diff --git a/docs/Changelog.md b/docs/Changelog.md
index 74030a80..9afd5ec5 100644
--- a/docs/Changelog.md
+++ b/docs/Changelog.md
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 ## New since 0.12.0
 
 - Render themes: symbols on lines with billboard, rotate [#743](https://github.com/mapsforge/vtm/pull/743)
+- Threaded system initialization (Android)
+  - `Parameters.THREADED_INIT`
 - Many other minor improvements and bug fixes
 - [Solved issues](https://github.com/mapsforge/vtm/issues?q=is%3Aclosed+milestone%3A0.13.0)
 
diff --git a/vtm-android/src/org/oscim/android/MapView.java b/vtm-android/src/org/oscim/android/MapView.java
index a49b5c09..25ca9c48 100644
--- a/vtm-android/src/org/oscim/android/MapView.java
+++ b/vtm-android/src/org/oscim/android/MapView.java
@@ -70,7 +70,15 @@ public class MapView extends GLSurfaceView {
     public static double targetGLESVersion = 3.0;
 
     private static void init() {
-        System.loadLibrary("vtm-jni");
+        if (Parameters.THREADED_INIT)
+            new Thread(new Runnable() {
+                @Override
+                public void run() {
+                    System.loadLibrary("vtm-jni");
+                }
+            }).start();
+        else
+            System.loadLibrary("vtm-jni");
     }
 
     protected AndroidMap mMap;
diff --git a/vtm/src/org/oscim/utils/Parameters.java b/vtm/src/org/oscim/utils/Parameters.java
index b556341e..158fd742 100644
--- a/vtm/src/org/oscim/utils/Parameters.java
+++ b/vtm/src/org/oscim/utils/Parameters.java
@@ -67,6 +67,11 @@ public final class Parameters {
      */
     public static boolean TEXTURE_ATLAS = false;
 
+    /**
+     * Threaded system initialization.
+     */
+    public static boolean THREADED_INIT = false;
+
     private Parameters() {
         throw new IllegalStateException();
     }