diff --git a/net/colo-compare.c b/net/colo-compare.c
index eee33b87a8..b3f35d729a 100644
--- a/net/colo-compare.c
+++ b/net/colo-compare.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "qemu/sockets.h"
 #include "qapi-visit.h"
 #include "net/colo.h"
+#include "sysemu/iothread.h"
 
 #define TYPE_COLO_COMPARE "colo-compare"
 #define COLO_COMPARE(obj) \
@@ -82,11 +83,10 @@ typedef struct CompareState {
     GQueue conn_list;
     /* Record the connection without repetition */
     GHashTable *connection_track_table;
-    /* This thread just do packet compare job */
-    QemuThread thread;
 
+    IOThread *iothread;
     GMainContext *worker_context;
-    GMainLoop *compare_loop;
+    QEMUTimer *packet_check_timer;
 } CompareState;
 
 typedef struct CompareClass {
@@ -615,22 +615,40 @@ static void compare_sec_chr_in(void *opaque, const uint8_t *buf, int size)
  * Check old packet regularly so it can watch for any packets
  * that the secondary hasn't produced equivalents of.
  */
-static gboolean check_old_packet_regular(void *opaque)
+static void check_old_packet_regular(void *opaque)
 {
     CompareState *s = opaque;
 
     /* if have old packet we will notify checkpoint */
     colo_old_packet_check(s);
-
-    return TRUE;
+    timer_mod(s->packet_check_timer, qemu_clock_get_ms(QEMU_CLOCK_VIRTUAL) +
+                REGULAR_PACKET_CHECK_MS);
 }
 
-static void *colo_compare_thread(void *opaque)
+static void colo_compare_timer_init(CompareState *s)
 {
-    CompareState *s = opaque;
-    GSource *timeout_source;
+    AioContext *ctx = iothread_get_aio_context(s->iothread);
 
-    s->worker_context = g_main_context_new();
+    s->packet_check_timer = aio_timer_new(ctx, QEMU_CLOCK_VIRTUAL,
+                                SCALE_MS, check_old_packet_regular,
+                                s);
+    timer_mod(s->packet_check_timer, qemu_clock_get_ms(QEMU_CLOCK_VIRTUAL) +
+                    REGULAR_PACKET_CHECK_MS);
+}
+
+static void colo_compare_timer_del(CompareState *s)
+{
+    if (s->packet_check_timer) {
+        timer_del(s->packet_check_timer);
+        timer_free(s->packet_check_timer);
+        s->packet_check_timer = NULL;
+    }
+ }
+
+static void colo_compare_iothread(CompareState *s)
+{
+    object_ref(OBJECT(s->iothread));
+    s->worker_context = iothread_get_g_main_context(s->iothread);
 
     qemu_chr_fe_set_handlers(&s->chr_pri_in, compare_chr_can_read,
                              compare_pri_chr_in, NULL, NULL,
@@ -639,20 +657,7 @@ static void *colo_compare_thread(void *opaque)
                              compare_sec_chr_in, NULL, NULL,
                              s, s->worker_context, true);
 
-    s->compare_loop = g_main_loop_new(s->worker_context, FALSE);
-
-    /* To kick any packets that the secondary doesn't match */
-    timeout_source = g_timeout_source_new(REGULAR_PACKET_CHECK_MS);
-    g_source_set_callback(timeout_source,
-                          (GSourceFunc)check_old_packet_regular, s, NULL);
-    g_source_attach(timeout_source, s->worker_context);
-
-    g_main_loop_run(s->compare_loop);
-
-    g_source_unref(timeout_source);
-    g_main_loop_unref(s->compare_loop);
-    g_main_context_unref(s->worker_context);
-    return NULL;
+    colo_compare_timer_init(s);
 }
 
 static char *compare_get_pri_indev(Object *obj, Error **errp)
@@ -777,12 +782,10 @@ static void colo_compare_complete(UserCreatable *uc, Error **errp)
 {
     CompareState *s = COLO_COMPARE(uc);
     Chardev *chr;
-    char thread_name[64];
-    static int compare_id;
 
-    if (!s->pri_indev || !s->sec_indev || !s->outdev) {
+    if (!s->pri_indev || !s->sec_indev || !s->outdev || !s->iothread) {
         error_setg(errp, "colo compare needs 'primary_in' ,"
-                   "'secondary_in','outdev' property set");
+                   "'secondary_in','outdev','iothread' property set");
         return;
     } else if (!strcmp(s->pri_indev, s->outdev) ||
                !strcmp(s->sec_indev, s->outdev) ||
@@ -817,12 +820,7 @@ static void colo_compare_complete(UserCreatable *uc, Error **errp)
                                                       g_free,
                                                       connection_destroy);
 
-    sprintf(thread_name, "colo-compare %d", compare_id);
-    qemu_thread_create(&s->thread, thread_name,
-                       colo_compare_thread, s,
-                       QEMU_THREAD_JOINABLE);
-    compare_id++;
-
+    colo_compare_iothread(s);
     return;
 }
 
@@ -866,6 +864,10 @@ static void colo_compare_init(Object *obj)
     object_property_add_str(obj, "outdev",
                             compare_get_outdev, compare_set_outdev,
                             NULL);
+    object_property_add_link(obj, "iothread", TYPE_IOTHREAD,
+                            (Object **)&s->iothread,
+                            object_property_allow_set_link,
+                            OBJ_PROP_LINK_UNREF_ON_RELEASE, NULL);
 
     s->vnet_hdr = false;
     object_property_add_bool(obj, "vnet_hdr_support", compare_get_vnet_hdr,
@@ -879,16 +881,21 @@ static void colo_compare_finalize(Object *obj)
     qemu_chr_fe_deinit(&s->chr_pri_in, false);
     qemu_chr_fe_deinit(&s->chr_sec_in, false);
     qemu_chr_fe_deinit(&s->chr_out, false);
-
-    g_main_loop_quit(s->compare_loop);
-    qemu_thread_join(&s->thread);
-
+    if (s->iothread) {
+        colo_compare_timer_del(s);
+    }
     /* Release all unhandled packets after compare thead exited */
     g_queue_foreach(&s->conn_list, colo_flush_packets, s);
 
     g_queue_clear(&s->conn_list);
 
-    g_hash_table_destroy(s->connection_track_table);
+    if (s->connection_track_table) {
+        g_hash_table_destroy(s->connection_track_table);
+    }
+
+    if (s->iothread) {
+        object_unref(OBJECT(s->iothread));
+    }
     g_free(s->pri_indev);
     g_free(s->sec_indev);
     g_free(s->outdev);