diff --git a/packages/SettingsProvider/src/com/android/providers/settings/SettingsProvider.java b/packages/SettingsProvider/src/com/android/providers/settings/SettingsProvider.java
index 596e5a8ccc01a..f49594cb44d17 100644
--- a/packages/SettingsProvider/src/com/android/providers/settings/SettingsProvider.java
+++ b/packages/SettingsProvider/src/com/android/providers/settings/SettingsProvider.java
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ import android.os.Debug;
 import android.os.DropBoxManager;
 import android.os.Environment;
 import android.os.Handler;
+import android.os.HandlerThread;
 import android.os.Looper;
 import android.os.Message;
 import android.os.ParcelFileDescriptor;
@@ -199,6 +200,12 @@ public class SettingsProvider extends ContentProvider {
     @GuardedBy("mLock")
     private SettingsRegistry mSettingsRegistry;
 
+    @GuardedBy("mLock")
+    private HandlerThread mHandlerThread;
+
+    @GuardedBy("mLock")
+    private Handler mBackgroundHandler;
+
     // We have to call in the user manager with no lock held,
     private volatile UserManager mUserManager;
 
@@ -244,6 +251,10 @@ public class SettingsProvider extends ContentProvider {
         synchronized (mLock) {
             mUserManager = UserManager.get(getContext());
             mPackageManager = AppGlobals.getPackageManager();
+            mHandlerThread = new HandlerThread(LOG_TAG,
+                    Process.THREAD_PRIORITY_BACKGROUND);
+            mHandlerThread.start();
+            mBackgroundHandler = new Handler(mHandlerThread.getLooper());
             mSettingsRegistry = new SettingsRegistry();
         }
         registerBroadcastReceivers();
@@ -1669,7 +1680,7 @@ public class SettingsProvider extends ContentProvider {
             if (mSettingsStates.get(key) == null) {
                 final int maxBytesPerPackage = getMaxBytesPerPackageForType(getTypeFromKey(key));
                 SettingsState settingsState = new SettingsState(mLock, getSettingsFile(key), key,
-                        maxBytesPerPackage);
+                        maxBytesPerPackage, mBackgroundHandler);
                 mSettingsStates.put(key, settingsState);
             }
         }
diff --git a/packages/SettingsProvider/src/com/android/providers/settings/SettingsState.java b/packages/SettingsProvider/src/com/android/providers/settings/SettingsState.java
index 2de0618c6564e..1e027475fd69d 100644
--- a/packages/SettingsProvider/src/com/android/providers/settings/SettingsState.java
+++ b/packages/SettingsProvider/src/com/android/providers/settings/SettingsState.java
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ final class SettingsState {
 
     private final Object mLock;
 
-    private final Handler mHandler = new MyHandler();
+    private final Handler mHandler;
 
     @GuardedBy("mLock")
     private final ArrayMap<String, Setting> mSettings = new ArrayMap<>();
@@ -134,13 +134,15 @@ final class SettingsState {
     @GuardedBy("mLock")
     private long mNextId;
 
-    public SettingsState(Object lock, File file, int key, int maxBytesPerAppPackage) {
+    public SettingsState(Object lock, File file, int key, int maxBytesPerAppPackage,
+            Handler handler) {
         // It is important that we use the same lock as the settings provider
         // to ensure multiple mutations on this state are atomicaly persisted
         // as the async persistence should be blocked while we make changes.
         mLock = lock;
         mStatePersistFile = file;
         mKey = key;
+        mHandler = handler;
         if (maxBytesPerAppPackage == MAX_BYTES_PER_APP_PACKAGE_LIMITED) {
             mMaxBytesPerAppPackage = maxBytesPerAppPackage;
             mPackageToMemoryUsage = new ArrayMap<>();
diff --git a/packages/SettingsProvider/test/src/com/android/providers/settings/SettingsStateTest.java b/packages/SettingsProvider/test/src/com/android/providers/settings/SettingsStateTest.java
index 3f9ffa10f9630..53c2958ad914a 100644
--- a/packages/SettingsProvider/test/src/com/android/providers/settings/SettingsStateTest.java
+++ b/packages/SettingsProvider/test/src/com/android/providers/settings/SettingsStateTest.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 package com.android.providers.settings;
 
+import android.os.Handler;
 import android.test.AndroidTestCase;
 import android.util.Xml;
 
@@ -126,7 +127,7 @@ public class SettingsStateTest extends AndroidTestCase {
         final Object lock = new Object();
 
         final SettingsState ssWriter = new SettingsState(lock, file, 1,
-                SettingsState.MAX_BYTES_PER_APP_PACKAGE_UNLIMITED);
+                SettingsState.MAX_BYTES_PER_APP_PACKAGE_UNLIMITED, new Handler());
         ssWriter.setVersionLocked(SettingsState.SETTINGS_VERSOIN_NEW_ENCODING);
 
         ssWriter.insertSettingLocked("k1", "\u0000", "package");
@@ -138,7 +139,7 @@ public class SettingsStateTest extends AndroidTestCase {
         }
 
         final SettingsState ssReader = new SettingsState(lock, file, 1,
-                SettingsState.MAX_BYTES_PER_APP_PACKAGE_UNLIMITED);
+                SettingsState.MAX_BYTES_PER_APP_PACKAGE_UNLIMITED, new Handler());
         synchronized (lock) {
             assertEquals("\u0000", ssReader.getSettingLocked("k1").getValue());
             assertEquals("abc", ssReader.getSettingLocked("k2").getValue());
@@ -165,7 +166,7 @@ public class SettingsStateTest extends AndroidTestCase {
         os.close();
 
         final SettingsState ss = new SettingsState(lock, file, 1,
-                SettingsState.MAX_BYTES_PER_APP_PACKAGE_UNLIMITED);
+                SettingsState.MAX_BYTES_PER_APP_PACKAGE_UNLIMITED, new Handler());
         synchronized (lock) {
             SettingsState.Setting s;
             s = ss.getSettingLocked("k0");