diff --git a/src/com/android/launcher2/DeleteZone.java b/src/com/android/launcher2/DeleteZone.java
index 3a6c63d8b2..4e8b204fb4 100644
--- a/src/com/android/launcher2/DeleteZone.java
+++ b/src/com/android/launcher2/DeleteZone.java
@@ -116,7 +116,14 @@ public class DeleteZone extends ImageView implements DropTarget, DragController.
             final LauncherAppWidgetInfo launcherAppWidgetInfo = (LauncherAppWidgetInfo) item;
             final LauncherAppWidgetHost appWidgetHost = mLauncher.getAppWidgetHost();
             if (appWidgetHost != null) {
-                appWidgetHost.deleteAppWidgetId(launcherAppWidgetInfo.appWidgetId);
+                final int appWidgetId = launcherAppWidgetInfo.appWidgetId;
+                // Deleting an app widget ID is a void call but writes to disk before returning
+                // to the caller...
+                new Thread("deleteAppWidgetId") {
+                    public void run() {
+                        appWidgetHost.deleteAppWidgetId(launcherAppWidgetInfo.appWidgetId);
+                    }
+                }.start();
             }
         }
         LauncherModel.deleteItemFromDatabase(mLauncher, item);
diff --git a/src/com/android/launcher2/LauncherModel.java b/src/com/android/launcher2/LauncherModel.java
index c1ecf506e0..06fcfb3194 100644
--- a/src/com/android/launcher2/LauncherModel.java
+++ b/src/com/android/launcher2/LauncherModel.java
@@ -269,8 +269,12 @@ public class LauncherModel extends BroadcastReceiver {
      */
     static void deleteItemFromDatabase(Context context, ItemInfo item) {
         final ContentResolver cr = context.getContentResolver();
-
-        cr.delete(LauncherSettings.Favorites.getContentUri(item.id, false), null, null);
+        final Uri uriToDelete = LauncherSettings.Favorites.getContentUri(item.id, false);
+        new Thread("deleteItemFromDatabase") {
+            public void run() {
+                cr.delete(uriToDelete, null, null);
+            }
+        }.start();
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/com/android/launcher2/Workspace.java b/src/com/android/launcher2/Workspace.java
index 30b149449f..7761cb3489 100644
--- a/src/com/android/launcher2/Workspace.java
+++ b/src/com/android/launcher2/Workspace.java
@@ -1345,7 +1345,6 @@ public class Workspace extends ViewGroup implements DropTarget, DragSource, Drag
                             if (Intent.ACTION_MAIN.equals(intent.getAction()) && name != null) {
                                 for (String packageName: packageNames) {
                                     if (packageName.equals(name.getPackageName())) {
-                                        // TODO: This should probably be done on a worker thread
                                         LauncherModel.deleteItemFromDatabase(mLauncher, info);
                                         childrenToRemove.add(view);
                                     }
@@ -1367,9 +1366,7 @@ public class Workspace extends ViewGroup implements DropTarget, DragSource, Drag
                                     for (String packageName: packageNames) {
                                         if (packageName.equals(name.getPackageName())) {
                                             toRemove.add(appInfo);
-                                            // TODO: This should probably be done on a worker thread
-                                            LauncherModel.deleteItemFromDatabase(
-                                                    mLauncher, appInfo);
+                                            LauncherModel.deleteItemFromDatabase(mLauncher, appInfo);
                                             removedFromFolder = true;
                                         }
                                     }
@@ -1390,7 +1387,6 @@ public class Workspace extends ViewGroup implements DropTarget, DragSource, Drag
                             if (providerInfo != null) {
                                 for (String packageName: packageNames) {
                                     if (packageName.equals(providerInfo.packageName)) {
-                                        // TODO: This should probably be done on a worker thread
                                         LauncherModel.deleteItemFromDatabase(mLauncher, info);
                                         childrenToRemove.add(view);                        
                                     }
@@ -1403,7 +1399,6 @@ public class Workspace extends ViewGroup implements DropTarget, DragSource, Drag
                             if (provider != null) {
                                 for (String packageName: packageNames) {
                                     if (packageName.equals(provider.provider.getPackageName())) {
-                                        // TODO: This should probably be done on a worker thread
                                         LauncherModel.deleteItemFromDatabase(mLauncher, info);
                                         childrenToRemove.add(view);                                
                                     }