diff --git a/main-loop.c b/main-loop.c
index 365c9d3261..e43c7c8e8d 100644
--- a/main-loop.c
+++ b/main-loop.c
@@ -32,70 +32,6 @@
 
 #include "compatfd.h"
 
-static int io_thread_fd = -1;
-
-void qemu_notify_event(void)
-{
-    /* Write 8 bytes to be compatible with eventfd.  */
-    static const uint64_t val = 1;
-    ssize_t ret;
-
-    if (io_thread_fd == -1) {
-        return;
-    }
-    do {
-        ret = write(io_thread_fd, &val, sizeof(val));
-    } while (ret < 0 && errno == EINTR);
-
-    /* EAGAIN is fine, a read must be pending.  */
-    if (ret < 0 && errno != EAGAIN) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "qemu_notify_event: write() failed: %s\n",
-                strerror(errno));
-        exit(1);
-    }
-}
-
-static void qemu_event_read(void *opaque)
-{
-    int fd = (intptr_t)opaque;
-    ssize_t len;
-    char buffer[512];
-
-    /* Drain the notify pipe.  For eventfd, only 8 bytes will be read.  */
-    do {
-        len = read(fd, buffer, sizeof(buffer));
-    } while ((len == -1 && errno == EINTR) || len == sizeof(buffer));
-}
-
-static int qemu_event_init(void)
-{
-    int err;
-    int fds[2];
-
-    err = qemu_eventfd(fds);
-    if (err == -1) {
-        return -errno;
-    }
-    err = fcntl_setfl(fds[0], O_NONBLOCK);
-    if (err < 0) {
-        goto fail;
-    }
-    err = fcntl_setfl(fds[1], O_NONBLOCK);
-    if (err < 0) {
-        goto fail;
-    }
-    qemu_set_fd_handler2(fds[0], NULL, qemu_event_read, NULL,
-                         (void *)(intptr_t)fds[0]);
-
-    io_thread_fd = fds[1];
-    return 0;
-
-fail:
-    close(fds[0]);
-    close(fds[1]);
-    return err;
-}
-
 /* If we have signalfd, we mask out the signals we want to handle and then
  * use signalfd to listen for them.  We rely on whatever the current signal
  * handler is to dispatch the signals when we receive them.
@@ -165,35 +101,6 @@ static int qemu_signal_init(void)
 
 #else /* _WIN32 */
 
-static HANDLE qemu_event_handle = NULL;
-
-static void dummy_event_handler(void *opaque)
-{
-}
-
-static int qemu_event_init(void)
-{
-    qemu_event_handle = CreateEvent(NULL, FALSE, FALSE, NULL);
-    if (!qemu_event_handle) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "Failed CreateEvent: %ld\n", GetLastError());
-        return -1;
-    }
-    qemu_add_wait_object(qemu_event_handle, dummy_event_handler, NULL);
-    return 0;
-}
-
-void qemu_notify_event(void)
-{
-    if (!qemu_event_handle) {
-        return;
-    }
-    if (!SetEvent(qemu_event_handle)) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "qemu_notify_event: SetEvent failed: %ld\n",
-                GetLastError());
-        exit(1);
-    }
-}
-
 static int qemu_signal_init(void)
 {
     return 0;
@@ -202,6 +109,14 @@ static int qemu_signal_init(void)
 
 static AioContext *qemu_aio_context;
 
+void qemu_notify_event(void)
+{
+    if (!qemu_aio_context) {
+        return;
+    }
+    aio_notify(qemu_aio_context);
+}
+
 int qemu_init_main_loop(void)
 {
     int ret;
@@ -216,12 +131,6 @@ int qemu_init_main_loop(void)
         return ret;
     }
 
-    /* Note eventfd must be drained before signalfd handlers run */
-    ret = qemu_event_init();
-    if (ret) {
-        return ret;
-    }
-
     qemu_aio_context = aio_context_new();
     src = aio_get_g_source(qemu_aio_context);
     g_source_attach(src, NULL);
@@ -411,7 +320,8 @@ void qemu_del_wait_object(HANDLE handle, WaitObjectFunc *func, void *opaque)
 
 void qemu_fd_register(int fd)
 {
-    WSAEventSelect(fd, qemu_event_handle, FD_READ | FD_ACCEPT | FD_CLOSE |
+    WSAEventSelect(fd, event_notifier_get_handle(&qemu_aio_context->notifier),
+                   FD_READ | FD_ACCEPT | FD_CLOSE |
                    FD_CONNECT | FD_WRITE | FD_OOB);
 }