diff --git a/include/kvm/threadpool.h b/include/kvm/threadpool.h
index bacb243..880487a 100644
--- a/include/kvm/threadpool.h
+++ b/include/kvm/threadpool.h
@@ -28,11 +28,13 @@
 		.data		= data,
 		.mutex		= MUTEX_INITIALIZER,
 	};
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&job->queue);
 }
 
 int thread_pool__init(struct kvm *kvm);
 int thread_pool__exit(struct kvm *kvm);
 
 void thread_pool__do_job(struct thread_pool__job *job);
+void thread_pool__cancel_job(struct thread_pool__job *job);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/util/threadpool.c b/util/threadpool.c
index e64aa26..1dc3bf7 100644
--- a/util/threadpool.c
+++ b/util/threadpool.c
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 		return NULL;
 
 	job = list_first_entry(&head, struct thread_pool__job, queue);
-	list_del(&job->queue);
+	list_del_init(&job->queue);
 
 	return job;
 }
@@ -173,3 +173,26 @@
 	pthread_cond_signal(&job_cond);
 	mutex_unlock(&job_mutex);
 }
+
+void thread_pool__cancel_job(struct thread_pool__job *job)
+{
+	bool running;
+
+	/*
+	 * If the job is queued but not running, remove it. Otherwise, wait for
+	 * the signalcount to drop to 0, indicating that it has finished
+	 * running. We assume that nobody is queueing this job -
+	 * thread_pool__do_job() isn't called - while this function is running.
+	 */
+	do {
+		mutex_lock(&job_mutex);
+		if (list_empty(&job->queue)) {
+			running = job->signalcount > 0;
+		} else {
+			list_del_init(&job->queue);
+			job->signalcount = 0;
+			running = false;
+		}
+		mutex_unlock(&job_mutex);
+	} while (running);
+}