diff --git a/server/gui/main.py b/server/gui/main.py
index ba1db12c..23200b9f 100644
--- a/server/gui/main.py
+++ b/server/gui/main.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # flake8: noqa F403, F405
-import sys
 from os.path import splitext, basename
+import sys
+import threading
 
 from cefpython3 import cefpython as cef
 from PySide2.QtCore import *
@@ -9,22 +10,19 @@ from PySide2.QtWidgets import *
 from server.app.app import Server
 from server.gui.browser import CefWidget, CefApplication
 from server.gui.workers import DataLoadWorker, ServerRunWorker
-from server.gui.utils import WINDOWS, LINUX, MAC
+from server.gui.utils import WINDOWS, LINUX, MAC, FileLoadSignals
 from server.utils.constants import MODES
 
 
 # Configuration
 # TODO remember this or calculate it?
-
 WIDTH = 1024
 HEIGHT = 768
 
-
 # noinspection PyUnresolvedReferences
 class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
     def __init__(self):
         super(MainWindow, self).__init__(None)
-        self.thread_pool = QThreadPool()
         self.cef_widget = None
         self.data_widget = None
         self.server = Server()
@@ -91,7 +89,8 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
 
     def runServer(self):
         worker = ServerRunWorker(self.server.app, host="127.0.0.1", port=8000)
-        self.thread_pool.start(worker)
+        self.httpd = threading.Thread(target=worker.run, daemon=True)
+        self.httpd.start()
 
     def clearBrowserReferences(self):
         # Clear browser references that you keep anywhere in your
@@ -102,7 +101,6 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
 class LoadWidget(QFrame):
     def __init__(self, parent):
         super(LoadWidget, self).__init__(parent=parent)
-
         # Init layout
         self.MAX_CONTENT_WIDTH = 500
         load_ui_layout = QVBoxLayout()
@@ -153,19 +151,28 @@ class LoadWidget(QFrame):
         load_ui_layout.setStretch(2, 10)
         self.setLayout(load_ui_layout)
 
+        self.signals = FileLoadSignals()
+        self.signals.selectedFile.connect(self.createScanpyEngine)
+
     def updateEmbedding(self, idx):
         self.embedding_selection = MODES[idx]
 
+    def createScanpyEngine(self, file_name):
+        worker = DataLoadWorker(file_name, self.embedding_selection)
+        worker.signals.result.connect(self.onDataSuccess)
+        worker.signals.error.connect(self.onDataError)
+        self.load_worker = threading.Thread(target=worker.run, daemon=True)
+        self.load_worker.start()
+
     def onLoad(self):
         options = QFileDialog.Options()
         # options |= QFileDialog.DontUseNativeDialog
         file_name, _ = QFileDialog.getOpenFileName(self,
                                                   "Open H5AD File", "", "H5AD Files (*.h5ad)", options=options)
         self.title = splitext(basename(file_name))[0]
-        worker = DataLoadWorker(file_name, self.embedding_selection)
-        worker.signals.result.connect(self.onDataSuccess)
-        worker.signals.error.connect(self.onDataError)
-        self.window().thread_pool.start(worker)
+        if file_name:
+            self.signals.selectedFile.emit(file_name)
+
 
     def onDataSuccess(self, data):
         self.window().server.attach_data(data, self.title)
diff --git a/server/gui/utils.py b/server/gui/utils.py
index f39b546f..7d6cf5ac 100644
--- a/server/gui/utils.py
+++ b/server/gui/utils.py
@@ -19,3 +19,7 @@ class WorkerSignals(QObject):
     finished = Signal()
     error = Signal(str)
     result = Signal(object)
+
+
+class FileLoadSignals(QObject):
+    selectedFile = Signal(str)
diff --git a/server/gui/workers.py b/server/gui/workers.py
index d7d63aee..f7516bfd 100644
--- a/server/gui/workers.py
+++ b/server/gui/workers.py
@@ -1,18 +1,15 @@
 import traceback
 
-from PySide2.QtCore import QRunnable, Slot
-
 from server.gui.utils import WorkerSignals
 
 
-class DataLoadWorker(QRunnable):
+class DataLoadWorker():
     def __init__(self, data_file, layout="umap", *args, **kwargs):
         super(DataLoadWorker, self).__init__()
         self.data_file = data_file
         self.layout = layout
         self.signals = WorkerSignals()
 
-    @Slot()
     def run(self):
         if not self.data_file:
             self.signals.finished.emit()
@@ -39,13 +36,12 @@ class DataLoadWorker(QRunnable):
             self.signals.finished.emit()
 
 
-class ServerRunWorker(QRunnable):
+class ServerRunWorker():
     def __init__(self, app, host, port, *args, **kwargs):
         super(ServerRunWorker, self).__init__()
         self.app = app
         self.host = host
         self.port = port
 
-    @Slot()
     def run(self):
         self.app.run(host=self.host, debug=False, port=self.port, threaded=True)