diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 91dcd50..ce8043f 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -19,10 +19,10 @@ name = "io"
 harness = false
 
 [dependencies]
+async-lock = "2.6"
 concurrent-queue = "1.2.2"
 futures-lite = "1.11.0"
 log = "0.4.11"
-once_cell = "1.4.1"
 parking = "2.0.0"
 polling = "2.0.0"
 slab = "0.4.2"
diff --git a/src/driver.rs b/src/driver.rs
index dd52621..3122f1f 100644
--- a/src/driver.rs
+++ b/src/driver.rs
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ use std::task::{Context, Poll};
 use std::thread;
 use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
 
+use async_lock::OnceCell;
 use futures_lite::pin;
-use once_cell::sync::Lazy;
 use waker_fn::waker_fn;
 
 use crate::reactor::Reactor;
@@ -16,25 +16,29 @@ use crate::reactor::Reactor;
 static BLOCK_ON_COUNT: AtomicUsize = AtomicUsize::new(0);
 
 /// Unparker for the "async-io" thread.
-static UNPARKER: Lazy<parking::Unparker> = Lazy::new(|| {
-    let (parker, unparker) = parking::pair();
-
-    // Spawn a helper thread driving the reactor.
-    //
-    // Note that this thread is not exactly necessary, it's only here to help push things
-    // forward if there are no `Parker`s around or if `Parker`s are just idling and never
-    // parking.
-    thread::Builder::new()
-        .name("async-io".to_string())
-        .spawn(move || main_loop(parker))
-        .expect("cannot spawn async-io thread");
-
-    unparker
-});
+fn unparker() -> &'static parking::Unparker {
+    static UNPARKER: OnceCell<parking::Unparker> = OnceCell::new();
+
+    UNPARKER.get_or_init_blocking(|| {
+        let (parker, unparker) = parking::pair();
+
+        // Spawn a helper thread driving the reactor.
+        //
+        // Note that this thread is not exactly necessary, it's only here to help push things
+        // forward if there are no `Parker`s around or if `Parker`s are just idling and never
+        // parking.
+        thread::Builder::new()
+            .name("async-io".to_string())
+            .spawn(move || main_loop(parker))
+            .expect("cannot spawn async-io thread");
+
+        unparker
+    })
+}
 
 /// Initializes the "async-io" thread.
 pub(crate) fn init() {
-    Lazy::force(&UNPARKER);
+    let _ = unparker();
 }
 
 /// The main loop for the "async-io" thread.
@@ -109,7 +113,7 @@ pub fn block_on<T>(future: impl Future<Output = T>) -> T {
     // Make sure to decrement `BLOCK_ON_COUNT` at the end and wake the "async-io" thread.
     let _guard = CallOnDrop(|| {
         BLOCK_ON_COUNT.fetch_sub(1, Ordering::SeqCst);
-        UNPARKER.unpark();
+        unparker().unpark();
     });
 
     // Parker and unparker for notifying the current thread.
@@ -205,7 +209,7 @@ pub fn block_on<T>(future: impl Future<Output = T>) -> T {
 
                     // Unpark the "async-io" thread in case no other thread is ready to start
                     // processing I/O events. This way we prevent a potential latency spike.
-                    UNPARKER.unpark();
+                    unparker().unpark();
 
                     // Wait for a notification.
                     p.park();
diff --git a/src/reactor.rs b/src/reactor.rs
index b6ae153..32a2a11 100644
--- a/src/reactor.rs
+++ b/src/reactor.rs
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@ use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex, MutexGuard};
 use std::task::{Context, Poll, Waker};
 use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
 
+use async_lock::OnceCell;
 use concurrent_queue::ConcurrentQueue;
 use futures_lite::ready;
-use once_cell::sync::Lazy;
 use polling::{Event, Poller};
 use slab::Slab;
 
@@ -67,7 +67,9 @@ pub(crate) struct Reactor {
 impl Reactor {
     /// Returns a reference to the reactor.
     pub(crate) fn get() -> &'static Reactor {
-        static REACTOR: Lazy<Reactor> = Lazy::new(|| {
+        static REACTOR: OnceCell<Reactor> = OnceCell::new();
+
+        REACTOR.get_or_init_blocking(|| {
             crate::driver::init();
             Reactor {
                 poller: Poller::new().expect("cannot initialize I/O event notification"),
@@ -77,8 +79,7 @@ impl Reactor {
                 timers: Mutex::new(BTreeMap::new()),
                 timer_ops: ConcurrentQueue::bounded(1000),
             }
-        });
-        &REACTOR
+        })
     }
 
     /// Returns the current ticker.