diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/CPU/CPUThread.h b/rpcs3/Emu/CPU/CPUThread.h
index dac76e1b3c..b43f9ad805 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/CPU/CPUThread.h
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/CPU/CPUThread.h
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@
 
 #include "Utilities/Thread.h"
 
+namespace vm
+{
+	class waiter_lock_t;
+}
+
 enum CPUThreadType
 {
 	CPU_THREAD_PPU,
@@ -53,6 +58,8 @@ public:
 	using thread_t::is_current;
 	using thread_t::get_thread_ctrl;
 
+	friend vm::waiter_lock_t;
+
 protected:
 	CPUThread(CPUThreadType type, const std::string& name, std::function<std::string()> thread_name);
 
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/Memory/vm.cpp b/rpcs3/Emu/Memory/vm.cpp
index 14f891a683..29b5dc0945 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/Memory/vm.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/Memory/vm.cpp
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ namespace vm
 
 	std::mutex g_waiter_list_mutex;
 
-	waiter_t* _add_waiter(CPUThread& thread, u32 addr, u32 size)
+	waiter_t* _add_waiter(thread_t& thread, u32 addr, u32 size)
 	{
 		std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(g_waiter_list_mutex);
 
@@ -242,25 +242,18 @@ namespace vm
 		addr = 0;
 		mask = ~0;
 
-		// signal thread (must not be signaled yet)
-		if (!thread->signal())
-		{
-			throw EXCEPTION("Thread already signaled");
-		}
+		// signal thread
+		thread->cv.notify_one();
 
 		return true;
 	}
 
-	waiter_lock_t::waiter_lock_t(CPUThread& thread, u32 addr, u32 size)
-		: m_waiter(_add_waiter(thread, addr, size))
-		, m_lock(thread.mutex, std::adopt_lock) // must be locked in _add_waiter
-	{
-	}
-
 	void waiter_lock_t::wait()
 	{
-		while (!m_waiter->thread->unsignal())
+		// if another thread successfully called pred(), it must be set to null
+		while (m_waiter->pred)
 		{
+			// if pred() called by another thread threw an exception, it'll be rethrown
 			if (m_waiter->pred())
 			{
 				return;
@@ -270,15 +263,6 @@ namespace vm
 
 			m_waiter->thread->cv.wait(m_lock);
 		}
-
-		// if another thread successfully called pred(), it must be set to null
-		if (m_waiter->pred)
-		{
-			// if pred() called by another thread threw an exception, rethrow it
-			m_waiter->pred();
-
-			throw EXCEPTION("Unexpected");
-		}
 	}	
 
 	waiter_lock_t::~waiter_lock_t()
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/Memory/vm.h b/rpcs3/Emu/Memory/vm.h
index a39e76b00f..30ef47076e 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/Memory/vm.h
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/Memory/vm.h
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 const class thread_ctrl_t* get_current_thread_ctrl();
 
-class CPUThread;
+class thread_t;
 
 namespace vm
 {
@@ -38,13 +38,13 @@ namespace vm
 	{
 		u32 addr = 0;
 		u32 mask = ~0;
-		CPUThread* thread = nullptr;
+		thread_t* thread = nullptr;
 		
 		std::function<bool()> pred;
 
 		waiter_t() = default;
 
-		waiter_t* reset(u32 addr, u32 size, CPUThread& thread)
+		waiter_t* reset(u32 addr, u32 size, thread_t& thread)
 		{
 			this->addr = addr;
 			this->mask = ~(size - 1);
@@ -62,6 +62,9 @@ namespace vm
 		bool try_notify();
 	};
 
+	// for internal use
+	waiter_t* _add_waiter(thread_t& thread, u32 addr, u32 size);
+
 	class waiter_lock_t
 	{
 		waiter_t* m_waiter;
@@ -70,7 +73,11 @@ namespace vm
 	public:
 		waiter_lock_t() = delete;
 
-		waiter_lock_t(CPUThread& thread, u32 addr, u32 size);
+		template<typename T> inline waiter_lock_t(T& thread, u32 addr, u32 size)
+			: m_waiter(_add_waiter(static_cast<thread_t&>(thread), addr, size))
+			, m_lock(thread.mutex, std::adopt_lock) // must be locked in _add_waiter
+		{
+		}
 
 		waiter_t* operator ->() const
 		{
@@ -83,7 +90,7 @@ namespace vm
 	};
 
 	// wait until pred() returns true, addr must be aligned to size which must be a power of 2, pred() may be called by any thread
-	template<typename F, typename... Args> auto wait_op(CPUThread& thread, u32 addr, u32 size, F pred, Args&&... args) -> decltype(static_cast<void>(pred(args...)))
+	template<typename T, typename F, typename... Args> auto wait_op(T& thread, u32 addr, u32 size, F pred, Args&&... args) -> decltype(static_cast<void>(pred(args...)))
 	{
 		// return immediately if condition passed (optimistic case)
 		if (pred(args...)) return;
@@ -396,15 +403,14 @@ namespace vm
 	}
 
 	void close();
-
-	u32 stack_push(CPUThread& CPU, u32 size, u32 align, u32& old_pos);
-	void stack_pop(CPUThread& CPU, u32 addr, u32 old_pos);
 }
 
 #include "vm_ref.h"
 #include "vm_ptr.h"
 #include "vm_var.h"
 
+class CPUThread;
+
 namespace vm
 {
 	class stack
@@ -439,4 +445,7 @@ namespace vm
 			return m_begin + m_position;
 		}
 	};
+
+	u32 stack_push(CPUThread& cpu, u32 size, u32 align, u32& old_pos);
+	void stack_pop(CPUThread& cpu, u32 addr, u32 old_pos);
 }