diff --git a/deps/Makefile b/deps/Makefile
index 0cf7df9967..be45ca2a74 100644
--- a/deps/Makefile
+++ b/deps/Makefile
@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@ endif
 
 PROXYSQLCLICKHOUSE := $(shell echo $(PROXYSQLCLICKHOUSE))
 ifeq ($(PROXYSQLCLICKHOUSE),1)
-default: libconfig libdaemon jemalloc mariadb_client re2 sqlite3 pcre clickhouse-cpp lz4 cityhash microhttpd curl libev
+default: libconfig libdaemon jemalloc mariadb_client re2 sqlite3 pcre clickhouse-cpp lz4 cityhash microhttpd curl ev
 else
-default: libconfig libdaemon jemalloc mariadb_client re2 sqlite3 pcre microhttpd curl libev
+default: libconfig libdaemon jemalloc mariadb_client re2 sqlite3 pcre microhttpd curl ev
 endif
 .PHONY: default
 
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ libev/libev/.libs/libev.a:
 	cd libev && tar -zxf libev-4.24.tar.gz
 	cd libev/libev  && ./configure
 	cd libev/libev && CC=${CC} CXX=${CXX} ${MAKE}
-libev: libev/libev/.libs/libev.a
+ev: libev/libev/.libs/libev.a
 
 
 curl/curl/lib/.libs/libcurl.a:
diff --git a/src/Makefile b/src/Makefile
index 2dc3f27776..5342acd396 100644
--- a/src/Makefile
+++ b/src/Makefile
@@ -44,10 +44,14 @@ CURL_DIR=$(DEPS_PATH)/curl/curl/
 CURL_IDIR=$(CURL_DIR)/include
 CURL_LDIR=$(CURL_DIR)/lib/.libs
 
+EV_DIR=$(DEPS_PATH)/libev/libev/
+EV_IDIR=$(EV_DIR)
+EV_LDIR=$(EV_DIR)/.libs
+
 IDIR=../include
 LDIR=../lib
-IDIRS=-I$(IDIR) -I$(JEMALLOC_IDIR) -I$(MARIADB_IDIR) $(LIBCONFIG_IDIR) -I$(DAEMONPATH_IDIR) -I$(SQLITE3_DIR) -I$(CLICKHOUSE_CPP_DIR) -I$(MICROHTTPD_IDIR) -I$(CURL_IDIR)
-LDIRS=-L$(LDIR) -L$(JEMALLOC_LDIR) $(LIBCONFIG_LDIR) -L$(RE2_PATH)/obj -L$(MARIADB_LDIR) -L$(DAEMONPATH_LDIR) -L$(PCRE_LDIR) -L$(MICROHTTPD_LDIR) -L$(CURL_LDIR)
+IDIRS=-I$(IDIR) -I$(JEMALLOC_IDIR) -I$(MARIADB_IDIR) $(LIBCONFIG_IDIR) -I$(DAEMONPATH_IDIR) -I$(SQLITE3_DIR) -I$(CLICKHOUSE_CPP_DIR) -I$(MICROHTTPD_IDIR) -I$(CURL_IDIR) -I$(EV_IDIR)
+LDIRS=-L$(LDIR) -L$(JEMALLOC_LDIR) $(LIBCONFIG_LDIR) -L$(RE2_PATH)/obj -L$(MARIADB_LDIR) -L$(DAEMONPATH_LDIR) -L$(PCRE_LDIR) -L$(MICROHTTPD_LDIR) -L$(CURL_LDIR) -L$(EV_DIR)
 
 UNAME_S := $(shell uname -s)
 
@@ -68,9 +72,9 @@ MYCXXFLAGS=-std=c++11 $(IDIRS) $(OPTZ) $(DEBUG) $(PSQLCH)
 LDFLAGS+=
 NOJEMALLOC := $(shell echo $(NOJEMALLOC))
 ifeq ($(NOJEMALLOC),1)
-MYLIBS=-Wl,--export-dynamic -Wl,-Bstatic -lconfig -lproxysql -ldaemon -lconfig++ -lre2 -lpcrecpp -lpcre -lmariadbclient -lmicrohttpd -lcurl -Wl,-Bdynamic -lpthread -lm -lz -lrt -lcrypto -lssl $(EXTRALINK)
+MYLIBS=-Wl,--export-dynamic -Wl,-Bstatic -lconfig -lproxysql -ldaemon -lconfig++ -lre2 -lpcrecpp -lpcre -lmariadbclient -lmicrohttpd -lcurl -lev -Wl,-Bdynamic -lpthread -lm -lz -lrt -lcrypto -lssl $(EXTRALINK)
 else
-MYLIBS=-Wl,--export-dynamic -Wl,-Bstatic -lconfig -lproxysql -ldaemon -ljemalloc -lconfig++ -lre2 -lpcrecpp -lpcre -lmariadbclient -lmicrohttpd -lcurl -Wl,-Bdynamic -lpthread -lm -lz -lrt -lcrypto -lssl $(EXTRALINK)
+MYLIBS=-Wl,--export-dynamic -Wl,-Bstatic -lconfig -lproxysql -ldaemon -ljemalloc -lconfig++ -lre2 -lpcrecpp -lpcre -lmariadbclient -lmicrohttpd -lcurl -lev -Wl,-Bdynamic -lpthread -lm -lz -lrt -lcrypto -lssl $(EXTRALINK)
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(UNAME_S),Darwin)
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 09237ee463..693d13a17f 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include <libdaemon/dlog.h>
 #include <libdaemon/dpid.h>
 #include <libdaemon/dexec.h>
+#include "ev.h"
 
 // MariaDB client library redefines dlerror(), see https://mariadb.atlassian.net/browse/CONC-101
 #ifdef dlerror
@@ -393,6 +394,13 @@ void ProxySQL_Main_init_main_modules() {
 	GloMyMon=NULL;
 	GloMyLogger=NULL;
 	GloMyStmt=NULL;
+
+	// initialize libev
+	if (!ev_default_loop (EVBACKEND_POLL | EVFLAG_NOENV)) {
+		fprintf(stderr,"could not initialise libev");
+		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+	}
+
 	MyHGM=new MySQL_HostGroups_Manager();
 	GloMTH=new MySQL_Threads_Handler();
 	GloMyLogger = new MySQL_Logger();