diff --git a/Core/HLE/HLEHelperThread.cpp b/Core/HLE/HLEHelperThread.cpp
index 7f932c4a9c..36f9166813 100644
--- a/Core/HLE/HLEHelperThread.cpp
+++ b/Core/HLE/HLEHelperThread.cpp
@@ -16,9 +16,11 @@
 // https://github.com/hrydgard/ppsspp and http://www.ppsspp.org/.
 
 #include "Common/ChunkFile.h"
+#include "Core/CoreTiming.h"
 #include "Core/MemMapHelpers.h"
 #include "Core/HLE/HLE.h"
 #include "Core/HLE/HLEHelperThread.h"
+#include "Core/HLE/KernelWaitHelpers.h"
 #include "Core/HLE/sceKernelThread.h"
 #include "Core/HLE/sceKernelMemory.h"
 #include "Core/MIPS/MIPSCodeUtils.h"
@@ -91,6 +93,13 @@ void HLEHelperThread::ChangePriority(u32 prio) {
 	KernelChangeThreadPriority(id_, prio);
 }
 
+void HLEHelperThread::Resume(WaitType waitType, SceUID uid, int result) {
+	bool res = HLEKernel::ResumeFromWait(id_, waitType, uid, result);
+	if (!res) {
+		ERROR_LOG(HLE, "Failed to wake helper thread from wait");
+	}
+}
+
 void HLEHelperThread::Forget() {
 	id_ = 0;
 	entry_ = 0;
diff --git a/Core/HLE/HLEHelperThread.h b/Core/HLE/HLEHelperThread.h
index 1868d309b0..39df4c7402 100644
--- a/Core/HLE/HLEHelperThread.h
+++ b/Core/HLE/HLEHelperThread.h
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include "Core/HLE/sceKernel.h"
 
 class PointerWrap;
+enum WaitType : int;
 
 class HLEHelperThread {
 public:
@@ -33,10 +34,15 @@ public:
 	void Terminate();
 	bool Stopped();
 	void ChangePriority(u32 prio);
+	void Resume(WaitType waitType, SceUID uid, int result);
 
 	// For savestates.
 	void Forget();
 
+	u32 Entry() {
+		return entry_;
+	}
+
 private:
 	void AllocEntry(u32 size);
 	void Create(const char *threadName, u32 prio, int stacksize);
diff --git a/Core/HLE/sceIo.cpp b/Core/HLE/sceIo.cpp
index f08d1d317b..1982eeab85 100644
--- a/Core/HLE/sceIo.cpp
+++ b/Core/HLE/sceIo.cpp
@@ -295,8 +295,11 @@ public:
 
 u64 __IoCompleteAsyncIO(FileNode *f);
 
-static void IoAsyncCleanupThread(int fd, bool force = false) {
-	if (asyncThreads[fd] && (asyncThreads[fd]->Stopped() || force)) {
+static void IoAsyncCleanupThread(int fd) {
+	if (asyncThreads[fd]) {
+		if (!asyncThreads[fd]->Stopped()) {
+			asyncThreads[fd]->Terminate();
+		}
 		delete asyncThreads[fd];
 		asyncThreads[fd] = nullptr;
 	}
@@ -438,8 +441,6 @@ static void __IoAsyncNotify(u64 userdata, int cyclesLate) {
 		if (f->closePending) {
 			__IoFreeFd(fd, error);
 		}
-
-		IoAsyncCleanupThread(fd);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -488,8 +489,6 @@ static void __IoSyncNotify(u64 userdata, int cyclesLate) {
 
 	HLEKernel::ResumeFromWait(threadID, WAITTYPE_IO, fd, result);
 	f->waitingSyncThreads.erase(std::remove(f->waitingSyncThreads.begin(), f->waitingSyncThreads.end(), threadID), f->waitingSyncThreads.end());
-
-	IoAsyncCleanupThread(fd);
 }
 
 static void __IoAsyncBeginCallback(SceUID threadID, SceUID prevCallbackId) {
@@ -778,12 +777,20 @@ u32 __IoGetFileHandleFromId(u32 id, u32 &outError)
 }
 
 static void IoStartAsyncThread(int id, FileNode *f) {
-	IoAsyncCleanupThread(id, true);
-	int priority = asyncParams[id].priority == -1 ? asyncDefaultPriority : asyncParams[id].priority;
-	if (priority == -1)
-		priority = KernelCurThreadPriority();
-	asyncThreads[id] = new HLEHelperThread("SceIoAsync", "IoFileMgrForUser", "__IoAsyncFinish", priority, 0x200);
-	asyncThreads[id]->Start(id, 0);
+	if (asyncThreads[id] && !asyncThreads[id]->Stopped()) {
+		// Wake the thread up.
+		if (asyncParams[id].priority == -1 && sceKernelGetCompiledSdkVersion() >= 0x04020000) {
+			asyncThreads[id]->ChangePriority(KernelCurThreadPriority());
+		}
+		asyncThreads[id]->Resume(WAITTYPE_ASYNCIO, id, 0);
+	} else {
+		IoAsyncCleanupThread(id);
+		int priority = asyncParams[id].priority;
+		if (priority == -1)
+			priority = KernelCurThreadPriority();
+		asyncThreads[id] = new HLEHelperThread("SceIoAsync", "IoFileMgrForUser", "__IoAsyncFinish", priority, 0x200);
+		asyncThreads[id]->Start(id, 0);
+	}
 	f->pendingAsyncResult = true;
 }
 
@@ -1491,7 +1498,7 @@ static u32 sceIoOpen(const char *filename, int flags, int mode) {
 		return id;
 	} else {
 		DEBUG_LOG(SCEIO, "%i=sceIoOpen(%s, %08x, %08x)", id, filename, flags, mode);
-		asyncParams[id].priority = -1;
+		asyncParams[id].priority = asyncDefaultPriority;
 		// Timing is not accurate, aiming low for now.
 		return hleDelayResult(id, "file opened", 100);
 	}
@@ -1984,6 +1991,9 @@ static int sceIoChangeAsyncPriority(int id, int priority) {
 	}
 
 	if (asyncThreads[id] && !asyncThreads[id]->Stopped()) {
+		if (priority == -1) {
+			priority = KernelCurThreadPriority();
+		}
 		asyncThreads[id]->ChangePriority(priority);
 	}
 
@@ -2101,7 +2111,6 @@ static u32 sceIoGetAsyncStat(int id, u32 poll, u32 address) {
 			DEBUG_LOG(SCEIO, "%lli = sceIoGetAsyncStat(%i, %i, %08x)", f->asyncResult, id, poll, address);
 			Memory::Write_U64((u64) f->asyncResult, address);
 			f->hasAsyncResult = false;
-			IoAsyncCleanupThread(id);
 
 			if (f->closePending) {
 				__IoFreeFd(id, error);
@@ -2139,7 +2148,6 @@ static int sceIoWaitAsync(int id, u32 address) {
 			}
 			Memory::Write_U64((u64) f->asyncResult, address);
 			f->hasAsyncResult = false;
-			IoAsyncCleanupThread(id);
 
 			if (f->closePending) {
 				__IoFreeFd(id, error);
@@ -2173,7 +2181,6 @@ static int sceIoWaitAsyncCB(int id, u32 address) {
 		} else if (f->hasAsyncResult) {
 			Memory::Write_U64((u64) f->asyncResult, address);
 			f->hasAsyncResult = false;
-			IoAsyncCleanupThread(id);
 
 			if (f->closePending) {
 				__IoFreeFd(id, error);
@@ -2197,7 +2204,6 @@ static u32 sceIoPollAsync(int id, u32 address) {
 		} else if (f->hasAsyncResult) {
 			Memory::Write_U64((u64) f->asyncResult, address);
 			f->hasAsyncResult = false;
-			IoAsyncCleanupThread(id);
 
 			if (f->closePending) {
 				__IoFreeFd(id, error);
@@ -2671,6 +2677,8 @@ static int IoAsyncFinish(int id) {
 	if (f) {
 		// Reset this so the Io funcs don't reject the request.
 		f->pendingAsyncResult = false;
+		// Reset the PC back so we will run again on resume.
+		currentMIPS->pc = asyncThreads[id]->Entry();
 
 		auto &params = asyncParams[id];
 
@@ -2732,6 +2740,7 @@ static int IoAsyncFinish(int id) {
 
 		__IoSchedAsync(f, id, us);
 		__KernelWaitCurThread(WAITTYPE_ASYNCIO, id, 0, 0, false, "async io");
+		hleSkipDeadbeef();
 
 		params.op = IoAsyncOp::NONE;
 		return 0;
diff --git a/Core/HLE/sceKernelThread.h b/Core/HLE/sceKernelThread.h
index c89a373ee9..8b95396b97 100644
--- a/Core/HLE/sceKernelThread.h
+++ b/Core/HLE/sceKernelThread.h
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ struct SceKernelSysClock {
 
 // TODO: Map these to PSP wait types.  Most of these are wrong.
 // remember to update the waitTypeNames array in sceKernelThread.cpp when changing these
-enum WaitType
+enum WaitType : int
 {
 	WAITTYPE_NONE         = 0,
 	WAITTYPE_SLEEP        = 1,