diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 1bbd8136..9674abf5 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 extern crate alloc;
 
 use alloc::{boxed::Box, rc::Rc, vec, vec::Vec};
-use blog_os::multitasking::{thread::Thread, with_scheduler};
+use blog_os::multitasking::{self, thread::Thread, with_scheduler};
 use blog_os::{print, println};
 use bootloader::{entry_point, BootInfo};
 use core::panic::PanicInfo;
@@ -55,33 +55,37 @@ fn kernel_main(boot_info: &'static BootInfo) -> ! {
     #[cfg(test)]
     test_main();
 
+    let idle_thread = Thread::create(idle_thread, 2, &mut mapper, &mut frame_allocator).unwrap();
+    with_scheduler(|s| s.set_idle_thread(idle_thread));
+
     for _ in 0..10 {
         let thread = Thread::create(thread_entry, 2, &mut mapper, &mut frame_allocator).unwrap();
         with_scheduler(|s| s.add_new_thread(thread));
     }
-    let thread = Thread::create_from_closure(
-        || loop {
-            print!("{}", with_scheduler(|s| s.current_thread_id()).as_u64());
-            x86_64::instructions::hlt();
-        },
-        2,
-        &mut mapper,
-        &mut frame_allocator,
-    )
-    .unwrap();
+    let thread =
+        Thread::create_from_closure(|| thread_entry(), 2, &mut mapper, &mut frame_allocator)
+            .unwrap();
     with_scheduler(|s| s.add_new_thread(thread));
 
     println!("It did not crash!");
     thread_entry();
 }
 
-fn thread_entry() -> ! {
+fn idle_thread() -> ! {
     loop {
-        print!("{}", with_scheduler(|s| s.current_thread_id()).as_u64());
         x86_64::instructions::hlt();
     }
 }
 
+fn thread_entry() -> ! {
+    let thread_id = with_scheduler(|s| s.current_thread_id()).as_u64();
+    for _ in 0..=thread_id {
+        print!("{}", thread_id);
+        x86_64::instructions::hlt();
+    }
+    multitasking::exit_thread();
+}
+
 /// This function is called on panic.
 #[cfg(not(test))]
 #[panic_handler]
diff --git a/src/multitasking/context_switch.rs b/src/multitasking/context_switch.rs
index 2e6ef279..a158f357 100644
--- a/src/multitasking/context_switch.rs
+++ b/src/multitasking/context_switch.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use super::with_scheduler;
+use super::{with_scheduler, SwitchReason};
 use crate::multitasking::thread::ThreadId;
 use alloc::boxed::Box;
 use core::mem;
@@ -41,11 +41,15 @@ impl Stack {
     }
 }
 
-pub unsafe fn context_switch_to(new_stack_pointer: VirtAddr, prev_thread_id: ThreadId) {
+pub unsafe fn context_switch_to(
+    new_stack_pointer: VirtAddr,
+    prev_thread_id: ThreadId,
+    switch_reason: SwitchReason,
+) {
     asm!(
         "call asm_context_switch"
         :
-        : "{rdi}"(new_stack_pointer), "{rsi}"(prev_thread_id)
+        : "{rdi}"(new_stack_pointer), "{rsi}"(prev_thread_id), "{rdx}"(switch_reason as u64)
         : "rax", "rbx", "rcx", "rdx", "rsi", "rdi", "rpb", "r8", "r9", "r10",
         "r11", "r12", "r13", "r14", "r15", "rflags", "memory"
         : "intel", "volatile"
@@ -72,8 +76,12 @@ global_asm!(
 );
 
 #[no_mangle]
-pub extern "C" fn add_paused_thread(paused_stack_pointer: VirtAddr, paused_thread_id: ThreadId) {
-    with_scheduler(|s| s.add_paused_thread(paused_stack_pointer, paused_thread_id));
+pub extern "C" fn add_paused_thread(
+    paused_stack_pointer: VirtAddr,
+    paused_thread_id: ThreadId,
+    switch_reason: SwitchReason,
+) {
+    with_scheduler(|s| s.add_paused_thread(paused_stack_pointer, paused_thread_id, switch_reason));
 }
 
 #[naked]
diff --git a/src/multitasking/mod.rs b/src/multitasking/mod.rs
index 2cd08b10..082f23ef 100644
--- a/src/multitasking/mod.rs
+++ b/src/multitasking/mod.rs
@@ -6,12 +6,42 @@ pub mod thread;
 
 static SCHEDULER: spin::Mutex<Option<Scheduler>> = spin::Mutex::new(None);
 
+#[repr(u64)]
+pub enum SwitchReason {
+    Paused,
+    Blocked,
+    Exit,
+}
+
 pub fn invoke_scheduler() {
     let next = SCHEDULER
         .try_lock()
         .and_then(|mut scheduler| scheduler.as_mut().and_then(|s| s.schedule()));
     if let Some((next_stack_pointer, prev_thread_id)) = next {
-        unsafe { context_switch::context_switch_to(next_stack_pointer, prev_thread_id) };
+        unsafe {
+            context_switch::context_switch_to(
+                next_stack_pointer,
+                prev_thread_id,
+                SwitchReason::Paused,
+            )
+        };
+    }
+}
+
+pub fn exit_thread() -> ! {
+    let next = with_scheduler(|s| s.schedule());
+    match next {
+        Some((next_stack_pointer, prev_thread_id)) => {
+            unsafe {
+                context_switch::context_switch_to(
+                    next_stack_pointer,
+                    prev_thread_id,
+                    SwitchReason::Exit,
+                )
+            }
+            unreachable!("finished thread continued")
+        }
+        None => panic!("can't exit last thread"),
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/multitasking/scheduler.rs b/src/multitasking/scheduler.rs
index b52bc156..e09a709f 100644
--- a/src/multitasking/scheduler.rs
+++ b/src/multitasking/scheduler.rs
@@ -1,12 +1,16 @@
+use super::SwitchReason;
 use crate::multitasking::thread::{Thread, ThreadId};
-use alloc::collections::{BTreeMap, VecDeque};
+use alloc::collections::{BTreeMap, BTreeSet, VecDeque};
 use core::mem;
 use x86_64::VirtAddr;
 
 pub struct Scheduler {
     threads: BTreeMap<ThreadId, Thread>,
+    idle_thread_id: Option<ThreadId>,
     current_thread_id: ThreadId,
     paused_threads: VecDeque<ThreadId>,
+    blocked_threads: BTreeSet<ThreadId>,
+    wakeups: BTreeSet<ThreadId>,
 }
 
 impl Scheduler {
@@ -21,6 +25,9 @@ impl Scheduler {
             threads,
             current_thread_id: root_id,
             paused_threads: VecDeque::new(),
+            blocked_threads: BTreeSet::new(),
+            wakeups: BTreeSet::new(),
+            idle_thread_id: None,
         }
     }
 
@@ -29,7 +36,11 @@ impl Scheduler {
     }
 
     pub fn schedule(&mut self) -> Option<(VirtAddr, ThreadId)> {
-        if let Some(next_id) = self.next_thread() {
+        let mut next_thread_id = self.next_thread();
+        if next_thread_id.is_none() && Some(self.current_thread_id) != self.idle_thread_id {
+            next_thread_id = self.idle_thread_id
+        }
+        if let Some(next_id) = next_thread_id {
             let next_thread = self
                 .threads
                 .get_mut(&next_id)
@@ -49,6 +60,7 @@ impl Scheduler {
         &mut self,
         paused_stack_pointer: VirtAddr,
         paused_thread_id: ThreadId,
+        switch_reason: SwitchReason,
     ) {
         let paused_thread = self
             .threads
@@ -58,7 +70,23 @@ impl Scheduler {
             .stack_pointer()
             .replace(paused_stack_pointer)
             .expect_none("running thread should have stack pointer set to None");
-        self.paused_threads.push_back(paused_thread_id);
+        if Some(paused_thread_id) == self.idle_thread_id {
+            return; // do nothing
+        }
+        match switch_reason {
+            SwitchReason::Paused => self.paused_threads.push_back(paused_thread_id),
+            SwitchReason::Blocked => {
+                self.blocked_threads.insert(paused_thread_id);
+                self.check_for_wakeup(paused_thread_id);
+            }
+            SwitchReason::Exit => {
+                let thread = self
+                    .threads
+                    .remove(&paused_thread_id)
+                    .expect("thread not found");
+                // TODO: free stack memory again
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     pub fn add_new_thread(&mut self, thread: Thread) {
@@ -69,7 +97,24 @@ impl Scheduler {
         self.paused_threads.push_back(thread_id);
     }
 
+    pub fn set_idle_thread(&mut self, thread: Thread) {
+        let thread_id = thread.id();
+        self.threads
+            .insert(thread_id, thread)
+            .expect_none("thread already exists");
+        self.idle_thread_id
+            .replace(thread_id)
+            .expect_none("idle thread should be set only once");
+    }
+
     pub fn current_thread_id(&self) -> ThreadId {
         self.current_thread_id
     }
+
+    fn check_for_wakeup(&mut self, thread_id: ThreadId) {
+        if self.wakeups.remove(&thread_id) {
+            assert!(self.blocked_threads.remove(&thread_id));
+            self.paused_threads.push_back(thread_id);
+        }
+    }
 }