diff --git a/channels/chan_iax2.c b/channels/chan_iax2.c
index 13d25b7b052ba465c9663f2cd5ffb439ad178336..538b56ad5462e0639d722c458d23a7cab139353f 100644
--- a/channels/chan_iax2.c
+++ b/channels/chan_iax2.c
@@ -12402,16 +12402,26 @@ static int start_network_thread(void)
 			ast_cond_init(&thread->cond, NULL);
 			ast_mutex_init(&thread->init_lock);
 			ast_cond_init(&thread->init_cond, NULL);
+
+			ast_mutex_lock(&thread->init_lock);
+
 			if (ast_pthread_create_background(&thread->threadid, NULL, iax2_process_thread, thread)) {
 				ast_log(LOG_WARNING, "Failed to create new thread!\n");
 				ast_mutex_destroy(&thread->lock);
 				ast_cond_destroy(&thread->cond);
+				ast_mutex_unlock(&thread->init_lock);
 				ast_mutex_destroy(&thread->init_lock);
 				ast_cond_destroy(&thread->init_cond);
 				ast_free(thread);
 				thread = NULL;
 				continue;
 			}
+			/* Wait for the thread to be ready */
+			ast_cond_wait(&thread->init_cond, &thread->init_lock);
+
+			/* Done with init_lock */
+			ast_mutex_unlock(&thread->init_lock);
+
 			AST_LIST_LOCK(&idle_list);
 			AST_LIST_INSERT_TAIL(&idle_list, thread, list);
 			AST_LIST_UNLOCK(&idle_list);