diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
index 50643ff96..2912beec6 100644
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ void Interrupt()
     InterruptRPC();
     InterruptREST();
     InterruptTorControl();
+    InterruptMapPort();
     if (g_connman)
         g_connman->Interrupt();
 }
@@ -191,7 +192,7 @@ void Shutdown()
 #ifdef ENABLE_WALLET
     FlushWallets();
 #endif
-    MapPort(false);
+    StopMapPort();
 
     // Because these depend on each-other, we make sure that neither can be
     // using the other before destroying them.
@@ -1669,7 +1670,9 @@ bool AppInitMain()
     Discover(threadGroup);
 
     // Map ports with UPnP
-    MapPort(gArgs.GetBoolArg("-upnp", DEFAULT_UPNP));
+    if (gArgs.GetBoolArg("-upnp", DEFAULT_UPNP)) {
+        StartMapPort();
+    }
 
     CConnman::Options connOptions;
     connOptions.nLocalServices = nLocalServices;
diff --git a/src/net.cpp b/src/net.cpp
index 03ed7e7fc..307e5d49d 100644
--- a/src/net.cpp
+++ b/src/net.cpp
@@ -1459,6 +1459,8 @@ void CConnman::WakeMessageHandler()
 
 
 #ifdef USE_UPNP
+static CThreadInterrupt g_upnp_interrupt;
+static std::thread g_upnp_thread;
 void ThreadMapPort()
 {
     std::string port = strprintf("%u", GetListenPort());
@@ -1509,35 +1511,29 @@ void ThreadMapPort()
 
         std::string strDesc = "Bitcoin " + FormatFullVersion();
 
-        try {
-            while (true) {
+        do {
 #ifndef UPNPDISCOVER_SUCCESS
-                /* miniupnpc 1.5 */
-                r = UPNP_AddPortMapping(urls.controlURL, data.first.servicetype,
-                                    port.c_str(), port.c_str(), lanaddr, strDesc.c_str(), "TCP", 0);
+            /* miniupnpc 1.5 */
+            r = UPNP_AddPortMapping(urls.controlURL, data.first.servicetype,
+                                port.c_str(), port.c_str(), lanaddr, strDesc.c_str(), "TCP", 0);
 #else
-                /* miniupnpc 1.6 */
-                r = UPNP_AddPortMapping(urls.controlURL, data.first.servicetype,
-                                    port.c_str(), port.c_str(), lanaddr, strDesc.c_str(), "TCP", 0, "0");
+            /* miniupnpc 1.6 */
+            r = UPNP_AddPortMapping(urls.controlURL, data.first.servicetype,
+                                port.c_str(), port.c_str(), lanaddr, strDesc.c_str(), "TCP", 0, "0");
 #endif
 
-                if(r!=UPNPCOMMAND_SUCCESS)
-                    LogPrintf("AddPortMapping(%s, %s, %s) failed with code %d (%s)\n",
-                        port, port, lanaddr, r, strupnperror(r));
-                else
-                    LogPrintf("UPnP Port Mapping successful.\n");
+            if(r!=UPNPCOMMAND_SUCCESS)
+                LogPrintf("AddPortMapping(%s, %s, %s) failed with code %d (%s)\n",
+                    port, port, lanaddr, r, strupnperror(r));
+            else
+                LogPrintf("UPnP Port Mapping successful.\n");
+        }
+        while(g_upnp_interrupt.sleep_for(std::chrono::minutes(20)));
 
-                MilliSleep(20*60*1000); // Refresh every 20 minutes
-            }
-        }
-        catch (const boost::thread_interrupted&)
-        {
-            r = UPNP_DeletePortMapping(urls.controlURL, data.first.servicetype, port.c_str(), "TCP", 0);
-            LogPrintf("UPNP_DeletePortMapping() returned: %d\n", r);
-            freeUPNPDevlist(devlist); devlist = nullptr;
-            FreeUPNPUrls(&urls);
-            throw;
-        }
+        r = UPNP_DeletePortMapping(urls.controlURL, data.first.servicetype, port.c_str(), "TCP", 0);
+        LogPrintf("UPNP_DeletePortMapping() returned: %d\n", r);
+        freeUPNPDevlist(devlist); devlist = nullptr;
+        FreeUPNPUrls(&urls);
     } else {
         LogPrintf("No valid UPnP IGDs found\n");
         freeUPNPDevlist(devlist); devlist = nullptr;
@@ -1546,27 +1542,39 @@ void ThreadMapPort()
     }
 }
 
-void MapPort(bool fUseUPnP)
+void StartMapPort()
 {
-    static std::unique_ptr<boost::thread> upnp_thread;
-
-    if (fUseUPnP)
-    {
-        if (upnp_thread) {
-            upnp_thread->interrupt();
-            upnp_thread->join();
-        }
-        upnp_thread.reset(new boost::thread(boost::bind(&TraceThread<void (*)()>, "upnp", &ThreadMapPort)));
+    if (!g_upnp_thread.joinable()) {
+        assert(!g_upnp_interrupt);
+        g_upnp_thread = std::thread((std::bind(&TraceThread<void (*)()>, "upnp", &ThreadMapPort)));
     }
-    else if (upnp_thread) {
-        upnp_thread->interrupt();
-        upnp_thread->join();
-        upnp_thread.reset();
+}
+
+void InterruptMapPort()
+{
+    if(g_upnp_thread.joinable()) {
+        g_upnp_interrupt();
+    }
+}
+
+void StopMapPort()
+{
+    if(g_upnp_thread.joinable()) {
+        g_upnp_thread.join();
+        g_upnp_interrupt.reset();
     }
 }
 
 #else
-void MapPort(bool)
+void StartMapPort()
+{
+    // Intentionally left blank.
+}
+void InterruptMapPort()
+{
+    // Intentionally left blank.
+}
+void StopMapPort()
 {
     // Intentionally left blank.
 }
diff --git a/src/net.h b/src/net.h
index 0542ec1aa..daa0eea8b 100644
--- a/src/net.h
+++ b/src/net.h
@@ -442,7 +442,9 @@ private:
 };
 extern std::unique_ptr<CConnman> g_connman;
 void Discover(boost::thread_group& threadGroup);
-void MapPort(bool fUseUPnP);
+void StartMapPort();
+void InterruptMapPort();
+void StopMapPort();
 unsigned short GetListenPort();
 bool BindListenPort(const CService &bindAddr, std::string& strError, bool fWhitelisted = false);
 
diff --git a/src/qt/optionsmodel.cpp b/src/qt/optionsmodel.cpp
index 4ade88d84..909be1c26 100644
--- a/src/qt/optionsmodel.cpp
+++ b/src/qt/optionsmodel.cpp
@@ -315,7 +315,12 @@ bool OptionsModel::setData(const QModelIndex & index, const QVariant & value, in
             break;
         case MapPortUPnP: // core option - can be changed on-the-fly
             settings.setValue("fUseUPnP", value.toBool());
-            MapPort(value.toBool());
+            if (value.toBool()) {
+                StartMapPort();
+            } else {
+                InterruptMapPort();
+                StopMapPort();
+            }
             break;
         case MinimizeOnClose:
             fMinimizeOnClose = value.toBool();