diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactInstanceManager.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactInstanceManager.java
index 4b0a84f5a..020ac08b6 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactInstanceManager.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactInstanceManager.java
@@ -933,12 +933,14 @@ public class ReactInstanceManager {
         ? mNativeModuleCallExceptionHandler
         : mDevSupportManager;
     CatalystInstanceImpl.Builder catalystInstanceBuilder = new CatalystInstanceImpl.Builder()
-        .setReactQueueConfigurationSpec(ReactQueueConfigurationSpec.createDefault())
-        .setJSExecutor(jsExecutor)
-        .setRegistry(nativeModuleRegistry)
-        .setJSModuleRegistry(jsModulesBuilder.build())
-        .setJSBundleLoader(jsBundleLoader)
-        .setNativeModuleCallExceptionHandler(exceptionHandler);
+      .setReactQueueConfigurationSpec(mUseSeparateUIBackgroundThread ?
+        ReactQueueConfigurationSpec.createWithSeparateUIBackgroundThread() :
+        ReactQueueConfigurationSpec.createDefault())
+      .setJSExecutor(jsExecutor)
+      .setRegistry(nativeModuleRegistry)
+      .setJSModuleRegistry(jsModulesBuilder.build())
+      .setJSBundleLoader(jsBundleLoader)
+      .setNativeModuleCallExceptionHandler(exceptionHandler);
 
     ReactMarker.logMarker(CREATE_CATALYST_INSTANCE_START);
     // CREATE_CATALYST_INSTANCE_END is in JSCExecutor.cpp
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/bridge/ReactContext.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/bridge/ReactContext.java
index 28bd58cb9..9d8116d2d 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/bridge/ReactContext.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/bridge/ReactContext.java
@@ -308,6 +308,10 @@ public class ReactContext extends ContextWrapper {
     Assertions.assertNotNull(mJSMessageQueueThread).runOnQueue(runnable);
   }
 
+  public boolean hasUIBackgroundRunnableThread() {
+    return mUiBackgroundMessageQueueThread != null;
+  }
+
   public void runUIBackgroundRunnable(Runnable runnable) {
     if (mUiBackgroundMessageQueueThread == null) {
       runOnNativeModulesQueueThread(runnable);
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/cxxbridge/CatalystInstanceImpl.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/cxxbridge/CatalystInstanceImpl.java
index 23fcced80..04b5f5973 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/cxxbridge/CatalystInstanceImpl.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/cxxbridge/CatalystInstanceImpl.java
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ public class CatalystInstanceImpl implements CatalystInstance {
   private final NativeModuleRegistry mJavaRegistry;
   private final NativeModuleCallExceptionHandler mNativeModuleCallExceptionHandler;
   private final MessageQueueThread mNativeModulesQueueThread;
+  private final @Nullable MessageQueueThread mUIBackgroundQueueThread;
   private boolean mInitialized = false;
   private volatile boolean mAcceptCalls = false;
 
@@ -118,6 +119,7 @@ public class CatalystInstanceImpl implements CatalystInstance {
     mJSBundleLoader = jsBundleLoader;
     mNativeModuleCallExceptionHandler = nativeModuleCallExceptionHandler;
     mNativeModulesQueueThread = mReactQueueConfiguration.getNativeModulesQueueThread();
+    mUIBackgroundQueueThread = mReactQueueConfiguration.getUIBackgroundQueueThread();
     mTraceListener = new JSProfilerTraceListener(this);
 
     FLog.d(ReactConstants.TAG, "Initializing React Xplat Bridge before initializeBridge");
@@ -126,6 +128,7 @@ public class CatalystInstanceImpl implements CatalystInstance {
       jsExecutor,
       mReactQueueConfiguration.getJSQueueThread(),
       mNativeModulesQueueThread,
+      mUIBackgroundQueueThread,
       mJavaRegistry.getJavaModules(this),
       mJavaRegistry.getCxxModules());
     FLog.d(ReactConstants.TAG, "Initializing React Xplat Bridge after initializeBridge");
@@ -171,6 +174,7 @@ public class CatalystInstanceImpl implements CatalystInstance {
       JavaScriptExecutor jsExecutor,
       MessageQueueThread jsQueue,
       MessageQueueThread moduleQueue,
+      MessageQueueThread uiBackgroundQueue,
       Collection<JavaModuleWrapper> javaModules,
       Collection<ModuleHolder> cxxModules);
 
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/jni/xreact/jni/CatalystInstanceImpl.cpp b/ReactAndroid/src/main/jni/xreact/jni/CatalystInstanceImpl.cpp
index 75212aa7d..2b7dfd35c 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/jni/xreact/jni/CatalystInstanceImpl.cpp
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/jni/xreact/jni/CatalystInstanceImpl.cpp
@@ -86,8 +86,10 @@ CatalystInstanceImpl::CatalystInstanceImpl()
   : instance_(folly::make_unique<Instance>()) {}
 
 CatalystInstanceImpl::~CatalystInstanceImpl() {
-  // TODO: 16669252: this prevents onCatalystInstanceDestroy from being called
   moduleMessageQueue_->quitSynchronous();
+  if (uiBackgroundMessageQueue_ != NULL) {
+    uiBackgroundMessageQueue_->quitSynchronous();
+  }
 }
 
 void CatalystInstanceImpl::registerNatives() {
@@ -118,11 +120,15 @@ void CatalystInstanceImpl::initializeBridge(
     JavaScriptExecutorHolder* jseh,
     jni::alias_ref<JavaMessageQueueThread::javaobject> jsQueue,
     jni::alias_ref<JavaMessageQueueThread::javaobject> nativeModulesQueue,
+    jni::alias_ref<JavaMessageQueueThread::javaobject> uiBackgroundQueue,
     jni::alias_ref<jni::JCollection<JavaModuleWrapper::javaobject>::javaobject> javaModules,
     jni::alias_ref<jni::JCollection<ModuleHolder::javaobject>::javaobject> cxxModules) {
   // TODO mhorowitz: how to assert here?
   // Assertions.assertCondition(mBridge == null, "initializeBridge should be called once");
   moduleMessageQueue_ = std::make_shared<JMessageQueueThread>(nativeModulesQueue);
+  if (uiBackgroundQueue.get() != nullptr) {
+    uiBackgroundMessageQueue_ = std::make_shared<JMessageQueueThread>(uiBackgroundQueue);
+  }
 
   // This used to be:
   //
@@ -141,11 +147,17 @@ void CatalystInstanceImpl::initializeBridge(
   // stack.
 
   instance_->initializeBridge(
-    folly::make_unique<JInstanceCallback>(callback, moduleMessageQueue_),
+    folly::make_unique<JInstanceCallback>(
+    callback,
+    uiBackgroundMessageQueue_ != NULL ? uiBackgroundMessageQueue_ : moduleMessageQueue_),
     jseh->getExecutorFactory(),
     folly::make_unique<JMessageQueueThread>(jsQueue),
     buildModuleRegistry(
-      std::weak_ptr<Instance>(instance_), javaModules, cxxModules, moduleMessageQueue_));
+      std::weak_ptr<Instance>(instance_),
+      javaModules,
+      cxxModules,
+      moduleMessageQueue_,
+      uiBackgroundMessageQueue_));
 }
 
 void CatalystInstanceImpl::jniSetSourceURL(const std::string& sourceURL) {
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/jni/xreact/jni/CatalystInstanceImpl.h b/ReactAndroid/src/main/jni/xreact/jni/CatalystInstanceImpl.h
index 23edbb9c2..391d195b1 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/jni/xreact/jni/CatalystInstanceImpl.h
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/jni/xreact/jni/CatalystInstanceImpl.h
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ class CatalystInstanceImpl : public jni::HybridClass<CatalystInstanceImpl> {
       JavaScriptExecutorHolder* jseh,
       jni::alias_ref<JavaMessageQueueThread::javaobject> jsQueue,
       jni::alias_ref<JavaMessageQueueThread::javaobject> moduleQueue,
+      jni::alias_ref<JavaMessageQueueThread::javaobject> uiBackgroundQueue,
       jni::alias_ref<jni::JCollection<JavaModuleWrapper::javaobject>::javaobject> javaModules,
       jni::alias_ref<jni::JCollection<ModuleHolder::javaobject>::javaobject> cxxModules);
 
@@ -74,6 +75,7 @@ class CatalystInstanceImpl : public jni::HybridClass<CatalystInstanceImpl> {
   // will have a weak reference.
   std::shared_ptr<Instance> instance_;
   std::shared_ptr<JMessageQueueThread> moduleMessageQueue_;
+  std::shared_ptr<JMessageQueueThread> uiBackgroundMessageQueue_;
 };
 
 }}
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/jni/xreact/jni/JavaModuleWrapper.h b/ReactAndroid/src/main/jni/xreact/jni/JavaModuleWrapper.h
index 67ff2efad..6ab0d6406 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/jni/xreact/jni/JavaModuleWrapper.h
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/jni/xreact/jni/JavaModuleWrapper.h
@@ -34,6 +34,11 @@ struct JavaModuleWrapper : jni::JavaClass<JavaModuleWrapper> {
     return getModule(self());
   }
 
+  std::string getName() const {
+    static auto getName = javaClassStatic()->getMethod<jstring()>("getName");
+    return getName(self())->toStdString();
+  }
+
   jni::local_ref<jni::JList<JMethodDescriptor::javaobject>::javaobject> getMethodDescriptors() {
     static auto getMethods = getClass()
       ->getMethod<jni::JList<JMethodDescriptor::javaobject>::javaobject()>("getMethodDescriptors");
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/jni/xreact/jni/ModuleRegistryBuilder.cpp b/ReactAndroid/src/main/jni/xreact/jni/ModuleRegistryBuilder.cpp
index 8633f7833..73ad22a13 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/jni/xreact/jni/ModuleRegistryBuilder.cpp
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/jni/xreact/jni/ModuleRegistryBuilder.cpp
@@ -33,12 +33,25 @@ std::unique_ptr<ModuleRegistry> buildModuleRegistry(
     std::weak_ptr<Instance> winstance,
     jni::alias_ref<jni::JCollection<JavaModuleWrapper::javaobject>::javaobject> javaModules,
     jni::alias_ref<jni::JCollection<ModuleHolder::javaobject>::javaobject> cxxModules,
-    std::shared_ptr<MessageQueueThread> moduleMessageQueue) {
+    std::shared_ptr<MessageQueueThread> moduleMessageQueue,
+    std::shared_ptr<MessageQueueThread> uiBackgroundMessageQueue) {
   std::vector<std::unique_ptr<NativeModule>> modules;
   if (javaModules) {
     for (const auto& jm : *javaModules) {
-      modules.emplace_back(folly::make_unique<JavaNativeModule>(
+      std::string name = jm->getName();
+      if (uiBackgroundMessageQueue != NULL &&
+        // This is techinically a hack. Perhaps we should bind the specific queue to the module
+        // in the module holder or wrapper.
+        // TODO expose as module configuration option
+        (name == "UIManager" ||
+          name == "NativeAnimatedModule" ||
+          name == "FBFacebookReactNavigator")) {
+        modules.emplace_back(folly::make_unique<JavaNativeModule>(
+                             winstance, jm, uiBackgroundMessageQueue));
+      } else {
+        modules.emplace_back(folly::make_unique<JavaNativeModule>(
                              winstance, jm, moduleMessageQueue));
+      }
     }
   }
   if (cxxModules) {
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/jni/xreact/jni/ModuleRegistryBuilder.h b/ReactAndroid/src/main/jni/xreact/jni/ModuleRegistryBuilder.h
index 0aeb7d539..b17664cd9 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/jni/xreact/jni/ModuleRegistryBuilder.h
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/jni/xreact/jni/ModuleRegistryBuilder.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ std::unique_ptr<ModuleRegistry> buildModuleRegistry(
   std::weak_ptr<Instance> winstance,
   jni::alias_ref<jni::JCollection<JavaModuleWrapper::javaobject>::javaobject> javaModules,
   jni::alias_ref<jni::JCollection<ModuleHolder::javaobject>::javaobject> cxxModules,
-  std::shared_ptr<MessageQueueThread> moduleMessageQueue);
-
+  std::shared_ptr<MessageQueueThread> moduleMessageQueue,
+  std::shared_ptr<MessageQueueThread> uiBackgroundMessageQueue);
 }
 }