diff --git a/src/events/SDL_events.c b/src/events/SDL_events.c
index f7b598304b3ab..6a1e4f8c62bd0 100644
--- a/src/events/SDL_events.c
+++ b/src/events/SDL_events.c
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include "../audio/SDL_audio_c.h"
 #include "../camera/SDL_camera_c.h"
 #include "../timer/SDL_timer_c.h"
+#include "../tray/SDL_tray_utils.h"
 #ifndef SDL_JOYSTICK_DISABLED
 #include "../joystick/SDL_joystick_c.h"
 #endif
@@ -1399,6 +1400,8 @@ static void SDL_PumpEventsInternal(bool push_sentinel)
     }
 #endif
 
+    SDL_UpdateTrays();
+
     SDL_SendPendingSignalEvents(); // in case we had a signal handler fire, etc.
 
     if (push_sentinel && SDL_EventEnabled(SDL_EVENT_POLL_SENTINEL)) {
diff --git a/src/tray/SDL_tray_utils.h b/src/tray/SDL_tray_utils.h
index e9e64fc6862fc..a8854532dbaad 100644
--- a/src/tray/SDL_tray_utils.h
+++ b/src/tray/SDL_tray_utils.h
@@ -22,5 +22,6 @@
 
 extern void SDL_RegisterTray(SDL_Tray *tray);
 extern void SDL_UnregisterTray(SDL_Tray *tray);
+extern void SDL_UpdateTrays(void);
 extern void SDL_CleanupTrays(void);
 extern bool SDL_HasActiveTrays(void);
diff --git a/src/tray/cocoa/SDL_tray.m b/src/tray/cocoa/SDL_tray.m
index 9d2f55e2db347..ae8d6be835f27 100644
--- a/src/tray/cocoa/SDL_tray.m
+++ b/src/tray/cocoa/SDL_tray.m
@@ -78,6 +78,10 @@ static void DestroySDLMenu(SDL_TrayMenu *menu)
     SDL_free(menu);
 }
 
+void SDL_UpdateTrays(void)
+{
+}
+
 SDL_Tray *SDL_CreateTray(SDL_Surface *icon, const char *tooltip)
 {
     if (!SDL_IsMainThread()) {
diff --git a/src/tray/dummy/SDL_tray.c b/src/tray/dummy/SDL_tray.c
index 55a1e645586f4..db76db25269bf 100644
--- a/src/tray/dummy/SDL_tray.c
+++ b/src/tray/dummy/SDL_tray.c
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@
 
 #include "../SDL_tray_utils.h"
 
+void SDL_UpdateTrays(void)
+{
+}
+
 SDL_Tray *SDL_CreateTray(SDL_Surface *icon, const char *tooltip)
 {
     SDL_Unsupported();
diff --git a/src/tray/unix/SDL_tray.c b/src/tray/unix/SDL_tray.c
index 0176c917e9359..2a1cdacc886c4 100644
--- a/src/tray/unix/SDL_tray.c
+++ b/src/tray/unix/SDL_tray.c
@@ -78,24 +78,23 @@ typedef struct _GtkMenuShell GtkMenuShell;
 typedef struct _GtkWidget GtkWidget;
 typedef struct _GtkCheckMenuItem GtkCheckMenuItem;
 
-gboolean (*gtk_init_check)(int *argc, char ***argv);
-void (*gtk_main)(void);
-void (*gtk_main_quit)(void);
-GtkWidget* (*gtk_menu_new)(void);
-GtkWidget* (*gtk_separator_menu_item_new)(void);
-GtkWidget* (*gtk_menu_item_new_with_label)(const gchar *label);
-void (*gtk_menu_item_set_submenu)(GtkMenuItem *menu_item, GtkWidget *submenu);
-GtkWidget* (*gtk_check_menu_item_new_with_label)(const gchar *label);
-void (*gtk_check_menu_item_set_active)(GtkCheckMenuItem *check_menu_item, gboolean is_active);
-void (*gtk_widget_set_sensitive)(GtkWidget *widget, gboolean sensitive);
-void (*gtk_widget_show)(GtkWidget *widget);
-void (*gtk_menu_shell_append)(GtkMenuShell *menu_shell, GtkWidget *child);
-void (*gtk_menu_shell_insert)(GtkMenuShell *menu_shell, GtkWidget *child, gint position);
-void (*gtk_widget_destroy)(GtkWidget *widget);
-const gchar *(*gtk_menu_item_get_label)(GtkMenuItem *menu_item);
-void (*gtk_menu_item_set_label)(GtkMenuItem *menu_item, const gchar *label);
-gboolean (*gtk_check_menu_item_get_active)(GtkCheckMenuItem *check_menu_item);
-gboolean (*gtk_widget_get_sensitive)(GtkWidget *widget);
+static gboolean (*gtk_init_check)(int *argc, char ***argv);
+static gboolean (*gtk_main_iteration_do)(gboolean blocking);
+static GtkWidget* (*gtk_menu_new)(void);
+static GtkWidget* (*gtk_separator_menu_item_new)(void);
+static GtkWidget* (*gtk_menu_item_new_with_label)(const gchar *label);
+static void (*gtk_menu_item_set_submenu)(GtkMenuItem *menu_item, GtkWidget *submenu);
+static GtkWidget* (*gtk_check_menu_item_new_with_label)(const gchar *label);
+static void (*gtk_check_menu_item_set_active)(GtkCheckMenuItem *check_menu_item, gboolean is_active);
+static void (*gtk_widget_set_sensitive)(GtkWidget *widget, gboolean sensitive);
+static void (*gtk_widget_show)(GtkWidget *widget);
+static void (*gtk_menu_shell_append)(GtkMenuShell *menu_shell, GtkWidget *child);
+static void (*gtk_menu_shell_insert)(GtkMenuShell *menu_shell, GtkWidget *child, gint position);
+static void (*gtk_widget_destroy)(GtkWidget *widget);
+static const gchar *(*gtk_menu_item_get_label)(GtkMenuItem *menu_item);
+static void (*gtk_menu_item_set_label)(GtkMenuItem *menu_item, const gchar *label);
+static gboolean (*gtk_check_menu_item_get_active)(GtkCheckMenuItem *check_menu_item);
+static gboolean (*gtk_widget_get_sensitive)(GtkWidget *widget);
 
 #define GTK_MENU_ITEM(obj) (G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE_CAST ((obj), GTK_TYPE_MENU_ITEM, GtkMenuItem))
 #define GTK_WIDGET(widget) (G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE_CAST ((widget), GTK_TYPE_WIDGET, GtkWidget))
@@ -128,14 +127,6 @@ void (*app_indicator_set_menu)(AppIndicator *self, GtkMenu *menu);
 /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 #endif
 
-static int main_gtk_thread(void *data)
-{
-    gtk_main();
-    return 0;
-}
-
-static bool gtk_thread_active = false;
-
 #ifdef APPINDICATOR_HEADER
 
 static void quit_gtk(void)
@@ -232,8 +223,7 @@ static bool init_gtk(void)
     }
 
     gtk_init_check = dlsym(libgtk, "gtk_init_check");
-    gtk_main = dlsym(libgtk, "gtk_main");
-    gtk_main_quit = dlsym(libgtk, "gtk_main_quit");
+    gtk_main_iteration_do = dlsym(libgtk, "gtk_main_iteration_do");
     gtk_menu_new = dlsym(libgtk, "gtk_menu_new");
     gtk_separator_menu_item_new = dlsym(libgtk, "gtk_separator_menu_item_new");
     gtk_menu_item_new_with_label = dlsym(libgtk, "gtk_menu_item_new_with_label");
@@ -262,8 +252,7 @@ static bool init_gtk(void)
     app_indicator_set_menu = dlsym(libappindicator, "app_indicator_set_menu");
 
     if (!gtk_init_check ||
-        !gtk_main ||
-        !gtk_main_quit ||
+        !gtk_main_iteration_do ||
         !gtk_menu_new ||
         !gtk_separator_menu_item_new ||
         !gtk_menu_item_new_with_label ||
@@ -396,6 +385,13 @@ static void DestroySDLMenu(SDL_TrayMenu *menu)
     SDL_free(menu);
 }
 
+void SDL_UpdateTrays(void)
+{
+    if (SDL_HasActiveTrays()) {
+        gtk_main_iteration_do(FALSE);
+    }
+}
+
 SDL_Tray *SDL_CreateTray(SDL_Surface *icon, const char *tooltip)
 {
     if (!SDL_IsMainThread()) {
@@ -407,11 +403,6 @@ SDL_Tray *SDL_CreateTray(SDL_Surface *icon, const char *tooltip)
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    if (!gtk_thread_active) {
-        SDL_DetachThread(SDL_CreateThread(main_gtk_thread, "tray gtk", NULL));
-        gtk_thread_active = true;
-    }
-
     SDL_Tray *tray = (SDL_Tray *)SDL_calloc(1, sizeof(*tray));
     if (!tray) {
         return NULL;
@@ -799,9 +790,4 @@ void SDL_DestroyTray(SDL_Tray *tray)
     }
 
     SDL_free(tray);
-
-    if (!SDL_HasActiveTrays()) {
-        gtk_main_quit();
-        gtk_thread_active = false;
-    }
 }
diff --git a/src/tray/windows/SDL_tray.c b/src/tray/windows/SDL_tray.c
index 0afd62768f0e3..a7e27c069914d 100644
--- a/src/tray/windows/SDL_tray.c
+++ b/src/tray/windows/SDL_tray.c
@@ -209,6 +209,10 @@ static HICON load_default_icon()
     return LoadIcon(NULL, IDI_APPLICATION);
 }
 
+void SDL_UpdateTrays(void)
+{
+}
+
 SDL_Tray *SDL_CreateTray(SDL_Surface *icon, const char *tooltip)
 {
     if (!SDL_IsMainThread()) {