diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/renderingmanager.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/renderingmanager.cpp
index 05a06a8dda..bdefe4c5cb 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/renderingmanager.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/renderingmanager.cpp
@@ -314,6 +314,7 @@ namespace MWRender
 
         mTerrain->setDefaultViewer(mViewer->getCamera());
         mTerrain->setTargetFrameRate(Settings::Manager::getFloat("target framerate", "Cells"));
+        mTerrain->setWorkQueue(mWorkQueue.get());
 
         mCamera.reset(new Camera(mViewer->getCamera()));
 
diff --git a/components/terrain/compositemaprenderer.cpp b/components/terrain/compositemaprenderer.cpp
index 0ef6491977..39d00db361 100644
--- a/components/terrain/compositemaprenderer.cpp
+++ b/components/terrain/compositemaprenderer.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@
 #include <osg/Texture2D>
 #include <osg/RenderInfo>
 
+#include <components/sceneutil/unrefqueue.hpp>
+#include <components/sceneutil/workqueue.hpp>
+
 #include <algorithm>
 
 namespace Terrain
@@ -20,9 +23,20 @@ CompositeMapRenderer::CompositeMapRenderer()
 
     mFBO = new osg::FrameBufferObject;
 
+    mUnrefQueue = new SceneUtil::UnrefQueue;
+
     getOrCreateStateSet()->setMode(GL_LIGHTING, osg::StateAttribute::OFF);
 }
 
+CompositeMapRenderer::~CompositeMapRenderer()
+{
+}
+
+void CompositeMapRenderer::setWorkQueue(SceneUtil::WorkQueue* workQueue)
+{
+    mWorkQueue = workQueue;
+}
+
 void CompositeMapRenderer::drawImplementation(osg::RenderInfo &renderInfo) const
 {
     double dt = mTimer.time_s();
@@ -35,6 +49,9 @@ void CompositeMapRenderer::drawImplementation(osg::RenderInfo &renderInfo) const
 
     mCompiled.clear();
 
+    if (mWorkQueue)
+        mUnrefQueue->flush(mWorkQueue.get());
+
     OpenThreads::ScopedLock<OpenThreads::Mutex> lock(mMutex);
 
     if (mImmediateCompileSet.empty() && mCompileSet.empty())
@@ -122,6 +139,10 @@ void CompositeMapRenderer::compile(CompositeMap &compositeMap, osg::RenderInfo &
 
         ++compositeMap.mCompiled;
 
+        if (mWorkQueue)
+        {
+            mUnrefQueue->push(compositeMap.mDrawables[i]);
+        }
         compositeMap.mDrawables[i] = nullptr;
 
         if (timeLeft)
diff --git a/components/terrain/compositemaprenderer.hpp b/components/terrain/compositemaprenderer.hpp
index 54e158ed46..5c81fdca65 100644
--- a/components/terrain/compositemaprenderer.hpp
+++ b/components/terrain/compositemaprenderer.hpp
@@ -14,6 +14,12 @@ namespace osg
     class Texture2D;
 }
 
+namespace SceneUtil
+{
+    class UnrefQueue;
+    class WorkQueue;
+}
+
 namespace Terrain
 {
 
@@ -34,11 +40,15 @@ namespace Terrain
     {
     public:
         CompositeMapRenderer();
+        ~CompositeMapRenderer();
 
         virtual void drawImplementation(osg::RenderInfo& renderInfo) const;
 
         void compile(CompositeMap& compositeMap, osg::RenderInfo& renderInfo, double* timeLeft) const;
 
+        /// Set a WorkQueue to delete compiled composite map layers in the background thread
+        void setWorkQueue(SceneUtil::WorkQueue* workQueue);
+
         /// Set the available time in seconds for compiling (non-immediate) composite maps each frame
         void setMinimumTimeAvailableForCompile(double time);
 
@@ -58,6 +68,9 @@ namespace Terrain
         double mMinimumTimeAvailable;
         mutable osg::Timer mTimer;
 
+        osg::ref_ptr<SceneUtil::UnrefQueue> mUnrefQueue;
+        osg::ref_ptr<SceneUtil::WorkQueue> mWorkQueue;
+
         typedef std::set<osg::ref_ptr<CompositeMap> > CompileSet;
 
         mutable CompileSet mCompileSet;
diff --git a/components/terrain/quadtreeworld.hpp b/components/terrain/quadtreeworld.hpp
index e8a8c8de6a..0595096e38 100644
--- a/components/terrain/quadtreeworld.hpp
+++ b/components/terrain/quadtreeworld.hpp
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ namespace Terrain
     class RootNode;
     class ViewDataMap;
 
-    /// @brief Terrain implementation that loads cells into a Quad Tree, with geometry LOD and texture LOD. The entire world is displayed at all times.
+    /// @brief Terrain implementation that loads cells into a Quad Tree, with geometry LOD and texture LOD.
     class QuadTreeWorld : public TerrainGrid // note: derived from TerrainGrid is only to render default cells (see loadCell)
     {
     public:
diff --git a/components/terrain/world.cpp b/components/terrain/world.cpp
index 6a8322bb54..da3bdb5c22 100644
--- a/components/terrain/world.cpp
+++ b/components/terrain/world.cpp
@@ -66,6 +66,11 @@ World::~World()
     delete mStorage;
 }
 
+void World::setWorkQueue(SceneUtil::WorkQueue* workQueue)
+{
+    mCompositeMapRenderer->setWorkQueue(workQueue);
+}
+
 void World::setBordersVisible(bool visible)
 {
     mBorderVisible = visible;
diff --git a/components/terrain/world.hpp b/components/terrain/world.hpp
index 809e9cc236..cfb7edda60 100644
--- a/components/terrain/world.hpp
+++ b/components/terrain/world.hpp
@@ -25,6 +25,11 @@ namespace Resource
     class ResourceSystem;
 }
 
+namespace SceneUtil
+{
+    class WorkQueue;
+}
+
 namespace Terrain
 {
     class Storage;
@@ -60,6 +65,9 @@ namespace Terrain
         World(osg::Group* parent, osg::Group* compileRoot, Resource::ResourceSystem* resourceSystem, Storage* storage, int nodeMask, int preCompileMask, int borderMask);
         virtual ~World();
 
+        /// Set a WorkQueue to delete objects in the background thread.
+        void setWorkQueue(SceneUtil::WorkQueue* workQueue);
+
         /// See CompositeMapRenderer::setTargetFrameRate
         void setTargetFrameRate(float rate);