname), FALSE, error);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/gio/glocalfilemonitor.c b/gio/glocalfilemonitor.c
index 765b98ff4..a4cbeae0b 100644
--- a/gio/glocalfilemonitor.c
+++ b/gio/glocalfilemonitor.c
@@ -122,7 +122,9 @@ static void g_local_file_monitor_class_init (GLocalFileMonitorClass *klass)
 GFileMonitor*
 _g_local_file_monitor_new (const char         *pathname,
                            GFileMonitorFlags   flags,
+                           GMainContext       *context,
                            gboolean            is_remote_fs,
+                           gboolean            do_start,
                            GError            **error)
 {
   GFileMonitor *monitor = NULL;
@@ -139,12 +141,12 @@ _g_local_file_monitor_new (const char         *pathname,
                                           G_STRUCT_OFFSET (GLocalFileMonitorClass, is_supported));
 
   if (type != G_TYPE_INVALID)
-    monitor = G_FILE_MONITOR (g_object_new (type, "filename", pathname, "flags", flags, NULL));
+    monitor = G_FILE_MONITOR (g_object_new (type, "filename", pathname, "flags", flags, "context", context, NULL));
   else
     g_set_error_literal (error, G_IO_ERROR, G_IO_ERROR_FAILED,
                          _("Unable to find default local file monitor type"));
 
-  if (monitor)
+  if (monitor && do_start)
     g_local_file_monitor_start (G_LOCAL_FILE_MONITOR (monitor));
 
   return monitor;
diff --git a/gio/glocalfilemonitor.h b/gio/glocalfilemonitor.h
index e6bb62314..74baaa48e 100644
--- a/gio/glocalfilemonitor.h
+++ b/gio/glocalfilemonitor.h
@@ -63,10 +63,17 @@ GType           g_local_file_monitor_get_type (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
 
 GFileMonitor * _g_local_file_monitor_new      (const char         *pathname,
                                                GFileMonitorFlags   flags,
+                                               GMainContext       *context,
                                                gboolean            is_remote_fs,
+                                               gboolean            do_start,
                                                GError            **error);
 void            g_local_file_monitor_start    (GLocalFileMonitor  *local_monitor);
 
+/* Actually in glocalfile.c */
+GLocalFileMonitor *  g_local_file_monitor_new_in_worker (const char         *pathname,
+                                                         GFileMonitorFlags   flags,
+                                                         GError            **error);
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* __G_LOCAL_FILE_MONITOR_H__ */