diff --git a/src/GLib/signals.jl b/src/GLib/signals.jl
index d4d1085f..d7337ab7 100644
--- a/src/GLib/signals.jl
+++ b/src/GLib/signals.jl
@@ -400,8 +400,11 @@ macro idle_add(ex)
     end
 end
 
+const simple_loop = Ref{Bool}(false)
+
 const exiting = Ref(false)
 function __init__()
+    simple_loop[] = get(ENV, "GTK_SIMPLE_LOOP", "true") == "true"
     if isdefined(GLib, :__init__bindeps__)
         GLib.__init__bindeps__()
     end
@@ -410,6 +413,8 @@ function __init__()
     exiting[] = false
     atexit(() -> (exiting[] = true))
     __init__gtype__()
-    __init__gmainloop__()
+    if !simple_loop[]
+        __init__gmainloop__()
+    end
     nothing
 end
diff --git a/src/Gtk.jl b/src/Gtk.jl
index 3d8b4ded..c4f98f8d 100644
--- a/src/Gtk.jl
+++ b/src/Gtk.jl
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ include("gio.jl")
 include("application.jl")
 
 function __init__()
+    Sys.iswindows() && (ENV["GTK_CSD"] = 0)
     # Set XDG_DATA_DIRS so that Gtk can find its icons and schemas
     ENV["XDG_DATA_DIRS"] = join(filter(x -> x !== nothing, [
         dirname(adwaita_icons_dir),
@@ -168,12 +169,46 @@ function __init__()
     # that call to also start the eventloop
     GLib.gtk_eventloop_f[] = enable_eventloop
 
-    auto_idle[] = get(ENV, "GTK_AUTO_IDLE", "true") == "true"
+    auto_idle[] = get(ENV, "GTK_AUTO_IDLE", "false") == "true"
 
     # by default, defer starting the event loop until either `show`, `showall`, or `g_idle_add` is called
     enable_eventloop(!auto_idle[])
 end
 
+"""
+    Gtk.iteration(may_block)
+
+Run a single interation of the Gtk event loop. If `may_block` is true, this
+function will wait until events are ready to be processed. Otherwise, it will
+return immediately if no events need to be processed. Returns `true` if events
+were processed.
+"""
+function iteration(may_block::Bool)
+    while events_pending()
+        ccall((:g_main_context_iteration, libglib), Cint, (Ptr{Cvoid}, Cint), C_NULL, may_block)
+    end
+end
+
+const pause_loop = Ref{Bool}(false)
+
+iterate(timer) = pause_loop[] || iteration(false)
+
+"""
+    Gtk.events_pending()
+
+Check whether events need processing by the Gtk's event loop. This function can
+be used in conjuction with `iterate` to refresh the GUI during long operations
+or in cases where widgets must be realized before proceeding.
+"""
+events_pending() = ccall((:gtk_events_pending, libgtk), Cint, ()) != 0
+
+const mainloop_timer = Ref{Timer}()
+
+function glib_main_simple()
+    mainloop_timer[]=Timer(iterate,0.01;interval=0.005)
+    wait(mainloop_timer[])
+end
+
 const auto_idle = Ref{Bool}(true) # control default via ENV["GTK_AUTO_IDLE"]
 const gtk_main_running = Ref{Bool}(false)
 const quit_task = Ref{Task}()
@@ -184,6 +219,16 @@ const enable_eventloop_lock = Base.ReentrantLock()
 Set whether Gtk's event loop is running.
 """
 function enable_eventloop(b::Bool = true; wait_stopped::Bool = false)
+    if GLib.simple_loop[]
+        if b
+            auto_idle[] = false
+            global glib_main_task = schedule(Task(glib_main_simple))
+            return
+        else
+            close(mainloop_timer[])
+            return
+        end
+    end
     lock(enable_eventloop_lock) do # handle widgets that are being shown/destroyed from different threads
         isassigned(quit_task) && wait(quit_task[]) # prevents starting while the async is still stopping
         if b
@@ -210,16 +255,25 @@ end
     Gtk.pause_eventloop(f; force = false)
 
 Pauses the eventloop around a function. Restores the state of the eventloop after
-pausing. Respects whether Gtk.jl is configured to allow auto-stopping of the
-eventloop, unless `force = true`.
+pausing. If GLib.simple_loop[] is disabled, respects whether Gtk.jl is configured
+to allow auto-stopping of the eventloop, unless `force = true`.
 """
 function pause_eventloop(f; force = false)
-    was_running = is_eventloop_running()
-    (force || auto_idle[]) && enable_eventloop(false, wait_stopped = true)
-    try
-        f()
-    finally
-        (force || auto_idle[]) && enable_eventloop(was_running)
+    if GLib.simple_loop[]
+        pause_loop[] = true
+        try
+            f()
+        finally
+            pause_loop[] = false
+        end
+    else
+        was_running = is_eventloop_running()
+        (force || auto_idle[]) && enable_eventloop(false, wait_stopped = true)
+        try
+            f()
+        finally
+            (force || auto_idle[]) && enable_eventloop(was_running)
+        end
     end
 end
 
@@ -228,7 +282,7 @@ end
 
 Check whether Gtk's event loop is running.
 """
-is_eventloop_running() = gtk_main_running[]
+is_eventloop_running() = GLib.simple_loop[] ? !pause_loop[] : gtk_main_running[]
 
 const ser_version = Serialization.ser_version
 let cachedir = joinpath(splitdir(@__FILE__)[1], "..", "gen")
diff --git a/src/base.jl b/src/base.jl
index d44760b4..6b9f15eb 100644
--- a/src/base.jl
+++ b/src/base.jl
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ visible(w::GtkWidget, state::Bool) = @sigatom ccall((:gtk_widget_set_visible, li
 
 const shown_widgets = WeakKeyDict()
 function handle_auto_idle(w::GtkWidget)
-    if auto_idle[]
+    if auto_idle[] && !GLib.simple_loop[]
         signal_connect(w, :realize) do w
             enable_eventloop(true)
             shown_widgets[w] = nothing
diff --git a/src/cairo.jl b/src/cairo.jl
index 23c85d2d..4f7965f2 100644
--- a/src/cairo.jl
+++ b/src/cairo.jl
@@ -115,6 +115,9 @@ function canvas_on_expose_event(::Ptr{GObject}, e::Ptr{Nothing}, widget::GtkCanv
 end
 
 function getgc(c::GtkCanvas)
+    while GLib.simple_loop[] && events_pending()  # next step requires a realized canvas
+        iteration(true)
+    end
     if !isdefined(c,:backcc)
       error("GtkCanvas not yet initialized.")
     end
diff --git a/test/misc.jl b/test/misc.jl
index 347fed78..74a70c88 100644
--- a/test/misc.jl
+++ b/test/misc.jl
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ destroy(win)
 
 @test isa(Gtk.GdkEventKey(), Gtk.GdkEventKey)
 
+if !Gtk.GLib.simple_loop[]
+
 @testset "Eventloop control" begin
     before = Gtk.auto_idle[]
 
@@ -64,4 +66,18 @@ destroy(win)
     Gtk.auto_idle[] = before
 end
 
+else
+
+@testset "Eventloop control" begin
+    Gtk.enable_eventloop(true)
+    @test Gtk.is_eventloop_running()
+
+    Gtk.pause_eventloop() do
+        @test !Gtk.is_eventloop_running()
+    end
+    @test Gtk.is_eventloop_running()
+end
+
+end
+
 end