diff --git a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/SharedSource/Screens/GameScreen.cs b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/SharedSource/Screens/GameScreen.cs
index 169bb03e4..9775a0f5a 100644
--- a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/SharedSource/Screens/GameScreen.cs
+++ b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/SharedSource/Screens/GameScreen.cs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-//#define RUN_PHYSICS_IN_SEPARATE_THREAD
+#define RUN_PHYSICS_IN_SEPARATE_THREAD
 
 using Microsoft.Xna.Framework;
 using System.Threading;
@@ -6,10 +6,10 @@ using FarseerPhysics.Dynamics;
 using FarseerPhysics;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
 using System.Linq;
+using System;
 
 
 #if DEBUG && CLIENT
-using System;
 using Barotrauma.Sounds;
 using Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Input;
 #endif
@@ -18,9 +18,15 @@ namespace Barotrauma
 {
     partial class GameScreen : Screen
     {
-        private object updateLock = new object();
+        private readonly object updateLock = new object();
         private double physicsTime;
 
+#if RUN_PHYSICS_IN_SEPARATE_THREAD
+        private CancellationTokenSource physicsCancellation;
+        private readonly AutoResetEvent physicsEvent = new AutoResetEvent(false);
+        private const int PHYSICS_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS = 2;
+#endif
+
 #if CLIENT
         private readonly Camera cam;
 
@@ -71,12 +77,13 @@ namespace Barotrauma
 
             MapEntity.ClearHighlightedEntities();
 
-            Task PhysicsTask = Task.Factory.StartNew(() => ExecutePhysics());
 #if RUN_PHYSICS_IN_SEPARATE_THREAD
+            physicsCancellation = new CancellationTokenSource();
             var physicsThread = new Thread(ExecutePhysics)
             {
                 Name = "Physics thread",
-                IsBackground = true
+                IsBackground = true,
+                Priority = ThreadPriority.AboveNormal
             };
             physicsThread.Start();
 #endif
@@ -85,6 +92,12 @@ namespace Barotrauma
         public override void Deselect()
         {
             base.Deselect();
+
+#if RUN_PHYSICS_IN_SEPARATE_THREAD
+            physicsCancellation?.Cancel();
+            physicsEvent?.Set();
+#endif
+
 #if CLIENT
             var config = GameSettings.CurrentConfig;
             config.CrewMenuOpen = CrewManager.PreferCrewMenuOpen;
@@ -101,6 +114,7 @@ namespace Barotrauma
 #endif
 #endif
         }
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Allows the game to run logic such as updating the world,
         /// checking for collisions, gathering input, and playing audio.
@@ -111,9 +125,11 @@ namespace Barotrauma
 #warning For now CL side performence counter is partly useless bucz multiple changes on such things. Need time to take care of it
 
 #if RUN_PHYSICS_IN_SEPARATE_THREAD
-            physicsTime += deltaTime;
             lock (updateLock)
-            { 
+            {
+                physicsTime += deltaTime;
+            }
+            physicsEvent?.Set();
 #endif
 
 
@@ -334,27 +350,78 @@ namespace Barotrauma
             GameMain.PerformanceCounter.AddElapsedTicks("Update:Physics", sw.ElapsedTicks);
 #endif
             UpdateProjSpecific(deltaTime);
-
-#if RUN_PHYSICS_IN_SEPARATE_THREAD
-            }
-#endif
         }
 
         partial void UpdateProjSpecific(double deltaTime);
 
         private void ExecutePhysics()
         {
-            while (true)
+#if RUN_PHYSICS_IN_SEPARATE_THREAD
+            var token = physicsCancellation.Token;
+            
+            try
             {
-                while (physicsTime >= Timing.Step)
+                while (!token.IsCancellationRequested)
                 {
+                    bool hasWork = false;
+                    
                     lock (updateLock)
                     {
-                        GameMain.World.Step((float)Timing.Step);
-                        physicsTime -= Timing.Step;
+                        while (physicsTime >= Timing.Step)
+                        {
+                            try
+                            {
+                                GameMain.World.Step((float)Timing.Step);
+                                physicsTime -= Timing.Step;
+                                hasWork = true;
+                            }
+                            catch (WorldLockedException e)
+                            {
+                                string errorMsg = $"Physics thread WorldLockedException: {e.Message}\n{e.StackTrace}";
+                                DebugConsole.ThrowError(errorMsg, e);
+                                GameAnalyticsManager.AddErrorEventOnce(
+                                    "GameScreen.ExecutePhysics:WorldLockedException" + e.Message,
+                                    GameAnalyticsManager.ErrorSeverity.Error,
+                                    errorMsg);
+                                break;
+                            }
+                            catch (Exception e)
+                            {
+                                string errorMsg = $"Physics step error: {e.Message}\n{e.StackTrace}";
+                                DebugConsole.ThrowError(errorMsg, e);
+                                GameAnalyticsManager.AddErrorEventOnce(
+                                    "GameScreen.ExecutePhysics:PhysicsStepError" + e.GetType().Name,
+                                    GameAnalyticsManager.ErrorSeverity.Error,
+                                    errorMsg);
+                                break;
+                            }
+                        }
+                    }
+                    
+                    if (!hasWork)
+                    {
+                        physicsEvent.WaitOne(PHYSICS_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS);
                     }
                 }
             }
+            catch (ThreadAbortException)
+            {
+                DebugConsole.Log("Physics thread aborted.");
+            }
+            catch (Exception e)
+            {
+                string errorMsg = $"Fatal error in physics thread: {e.Message}\n{e.StackTrace}";
+                DebugConsole.ThrowError(errorMsg, e);
+                GameAnalyticsManager.AddErrorEventOnce(
+                    "GameScreen.ExecutePhysics:FatalError",
+                    GameAnalyticsManager.ErrorSeverity.Critical,
+                    errorMsg);
+            }
+            finally
+            {
+                DebugConsole.Log("Physics thread terminated.");
+            }
+#endif
         }
     }
 }