diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 541fc7c8a..ebf9da713 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -780,10 +780,7 @@ add_subdirectory(devices)
 add_subdirectory(sdrbench)
 
 add_subdirectory(modemm17)
-
-if (LINUX)
-    add_subdirectory(ft8)
-endif()
+add_subdirectory(ft8)
 
 if (BUILD_GUI)
     add_subdirectory(sdrgui)
diff --git a/ft8/ft8.cpp b/ft8/ft8.cpp
index 6dbc63d3e..9683c9469 100644
--- a/ft8/ft8.cpp
+++ b/ft8/ft8.cpp
@@ -33,15 +33,13 @@
 #include <math.h>
 #include <complex>
 #include <fftw3.h>
-#include <vector>
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <complex>
 #include <random>
 #include <functional>
 #include <map>
-#include <utility>
-#include <thread>
-// #include <QDebug>
+
+#include <QThread>
 
 #include "util.h"
 #include "ft8.h"
@@ -356,14 +354,21 @@ FT8::FT8(
 
     plan32_ = nullptr;
     fftEngine_ = fftEngine;
+    npasses_ = 1;
 }
 
 FT8::~FT8()
 {
 }
 
-    // strength of costas block of signal with tone 0 at bi0,
-    // and symbol zero at si0.
+void FT8::start_work()
+{
+    go(npasses_);
+    emit finished();
+}
+
+// strength of costas block of signal with tone 0 at bi0,
+// and symbol zero at si0.
 float FT8::one_coarse_strength(const FFTEngine::ffts_t &bins, int bi0, int si0)
 {
     int costas[] = {3, 1, 4, 0, 6, 5, 2};
@@ -3448,8 +3453,13 @@ std::vector<int> FT8::recode(int a174[])
     return out79;
 }
 
+FT8Decoder::~FT8Decoder()
+{
+    forceQuit(); // stop all remaining running threads if any
+}
+
 //
-// Python calls these.
+// Launch decoding
 //
 void FT8Decoder::entry(
     float xsamples[],
@@ -3470,7 +3480,6 @@ void FT8Decoder::entry(
     double t0 = now();
     double deadline = t0 + time_left;
     double final_deadline = t0 + total_time_left;
-    FFTEngine fftEngine;
 
     // decodes from previous runs, for subtraction.
     std::vector<cdecode> prevdecs;
@@ -3494,7 +3503,6 @@ void FT8Decoder::entry(
     }
 
     float per = (max_hz - min_hz) / params.nthreads;
-    std::vector<std::pair<FT8*, std::thread*>> thv;
 
     for (int i = 0; i < params.nthreads; i++)
     {
@@ -3530,15 +3538,45 @@ void FT8Decoder::entry(
         ft8->getParams() = getParams(); // transfer parameters
 
         int npasses = nprevdecs > 0 ? params.npasses_two : params.npasses_one;
-        std::thread *th = new std::thread([ft8, npasses] () { ft8->go(npasses); });
-        thv.push_back(std::pair<FT8*, std::thread*>(ft8, th));
+        ft8->set_npasses(npasses);
+        QThread *th = new QThread();
+        threads.push_back(th);
+        // std::thread *th = new std::thread([ft8, npasses] () { ft8->go(npasses); });
+        // thv.push_back(std::pair<FT8*, std::thread*>(ft8, th));
+        ft8->moveToThread(th);
+        QObject::connect(th, &QThread::started, ft8, &FT8::start_work);
+        QObject::connect(ft8, &FT8::finished, th, &QThread::quit, Qt::DirectConnection);
+        QObject::connect(th, &QThread::finished, ft8, &QObject::deleteLater);
+        QObject::connect(th, &QThread::finished, th, &QThread::deleteLater);
+        th->start();
     }
+}
 
-    for (int i = 0; i < (int)thv.size(); i++)
+void FT8Decoder::wait(double time_left)
+{
+    unsigned long thread_timeout = time_left * 1000;
+
+    while (threads.size() != 0)
     {
-        thv[i].second->join();
-        delete thv[i].second;
-        delete thv[i].first;
+        bool success = threads.front()->wait(thread_timeout);
+
+        if (!success)
+        {
+            qDebug("FT8::FT8Decoder::wait: thread timed out");
+            thread_timeout = 50; // only 50ms for the rest
+        }
+
+        threads.erase(threads.begin());
+    }
+}
+
+void FT8Decoder::forceQuit()
+{
+    while (threads.size() != 0)
+    {
+        threads.front()->quit();
+        threads.front()->wait();
+        threads.erase(threads.begin());
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/ft8/ft8.h b/ft8/ft8.h
index 851b52999..5ab3f5ad0 100644
--- a/ft8/ft8.h
+++ b/ft8/ft8.h
@@ -21,11 +21,16 @@
 #ifndef ft8_h
 #define ft8_h
 
-#include <QMutex>
-#include "fft.h"
+#include <vector>
 
+#include <QObject>
+#include <QMutex>
+
+#include "fft.h"
 #include "export.h"
 
+class QThread;
+
 namespace FT8 {
 // Callback interface to get the results
 class FT8_API CallbackInterface
@@ -261,8 +266,9 @@ struct FT8_API FT8Params
 }; // class FT8Params
 
 // The FT8 worker
-class FT8_API FT8
+class FT8_API FT8 : public QObject
 {
+    Q_OBJECT
 public:
     float min_hz_;
     float max_hz_;
@@ -308,6 +314,10 @@ public:
         FFTEngine *fftEngine
     );
     ~FT8();
+    // Number of passes
+    void set_npasses(int npasses) { npasses_ = npasses; }
+    // Start the worker
+    void start_work();
     // strength of costas block of signal with tone 0 at bi0,
     // and symbol zero at si0.
     float one_coarse_strength(const FFTEngine::ffts_t &bins, int bi0, int si0);
@@ -642,14 +652,19 @@ public:
     );
 
     FT8Params& getParams() { return params; }
+signals:
+    void finished();
 private:
     FT8Params params;
     FFTEngine *fftEngine_;
+    int npasses_;
     static const double apriori174[];
 }; // class FT8
 
-class FT8_API FT8Decoder {
+class FT8_API FT8Decoder : public QObject {
+    Q_OBJECT
 public:
+    ~FT8Decoder();
     void entry(
         float xsamples[],
         int nsamples,
@@ -665,9 +680,13 @@ public:
         int,
         struct cdecode *
     );
+    void wait(double time_left); //!< wait for all threads to finish
+    void forceQuit(); //!< force quit all threads
     FT8Params& getParams() { return params; }
 private:
+    FFTEngine fftEngine;
     FT8Params params;
+    std::vector<QThread*> threads;
 }; // FT8Decoder
 
 } // namespace FT8
diff --git a/sdrbench/mainbench.cpp b/sdrbench/mainbench.cpp
index efd9452e8..2de52a416 100644
--- a/sdrbench/mainbench.cpp
+++ b/sdrbench/mainbench.cpp
@@ -47,7 +47,8 @@ void MainBench::run()
         << " nsamples: " << m_parser.getNbSamples()
         << " repet: " << m_parser.getRepetition()
         << " log2f: " << m_parser.getLog2Factor()
-        << " file: " << m_parser.getFileName();
+        << " file: " << m_parser.getFileName()
+        << " args: " << m_parser.getArgsStr();
 
     if (m_parser.getTestType() == ParserBench::TestDecimatorsII) {
         testDecimateII();
@@ -64,7 +65,7 @@ void MainBench::run()
     } else if (m_parser.getTestType() == ParserBench::TestGolay2312) {
         testGolay2312();
     } else if (m_parser.getTestType() == ParserBench::TestFT8) {
-        testFT8(m_parser.getFileName());
+        testFT8(m_parser.getFileName(), m_parser.getArgsStr());
     } else {
         qDebug() << "MainBench::run: unknown test type: " << m_parser.getTestType();
     }
diff --git a/sdrbench/mainbench.h b/sdrbench/mainbench.h
index 200082217..11d34eca0 100644
--- a/sdrbench/mainbench.h
+++ b/sdrbench/mainbench.h
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ private:
     void testDecimateFI();
     void testDecimateFF();
     void testGolay2312();
-    void testFT8(const QString& wavFile); //!< use with sdrbench/samples/ft8/230105_091630.wav in -f option
+    void testFT8(const QString& wavFile, const QString& argsStr); //!< use with sdrbench/samples/ft8/230105_091630.wav in -f option
     void decimateII(const qint16 *buf, int len);
     void decimateInfII(const qint16 *buf, int len);
     void decimateSupII(const qint16 *buf, int len);
diff --git a/sdrbench/parserbench.cpp b/sdrbench/parserbench.cpp
index a5a10b487..b789418e4 100644
--- a/sdrbench/parserbench.cpp
+++ b/sdrbench/parserbench.cpp
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ ParserBench::ParserBench() :
     m_fileOption(QStringList() << "f" << "file",
         "File to be used for the test.",
         "file",
+        ""),
+    m_argsOption(QStringList() << "a" << "args",
+        "Custom arguments string to be used for the test.",
+        "args",
         "")
 {
     m_testStr = "decimateii";
@@ -58,6 +62,7 @@ ParserBench::ParserBench() :
     m_parser.addOption(m_repetitionOption);
     m_parser.addOption(m_log2FactorOption);
     m_parser.addOption(m_fileOption);
+    m_parser.addOption(m_argsOption);
 }
 
 ParserBench::~ParserBench()
@@ -120,6 +125,10 @@ void ParserBench::parse(const QCoreApplication& app)
     // file
 
     m_fileName = m_parser.value(m_fileOption);
+
+    // custom args
+
+    m_argsStr = m_parser.value(m_argsOption);
 }
 
 ParserBench::TestType ParserBench::getTestType() const
diff --git a/sdrbench/parserbench.h b/sdrbench/parserbench.h
index 0f13f9a9a..f98abe3d9 100644
--- a/sdrbench/parserbench.h
+++ b/sdrbench/parserbench.h
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ public:
     uint32_t getRepetition() const { return m_repetition; }
     uint32_t getLog2Factor() const { return m_log2Factor; }
     const QString& getFileName() const { return m_fileName; }
+    const QString& getArgsStr() const { return m_argsStr; }
 
 private:
     QString  m_testStr;
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ private:
     uint32_t m_repetition;
     uint32_t m_log2Factor;
     QString m_fileName;
+    QString m_argsStr;
 
     QCommandLineParser m_parser;
     QCommandLineOption m_testOption;
@@ -64,6 +66,7 @@ private:
     QCommandLineOption m_repetitionOption;
     QCommandLineOption m_log2FactorOption;
     QCommandLineOption m_fileOption;
+    QCommandLineOption m_argsOption;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/sdrbench/test_ft8.cpp b/sdrbench/test_ft8.cpp
index f702393af..f326c1231 100644
--- a/sdrbench/test_ft8.cpp
+++ b/sdrbench/test_ft8.cpp
@@ -102,11 +102,40 @@ int TestFT8Callback::hcb(
     return 2; // 2 => new decode, do subtract.
 }
 
-void MainBench::testFT8(const QString& wavFile)
+void MainBench::testFT8(const QString& wavFile, const QString& argsStr)
 {
-    qDebug("MainBench::testFT8: start");
+    int nthreads = 8;    // number of threads (default)
+    double budget = 2.5; // compute for this many seconds per cycle (default)
+    // 3,0.5 combinaion may be enough
+
+    QStringList argElements = argsStr.split(','); // comma separated list of arguments
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < argElements.size(); i++)
+    {
+        const QString& argStr = argElements.at(i);
+        bool ok;
+
+        if (i == 0) // first is the number of threads (integer)
+        {
+            int nthreads_x = argStr.toInt(&ok);
+
+            if (ok) {
+                nthreads = nthreads_x;
+            }
+        }
+
+        if (i == 1) // second is the time budget in seconds (double)
+        {
+            double budget_x = argStr.toDouble(&ok);
+
+            if (ok) {
+                budget = budget_x;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    qDebug("MainBench::testFT8: start nthreads: %d budget: %fs", nthreads, budget);
     int hints[2] = { 2, 0 }; // CQ
-    double budget = 2.5; // compute for this many seconds per cycle
     TestFT8Callback testft8Callback;
 
     std::ifstream wfile;
@@ -169,6 +198,7 @@ void MainBench::testFT8(const QString& wavFile)
     wfile.close();
 
     FT8::FT8Decoder decoder;
+    decoder.getParams().nthreads = nthreads;
 
     decoder.entry(
         samples.data(),
@@ -185,8 +215,10 @@ void MainBench::testFT8(const QString& wavFile)
         0,
         (struct FT8::cdecode *) nullptr
     );
-    qDebug("MainBench::testFT8: done");
+
+    decoder.wait(budget + 1.0); // add one second to budget to force quit threads
     const std::map<std::string, bool>& msgMap = testft8Callback.getMsgMap();
+    qDebug("MainBench::testFT8: done %lu decodes", msgMap.size());
 
     if (msgMap.size() != 15)
     {