diff --git a/config-unix.mk b/config-unix.mk
index e633d8d8..2af3f3c4 100644
--- a/config-unix.mk
+++ b/config-unix.mk
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ OBJS += src/unix/dl.o
 OBJS += src/unix/error.o
 OBJS += src/unix/fs.o
 OBJS += src/unix/idle.o
+OBJS += src/unix/loop.o
 OBJS += src/unix/pipe.o
 OBJS += src/unix/prepare.o
 OBJS += src/unix/process.o
diff --git a/src/unix/core.c b/src/unix/core.c
index 56eb9b95..5d5048ad 100644
--- a/src/unix/core.c
+++ b/src/unix/core.c
@@ -123,20 +123,14 @@ int uv_is_closing(uv_handle_t* handle) {
 }
 
 
-static int uv__loop_init(uv_loop_t* loop,
-                         struct ev_loop *(ev_loop_new)(unsigned int flags)) {
-  memset(loop, 0, sizeof(*loop));
-  RB_INIT(&loop->uv_ares_handles_);
-  loop->endgame_handles = NULL;
-#if HAVE_KQUEUE
-  loop->ev = ev_loop_new(EVBACKEND_KQUEUE);
-#else
-  loop->ev = ev_loop_new(EVFLAG_AUTO);
-#endif
-  ev_set_userdata(loop->ev, loop);
-  eio_channel_init(&loop->uv_eio_channel, loop);
-  uv__loop_platform_init(loop);
-  return 0;
+uv_loop_t* uv_default_loop(void) {
+  if (default_loop_ptr)
+    return default_loop_ptr;
+
+  if (uv__loop_init(&default_loop_struct, /* default_loop? */ 1))
+    return NULL;
+
+  return (default_loop_ptr = &default_loop_struct);
 }
 
 
@@ -146,7 +140,7 @@ uv_loop_t* uv_loop_new(void) {
   if ((loop = malloc(sizeof(*loop))) == NULL)
     return NULL;
 
-  if (uv__loop_init(loop, ev_loop_new)) {
+  if (uv__loop_init(loop, /* default_loop? */ 0)) {
     free(loop);
     return NULL;
   }
@@ -156,9 +150,7 @@ uv_loop_t* uv_loop_new(void) {
 
 
 void uv_loop_delete(uv_loop_t* loop) {
-  uv_ares_destroy(loop, loop->channel);
-  ev_loop_destroy(loop->ev);
-  uv__loop_platform_delete(loop);
+  uv__loop_delete(loop);
 #ifndef NDEBUG
   memset(loop, -1, sizeof *loop);
 #endif
@@ -174,18 +166,6 @@ int uv_loop_refcount(const uv_loop_t* loop) {
 }
 
 
-uv_loop_t* uv_default_loop(void) {
-  if (default_loop_ptr)
-    return default_loop_ptr;
-
-  if (uv__loop_init(&default_loop_struct, ev_default_loop))
-    return NULL;
-
-  default_loop_ptr = &default_loop_struct;
-  return default_loop_ptr;
-}
-
-
 void uv__run(uv_loop_t* loop) {
   ev_run(loop->ev, EVRUN_ONCE);
 
diff --git a/src/unix/internal.h b/src/unix/internal.h
index 5123d0ee..cfbe1add 100644
--- a/src/unix/internal.h
+++ b/src/unix/internal.h
@@ -104,6 +104,10 @@ int uv__cloexec(int fd, int set) __attribute__((unused));
 int uv__socket(int domain, int type, int protocol);
 int uv__dup(int fd);
 
+/* loop */
+int uv__loop_init(uv_loop_t* loop, int default_loop);
+void uv__loop_delete(uv_loop_t* loop);
+
 /* error */
 uv_err_code uv_translate_sys_error(int sys_errno);
 void uv_fatal_error(const int errorno, const char* syscall);
diff --git a/src/unix/loop.c b/src/unix/loop.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..29927603
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/unix/loop.c
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+/* Copyright Joyent, Inc. and other Node contributors. All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+ * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to
+ * deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the
+ * rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or
+ * sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+ * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+ * all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+ * AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
+ * FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS
+ * IN THE SOFTWARE.
+ */
+
+#include "uv.h"
+#include "tree.h"
+#include "internal.h"
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+
+int uv__loop_init(uv_loop_t* loop, int default_loop) {
+#if HAVE_KQUEUE
+  int flags = EVBACKEND_KQUEUE;
+#else
+  int flags = EVFLAG_AUTO;
+#endif
+  RB_INIT(&loop->uv_ares_handles_);
+  loop->endgame_handles = NULL;
+  loop->ev = (default_loop ? ev_default_loop : ev_loop_new)(flags);
+  ev_set_userdata(loop->ev, loop);
+  eio_channel_init(&loop->uv_eio_channel, loop);
+  uv__loop_platform_init(loop);
+  return 0;
+}
+
+
+void uv__loop_delete(uv_loop_t* loop) {
+  uv_ares_destroy(loop, loop->channel);
+  ev_loop_destroy(loop->ev);
+  uv__loop_platform_delete(loop);
+}
diff --git a/uv.gyp b/uv.gyp
index cc5f1beb..d03ea568 100644
--- a/uv.gyp
+++ b/uv.gyp
@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@
             'src/unix/fs.c',
             'src/unix/idle.c',
             'src/unix/internal.h',
+            'src/unix/loop.c',
             'src/unix/pipe.c',
             'src/unix/prepare.c',
             'src/unix/process.c',