diff --git a/UNITTESTS/features/cellular/framework/device/cellulardevice/unittest.cmake b/UNITTESTS/features/cellular/framework/device/cellulardevice/unittest.cmake
index c8c7b7d614..fcd1611e5c 100644
--- a/UNITTESTS/features/cellular/framework/device/cellulardevice/unittest.cmake
+++ b/UNITTESTS/features/cellular/framework/device/cellulardevice/unittest.cmake
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ set(unittest-test-sources
   stubs/CellularContext_stub.cpp
   stubs/ConditionVariable_stub.cpp
   stubs/Mutex_stub.cpp
+  stubs/mbed_shared_queues_stub.cpp
 )
 
 set(unittest-test-flags
diff --git a/UNITTESTS/features/cellular/framework/device/cellularstatemachine/cellularstatemachinetest.cpp b/UNITTESTS/features/cellular/framework/device/cellularstatemachine/cellularstatemachinetest.cpp
index cb019c0d25..8f4ad47e62 100644
--- a/UNITTESTS/features/cellular/framework/device/cellularstatemachine/cellularstatemachinetest.cpp
+++ b/UNITTESTS/features/cellular/framework/device/cellularstatemachine/cellularstatemachinetest.cpp
@@ -222,13 +222,6 @@ TEST_F(TestCellularStateMachine, test_start_dispatch)
     ASSERT_EQ(NSAPI_ERROR_OK, err);
     ut.delete_state_machine();
 
-    Thread_stub::osStatus_value = osErrorNoMemory;
-    stm = ut.create_state_machine(*dev, *dev->get_queue(), *dev->open_network());
-    EXPECT_TRUE(stm);
-    err = ut.start_dispatch();
-    ASSERT_EQ(NSAPI_ERROR_NO_MEMORY, err);
-    ut.delete_state_machine();
-
     delete dev;
     dev = NULL;
 }
diff --git a/features/cellular/framework/API/CellularDevice.h b/features/cellular/framework/API/CellularDevice.h
index f193fbcde6..b6f4e89d8f 100644
--- a/features/cellular/framework/API/CellularDevice.h
+++ b/features/cellular/framework/API/CellularDevice.h
@@ -21,10 +21,15 @@
 #include "CellularStateMachine.h"
 #include "Callback.h"
 #include "ATHandler.h"
+
 #if (DEVICE_SERIAL && DEVICE_INTERRUPTIN) || defined(DOXYGEN_ONLY)
 #include "UARTSerial.h"
 #endif // #if DEVICE_SERIAL
 
+#ifdef MBED_CONF_RTOS_PRESENT
+#include "Thread.h"
+#endif // MBED_CONF_RTOS_PRESENT
+
 /** @file CellularDevice.h
  * @brief Class CellularDevice
  *
@@ -504,6 +509,10 @@ private: //Member variables
     char _sim_pin[MAX_PIN_SIZE + 1];
     char _plmn[MAX_PLMN_SIZE + 1];
     PlatformMutex _mutex;
+
+#ifdef MBED_CONF_RTOS_PRESENT
+    rtos::Thread _queue_thread;
+#endif
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/features/cellular/framework/device/CellularDevice.cpp b/features/cellular/framework/device/CellularDevice.cpp
index 0537160444..602a3e38a1 100644
--- a/features/cellular/framework/device/CellularDevice.cpp
+++ b/features/cellular/framework/device/CellularDevice.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include "CellularUtil.h"
 #include "CellularLog.h"
 #include "events/EventQueue.h"
+#include "mbed_shared_queues.h"
 
 namespace mbed {
 
@@ -33,16 +34,28 @@ MBED_WEAK CellularDevice *CellularDevice::get_target_default_instance()
     return NULL;
 }
 
-CellularDevice::CellularDevice(FileHandle *fh) : _network_ref_count(0),
+CellularDevice::CellularDevice(FileHandle *fh) :
+    _network_ref_count(0),
 #if MBED_CONF_CELLULAR_USE_SMS
     _sms_ref_count(0),
 #endif //MBED_CONF_CELLULAR_USE_SMS
     _info_ref_count(0), _fh(fh), _queue(10 * EVENTS_EVENT_SIZE), _state_machine(0),
     _status_cb(0), _nw(0)
+#ifdef MBED_CONF_RTOS_PRESENT
+    , _queue_thread(osPriorityNormal, 2048, NULL, "cellular_queue")
+#endif // MBED_CONF_RTOS_PRESENT
 {
     MBED_ASSERT(fh);
     set_sim_pin(NULL);
     set_plmn(NULL);
+
+#ifdef MBED_CONF_RTOS_PRESENT
+    if (_queue_thread.start(callback(&_queue, &events::EventQueue::dispatch_forever)) != osOK) {
+        tr_error("Failed to start thread");
+    }
+#else
+    _queue.chain(mbed_event_queue());
+#endif
 }
 
 CellularDevice::~CellularDevice()
diff --git a/features/cellular/framework/device/CellularStateMachine.cpp b/features/cellular/framework/device/CellularStateMachine.cpp
index 08b779773b..dd8696e8cd 100644
--- a/features/cellular/framework/device/CellularStateMachine.cpp
+++ b/features/cellular/framework/device/CellularStateMachine.cpp
@@ -18,8 +18,6 @@
 #include "CellularStateMachine.h"
 #include "CellularDevice.h"
 #include "CellularLog.h"
-#include "Thread.h"
-#include "mbed_shared_queues.h"
 
 #ifndef MBED_TRACE_MAX_LEVEL
 #define MBED_TRACE_MAX_LEVEL TRACE_LEVEL_INFO
@@ -51,9 +49,6 @@ const int DEVICE_READY = 0x04;
 namespace mbed {
 
 CellularStateMachine::CellularStateMachine(CellularDevice &device, events::EventQueue &queue, CellularNetwork &nw) :
-#ifdef MBED_CONF_RTOS_PRESENT
-    _queue_thread(0),
-#endif
     _cellularDevice(device), _state(STATE_INIT), _next_state(_state), _target_state(_state),
     _event_status_cb(0), _network(nw), _queue(queue), _sim_pin(0), _retry_count(0),
     _event_timeout(-1), _event_id(-1), _plmn(0), _command_success(false),
@@ -106,16 +101,6 @@ void CellularStateMachine::reset()
 void CellularStateMachine::stop()
 {
     tr_debug("CellularStateMachine stop");
-#ifdef MBED_CONF_RTOS_PRESENT
-    if (_queue_thread) {
-        _queue_thread->terminate();
-        delete _queue_thread;
-        _queue_thread = NULL;
-    }
-#else
-    _queue.chain(NULL);
-#endif
-
     reset();
     _event_id = STM_STOPPED;
 }
@@ -643,24 +628,11 @@ void CellularStateMachine::event()
 
 nsapi_error_t CellularStateMachine::start_dispatch()
 {
-#ifdef MBED_CONF_RTOS_PRESENT
-    if (!_queue_thread) {
-        _queue_thread = new rtos::Thread(osPriorityNormal, 2048, NULL, "stm_queue");
-        _event_id = STM_STOPPED;
+    if (_event_id != -1) {
+        tr_warn("Canceling ongoing event (%d)", _event_id);
+        _queue.cancel(_event_id);
     }
-
-    if (_event_id == STM_STOPPED) {
-        if (_queue_thread->start(callback(&_queue, &events::EventQueue::dispatch_forever)) != osOK) {
-            report_failure("Failed to start thread.");
-            stop();
-            return NSAPI_ERROR_NO_MEMORY;
-        }
-    }
-
     _event_id = -1;
-#else
-    _queue.chain(mbed_event_queue());
-#endif
     return NSAPI_ERROR_OK;
 }
 
diff --git a/features/cellular/framework/device/CellularStateMachine.h b/features/cellular/framework/device/CellularStateMachine.h
index 6fda9abe39..edae8c069a 100644
--- a/features/cellular/framework/device/CellularStateMachine.h
+++ b/features/cellular/framework/device/CellularStateMachine.h
@@ -22,12 +22,6 @@
 #include "CellularCommon.h"
 #include "PlatformMutex.h"
 
-#ifdef MBED_CONF_RTOS_PRESENT
-namespace rtos {
-class Thread;
-}
-#endif
-
 namespace mbed {
 
 class CellularDevice;
@@ -162,11 +156,6 @@ private:
     void change_timeout(const int &timeout);
 
 private:
-
-#ifdef MBED_CONF_RTOS_PRESENT
-    rtos::Thread *_queue_thread;
-#endif
-
     CellularDevice &_cellularDevice;
     CellularState _state;
     CellularState _next_state;