diff --git a/src/com/android/launcher3/DeleteDropTarget.java b/src/com/android/launcher3/DeleteDropTarget.java
index 4023daf..e3a154b 100644
--- a/src/com/android/launcher3/DeleteDropTarget.java
+++ b/src/com/android/launcher3/DeleteDropTarget.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 import android.graphics.PointF;
 import android.graphics.Rect;
 import android.graphics.drawable.TransitionDrawable;
+import android.os.AsyncTask;
 import android.util.AttributeSet;
 import android.view.View;
 import android.view.ViewConfiguration;
@@ -334,11 +335,12 @@
             if (appWidgetHost != null) {
                 // Deleting an app widget ID is a void call but writes to disk before returning
                 // to the caller...
-                new Thread("deleteAppWidgetId") {
-                    public void run() {
+                new AsyncTask<Void, Void, Void>() {
+                    public Void doInBackground(Void ... args) {
                         appWidgetHost.deleteAppWidgetId(launcherAppWidgetInfo.appWidgetId);
+                        return null;
                     }
-                }.start();
+                }.executeOnExecutor(AsyncTask.THREAD_POOL_EXECUTOR, (Void) null);
             }
         }
         if (wasWaitingForUninstall && !mWaitingForUninstall) {
diff --git a/src/com/android/launcher3/Launcher.java b/src/com/android/launcher3/Launcher.java
index 0c14ed9..b76379a 100644
--- a/src/com/android/launcher3/Launcher.java
+++ b/src/com/android/launcher3/Launcher.java
@@ -579,12 +579,12 @@
             mIconCache.flush();
 
             final LocaleConfiguration localeConfiguration = sLocaleConfiguration;
-            new Thread("WriteLocaleConfiguration") {
-                @Override
-                public void run() {
+            new AsyncTask<Void, Void, Void>() {
+                public Void doInBackground(Void ... args) {
                     writeConfiguration(Launcher.this, localeConfiguration);
+                    return null;
                 }
-            }.start();
+            }.executeOnExecutor(AsyncTask.THREAD_POOL_EXECUTOR, (Void) null);
         }
     }
 
@@ -1453,11 +1453,12 @@
             if (appWidgetId != -1) {
                 // Deleting an app widget ID is a void call but writes to disk before returning
                 // to the caller...
-                new Thread("deleteAppWidgetId") {
-                    public void run() {
+                new AsyncTask<Void, Void, Void>() {
+                    public Void doInBackground(Void ... args) {
                         mAppWidgetHost.deleteAppWidgetId(appWidgetId);
+                        return null;
                     }
-                }.start();
+                }.executeOnExecutor(AsyncTask.THREAD_POOL_EXECUTOR, (Void) null);
             }
             showOutOfSpaceMessage(isHotseatLayout(layout));
             return;
@@ -4207,13 +4208,14 @@
                 public void run() {
                     cling.cleanup();
                     // We should update the shared preferences on a background thread
-                    new Thread("dismissClingThread") {
-                        public void run() {
+                    new AsyncTask<Void, Void, Void>() {
+                        public Void doInBackground(Void ... args) {
                             SharedPreferences.Editor editor = mSharedPrefs.edit();
                             editor.putBoolean(flag, true);
                             editor.commit();
+                            return null;
                         }
-                    }.start();
+                    }.executeOnExecutor(AsyncTask.THREAD_POOL_EXECUTOR, (Void) null);
                     if (postAnimationCb != null) {
                         postAnimationCb.run();
                     }
@@ -4503,9 +4505,8 @@
 
     public void dumpLogsToLocalData() {
         if (DEBUG_DUMP_LOG) {
-            new Thread("DumpLogsToLocalData") {
-                @Override
-                public void run() {
+            new AsyncTask<Void, Void, Void>() {
+                public Void doInBackground(Void ... args) {
                     boolean success = false;
                     sDateStamp.setTime(sRunStart);
                     String FILENAME = sDateStamp.getMonth() + "-"
@@ -4543,8 +4544,9 @@
                     } catch (IOException e) {
                         e.printStackTrace();
                     }
+                    return null;
                 }
-            }.start();
+            }.executeOnExecutor(AsyncTask.THREAD_POOL_EXECUTOR, (Void) null);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/com/android/launcher3/PreloadReceiver.java b/src/com/android/launcher3/PreloadReceiver.java
index 75e5c98..ca25746 100644
--- a/src/com/android/launcher3/PreloadReceiver.java
+++ b/src/com/android/launcher3/PreloadReceiver.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 import android.content.BroadcastReceiver;
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.content.Intent;
+import android.os.AsyncTask;
 import android.text.TextUtils;
 import android.util.Log;
 
@@ -39,12 +40,12 @@
             if (LOGD) {
                 Log.d(TAG, "workspace name: " + name + " id: " + workspaceResId);
             }
-            new Thread(new Runnable() {
-                @Override
-                public void run() {
+            new AsyncTask<Void, Void, Void>() {
+                public Void doInBackground(Void ... args) {
                     provider.loadDefaultFavoritesIfNecessary(workspaceResId);
+                    return null;
                 }
-            }).start();
+            }.executeOnExecutor(AsyncTask.THREAD_POOL_EXECUTOR, (Void) null);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/com/android/launcher3/WallpaperCropActivity.java b/src/com/android/launcher3/WallpaperCropActivity.java
index 65223ad..2102599 100644
--- a/src/com/android/launcher3/WallpaperCropActivity.java
+++ b/src/com/android/launcher3/WallpaperCropActivity.java
@@ -786,14 +786,15 @@
             final WallpaperManager wallpaperManager) {
         final Point defaultWallpaperSize = getDefaultWallpaperSize(res, windowManager);
 
-        new Thread("suggestWallpaperDimension") {
-            public void run() {
+        new AsyncTask<Void, Void, Void>() {
+            public Void doInBackground(Void ... args) {
                 // If we have saved a wallpaper width/height, use that instead
                 int savedWidth = sharedPrefs.getInt(WALLPAPER_WIDTH_KEY, defaultWallpaperSize.x);
                 int savedHeight = sharedPrefs.getInt(WALLPAPER_HEIGHT_KEY, defaultWallpaperSize.y);
                 wallpaperManager.suggestDesiredDimensions(savedWidth, savedHeight);
+                return null;
             }
-        }.start();
+        }.executeOnExecutor(AsyncTask.THREAD_POOL_EXECUTOR, (Void) null);
     }
 
     protected static RectF getMaxCropRect(