diff --git a/src/common/dns_utils.cpp b/src/common/dns_utils.cpp
index 3fbd69949..e00421f87 100644
--- a/src/common/dns_utils.cpp
+++ b/src/common/dns_utils.cpp
@@ -520,7 +520,7 @@ bool load_txt_records_from_dns(std::vector<std::string> &good_records, const std
 
   // send all requests in parallel
   std::deque<bool> avail(dns_urls.size(), false), valid(dns_urls.size(), false);
-  tools::threadpool& tpool = tools::threadpool::getInstance();
+  tools::threadpool& tpool = tools::threadpool::getInstanceForIO();
   tools::threadpool::waiter waiter(tpool);
   for (size_t n = 0; n < dns_urls.size(); ++n)
   {
diff --git a/src/common/threadpool.h b/src/common/threadpool.h
index ce1bc5799..53421e18b 100644
--- a/src/common/threadpool.h
+++ b/src/common/threadpool.h
@@ -42,10 +42,14 @@ namespace tools
 class threadpool
 {
 public:
-  static threadpool& getInstance() {
+  static threadpool& getInstanceForCompute() {
     static threadpool instance;
     return instance;
   }
+  static threadpool& getInstanceForIO() {
+    static threadpool instance(8);
+    return instance;
+  }
   static threadpool *getNewForUnitTests(unsigned max_threads = 0) {
     return new threadpool(max_threads);
   }
diff --git a/src/cryptonote_core/blockchain.cpp b/src/cryptonote_core/blockchain.cpp
index c37dfe9e7..657db311b 100644
--- a/src/cryptonote_core/blockchain.cpp
+++ b/src/cryptonote_core/blockchain.cpp
@@ -3434,7 +3434,7 @@ bool Blockchain::check_tx_inputs(transaction& tx, tx_verification_context &tvc,
   std::vector < uint64_t > results;
   results.resize(tx.vin.size(), 0);
 
-  tools::threadpool& tpool = tools::threadpool::getInstance();
+  tools::threadpool& tpool = tools::threadpool::getInstanceForCompute();
   tools::threadpool::waiter waiter(tpool);
   int threads = tpool.get_max_concurrency();
 
@@ -5137,7 +5137,7 @@ bool Blockchain::prepare_handle_incoming_blocks(const std::vector<block_complete
     return true;
 
   bool blocks_exist = false;
-  tools::threadpool& tpool = tools::threadpool::getInstance();
+  tools::threadpool& tpool = tools::threadpool::getInstanceForCompute();
   unsigned threads = tpool.get_max_concurrency();
   blocks.resize(blocks_entry.size());
 
diff --git a/src/cryptonote_core/cryptonote_core.cpp b/src/cryptonote_core/cryptonote_core.cpp
index 31e4e0414..c91aa473a 100644
--- a/src/cryptonote_core/cryptonote_core.cpp
+++ b/src/cryptonote_core/cryptonote_core.cpp
@@ -1013,7 +1013,7 @@ namespace cryptonote
 
     CRITICAL_REGION_LOCAL(m_incoming_tx_lock);
 
-    tools::threadpool& tpool = tools::threadpool::getInstance();
+    tools::threadpool& tpool = tools::threadpool::getInstanceForCompute();
     tools::threadpool::waiter waiter(tpool);
     epee::span<tx_blob_entry>::const_iterator it = tx_blobs.begin();
     for (size_t i = 0; i < tx_blobs.size(); i++, ++it) {
diff --git a/src/ringct/rctSigs.cpp b/src/ringct/rctSigs.cpp
index 21040317c..477a7907d 100644
--- a/src/ringct/rctSigs.cpp
+++ b/src/ringct/rctSigs.cpp
@@ -1333,7 +1333,7 @@ namespace rct {
         try
         {
           if (semantics) {
-            tools::threadpool& tpool = tools::threadpool::getInstance();
+            tools::threadpool& tpool = tools::threadpool::getInstanceForCompute();
             tools::threadpool::waiter waiter(tpool);
             std::deque<bool> results(rv.outPk.size(), false);
             DP("range proofs verified?");
@@ -1383,7 +1383,7 @@ namespace rct {
       {
         PERF_TIMER(verRctSemanticsSimple);
 
-        tools::threadpool& tpool = tools::threadpool::getInstance();
+        tools::threadpool& tpool = tools::threadpool::getInstanceForCompute();
         tools::threadpool::waiter waiter(tpool);
         std::deque<bool> results;
         std::vector<const Bulletproof*> bp_proofs;
@@ -1536,7 +1536,7 @@ namespace rct {
         const size_t threads = std::max(rv.outPk.size(), rv.mixRing.size());
 
         std::deque<bool> results(threads);
-        tools::threadpool& tpool = tools::threadpool::getInstance();
+        tools::threadpool& tpool = tools::threadpool::getInstanceForCompute();
         tools::threadpool::waiter waiter(tpool);
 
         const keyV &pseudoOuts = bulletproof || bulletproof_plus ? rv.p.pseudoOuts : rv.pseudoOuts;
diff --git a/src/wallet/wallet2.cpp b/src/wallet/wallet2.cpp
index d6b05e5b4..43e896378 100644
--- a/src/wallet/wallet2.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/wallet2.cpp
@@ -2724,7 +2724,7 @@ void wallet2::process_parsed_blocks(uint64_t start_height, const std::vector<cry
   THROW_WALLET_EXCEPTION_IF(blocks.size() != parsed_blocks.size(), error::wallet_internal_error, "size mismatch");
   THROW_WALLET_EXCEPTION_IF(!m_blockchain.is_in_bounds(current_index), error::out_of_hashchain_bounds_error);
 
-  tools::threadpool& tpool = tools::threadpool::getInstance();
+  tools::threadpool& tpool = tools::threadpool::getInstanceForCompute();
   tools::threadpool::waiter waiter(tpool);
 
   size_t num_txes = 0;
@@ -2967,7 +2967,7 @@ void wallet2::pull_and_parse_next_blocks(uint64_t start_height, uint64_t &blocks
     pull_blocks(start_height, blocks_start_height, short_chain_history, blocks, o_indices, current_height);
     THROW_WALLET_EXCEPTION_IF(blocks.size() != o_indices.size(), error::wallet_internal_error, "Mismatched sizes of blocks and o_indices");
 
-    tools::threadpool& tpool = tools::threadpool::getInstance();
+    tools::threadpool& tpool = tools::threadpool::getInstanceForCompute();
     tools::threadpool::waiter waiter(tpool);
     parsed_blocks.resize(blocks.size());
     for (size_t i = 0; i < blocks.size(); ++i)
@@ -3464,7 +3464,7 @@ void wallet2::refresh(bool trusted_daemon, uint64_t start_height, uint64_t & blo
   size_t try_count = 0;
   crypto::hash last_tx_hash_id = m_transfers.size() ? m_transfers.back().m_txid : null_hash;
   std::list<crypto::hash> short_chain_history;
-  tools::threadpool& tpool = tools::threadpool::getInstance();
+  tools::threadpool& tpool = tools::threadpool::getInstanceForCompute();
   tools::threadpool::waiter waiter(tpool);
   uint64_t blocks_start_height;
   std::vector<cryptonote::block_complete_entry> blocks;
diff --git a/src/wallet/wallet_rpc_payments.cpp b/src/wallet/wallet_rpc_payments.cpp
index 61eaa8070..8474fb568 100644
--- a/src/wallet/wallet_rpc_payments.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/wallet_rpc_payments.cpp
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ bool wallet2::search_for_rpc_payment(uint64_t credits_target, uint32_t n_threads
       n_threads = boost::thread::hardware_concurrency();
 
     std::vector<crypto::hash> hash(n_threads);
-    tools::threadpool& tpool = tools::threadpool::getInstance();
+    tools::threadpool& tpool = tools::threadpool::getInstanceForCompute();
     tools::threadpool::waiter waiter(tpool);
 
     const uint32_t local_nonce = nonce += n_threads; // wrapping's OK
diff --git a/tests/core_tests/chaingen.h b/tests/core_tests/chaingen.h
index 5c8c9f79f..d5c9edc55 100644
--- a/tests/core_tests/chaingen.h
+++ b/tests/core_tests/chaingen.h
@@ -778,7 +778,7 @@ inline bool do_replay_events_get_core(std::vector<test_event_entry>& events, cry
 
   t_test_class validator;
   bool ret = replay_events_through_core<t_test_class>(c, events, validator);
-  tools::threadpool::getInstance().recycle();
+  tools::threadpool::getInstanceForCompute().recycle();
 //  c.deinit();
   return ret;
 }