diff --git a/fairmq/FairMQDevice.h b/fairmq/FairMQDevice.h
index 863ce173..2f58e32e 100644
--- a/fairmq/FairMQDevice.h
+++ b/fairmq/FairMQDevice.h
@@ -482,8 +482,7 @@ class FairMQDevice : public FairMQStateMachine, public FairMQConfigurable
     virtual void Init();
 
     /// Task initialization (can be overloaded in child classes)
-    /// Executed in a worker thread (currently runs in main thread as workaround for multithread-aware FairRunAna/Sim implementation)
-    // TODO: fix this to also run in worker thread, or change all callbacks to be run in the main thread?
+    /// Executed in a worker thread
     virtual void InitTask();
 
     /// Runs the device (to be overloaded in child classes)
diff --git a/fairmq/FairMQStateMachine.cxx b/fairmq/FairMQStateMachine.cxx
index 44f3f6b3..9fece256 100644
--- a/fairmq/FairMQStateMachine.cxx
+++ b/fairmq/FairMQStateMachine.cxx
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ bool FairMQStateMachine::ChangeState(int event)
             }
             case internal_READY:
             {
-                // std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(fChangeStateMutex); // InitTask is synchronous, until ROOT workaround is no longer needed.
+                std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(fChangeStateMutex);
                 process_event(FairMQFSM::internal_READY());
                 return true;
             }
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ void FairMQStateMachine::WaitForEndOfState(int event)
         switch (event)
         {
             case INIT_DEVICE:
+            case INIT_TASK:
             case RUN:
             case RESET_TASK:
             case RESET_DEVICE:
@@ -166,8 +167,6 @@ void FairMQStateMachine::WaitForEndOfState(int event)
 
                 break;
             }
-            case INIT_TASK:
-                break; // InitTask is synchronous, until ROOT workaround is no longer needed.
             default:
                 LOG(ERROR) << "Requested state is either synchronous or does not exist.";
                 break;
@@ -191,6 +190,7 @@ bool FairMQStateMachine::WaitForEndOfStateForMs(int event, int durationInMs)
         switch (event)
         {
             case INIT_DEVICE:
+            case INIT_TASK:
             case RUN:
             case RESET_TASK:
             case RESET_DEVICE:
@@ -207,8 +207,6 @@ bool FairMQStateMachine::WaitForEndOfStateForMs(int event, int durationInMs)
                 return true;
                 break;
             }
-            case INIT_TASK:
-                break; // InitTask is synchronous, until ROOT workaround is no longer needed.
             default:
                 LOG(ERROR) << "Requested state is either synchronous or does not exist.";
                 return false;
diff --git a/fairmq/FairMQStateMachine.h b/fairmq/FairMQStateMachine.h
index 35a20144..6c02bfa3 100644
--- a/fairmq/FairMQStateMachine.h
+++ b/fairmq/FairMQStateMachine.h
@@ -176,8 +176,14 @@ struct FairMQFSM_ : public msmf::state_machine_def<FairMQFSM_>
             LOG(STATE) << "Entering INITIALIZING TASK state";
             fsm.fState = INITIALIZING_TASK;
 
-            fsm.InitTaskWrapper();
-            // fsm.fInitializingTaskThread = std::thread(&FairMQFSM_::InitTaskWrapper, &fsm);
+            std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock(fsm.fWorkMutex);
+            while (fsm.fWorkActive)
+            {
+                fsm.fWorkDoneCondition.wait(lock);
+            }
+            fsm.fWorkAvailable = true;
+            fsm.fWork = std::bind(&FairMQFSM_::InitTaskWrapper, &fsm);
+            fsm.fWorkAvailableCondition.notify_one();
         }
     };