diff --git a/mopidy/core.py b/mopidy/core.py
index 51a0b737..c687aed1 100644
--- a/mopidy/core.py
+++ b/mopidy/core.py
@@ -64,8 +64,7 @@ def setup_frontends():
     frontends = []
     for frontend_class_name in settings.FRONTENDS:
         try:
-            frontend = get_class(frontend_class_name)()
-            frontend.start()
+            frontend = get_class(frontend_class_name).start_proxy()
             frontends.append(frontend)
         except OptionalDependencyError as e:
             logger.info(u'Disabled: %s (%s)', frontend_class_name, e)
diff --git a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/__init__.py b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/__init__.py
index 2f87088c..b3d5b5e8 100644
--- a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/__init__.py
+++ b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/__init__.py
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
+import asyncore
 import logging
 
+from pykka.actor import ThreadingActor
+
 from mopidy.frontends.base import BaseFrontend
-from mopidy.frontends.mpd.dispatcher import MpdDispatcher
-from mopidy.frontends.mpd.thread import MpdThread
-from mopidy.utils.process import unpickle_connection
+from mopidy.frontends.mpd.server import MpdServer
+from mopidy.utils.process import BaseThread
 
 logger = logging.getLogger('mopidy.frontends.mpd')
 
-class MpdFrontend(BaseFrontend):
+class MpdFrontend(ThreadingActor, BaseFrontend):
     """
     The MPD frontend.
 
@@ -18,32 +20,23 @@ class MpdFrontend(BaseFrontend):
     - :attr:`mopidy.settings.MPD_SERVER_PORT`
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
-        super(MpdFrontend, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
-        self.thread = None
-        self.dispatcher = MpdDispatcher(self.backend)
-
-    def start(self):
-        """Starts the MPD server."""
-        self.thread = MpdThread(self.core_queue)
-        self.thread.start()
+    def __init__(self):
+        # XXX Do setup after actor starts?
+        self._thread = MpdThread()
+        self._thread.start()
 
     def destroy(self):
         """Destroys the MPD server."""
-        self.thread.destroy()
+        self._thread.destroy()
 
-    def process_message(self, message):
-        """
-        Processes messages with the MPD frontend as destination.
 
-        :param message: the message
-        :type message: dict
-        """
-        assert message['to'] == 'frontend', \
-            u'Message recipient must be "frontend".'
-        if message['command'] == 'mpd_request':
-            response = self.dispatcher.handle_request(message['request'])
-            connection = unpickle_connection(message['reply_to'])
-            connection.send(response)
-        else:
-            pass # Ignore messages for other frontends
+class MpdThread(BaseThread):
+    def __init__(self):
+        super(BaseThread, self).__init__()
+        self.name = u'MpdThread'
+
+    def run_inside_try(self):
+        logger.debug(u'Starting MPD server thread')
+        server = MpdServer(self.core_queue)
+        server.start()
+        asyncore.loop()
diff --git a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/session.py b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/session.py
index e8e3291d..349fceb9 100644
--- a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/session.py
+++ b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/session.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import multiprocessing
 from mopidy import settings
 from mopidy.frontends.mpd.protocol import ENCODING, LINE_TERMINATOR, VERSION
 from mopidy.utils.log import indent
-from mopidy.utils.process import pickle_connection
 
 logger = logging.getLogger('mopidy.frontends.mpd.session')
 
@@ -53,15 +52,7 @@ class MpdSession(asynchat.async_chat):
             if response is not None:
                 self.send_response(response)
                 return
-        my_end, other_end = multiprocessing.Pipe()
-        self.core_queue.put({
-            'to': 'frontend',
-            'command': 'mpd_request',
-            'request': request,
-            'reply_to': pickle_connection(other_end),
-        })
-        my_end.poll(None)
-        response = my_end.recv()
+        # TODO-PYKKA: Process request using MpdDispatcher/backend
         if response is not None:
             self.handle_response(response)
 
diff --git a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/thread.py b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/thread.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 0ad5ee68..00000000
--- a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/thread.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-import asyncore
-import logging
-
-from mopidy.frontends.mpd.server import MpdServer
-from mopidy.utils.process import BaseThread
-
-logger = logging.getLogger('mopidy.frontends.mpd.thread')
-
-class MpdThread(BaseThread):
-    def __init__(self, core_queue):
-        super(MpdThread, self).__init__(core_queue)
-        self.name = u'MpdThread'
-
-    def run_inside_try(self):
-        logger.debug(u'Starting MPD server thread')
-        server = MpdServer(self.core_queue)
-        server.start()
-        asyncore.loop()