diff --git a/src/libwalletqt/Wallet.cpp b/src/libwalletqt/Wallet.cpp
index e9ea81d..cac888d 100644
--- a/src/libwalletqt/Wallet.cpp
+++ b/src/libwalletqt/Wallet.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@
 
 #include "Wallet.h"
 
+#include <chrono>
+#include <stdexcept>
+#include <thread>
+
 #include "PendingTransaction.h"
 #include "UnsignedTransaction.h"
 #include "TransactionHistory.h"
@@ -28,6 +32,8 @@
 #include <QVector>
 #include <QMutexLocker>
 
+#include "utils/ScopeGuard.h"
+
 namespace {
     static const int DAEMON_BLOCKCHAIN_HEIGHT_CACHE_TTL_SECONDS = 5;
     static const int DAEMON_BLOCKCHAIN_TARGET_HEIGHT_CACHE_TTL_SECONDS = 30;
@@ -101,6 +107,20 @@ bool Wallet::disconnected() const
     return m_disconnected;
 }
 
+bool Wallet::refreshing() const
+{
+    return m_refreshing;
+}
+
+void Wallet::refreshingSet(bool value)
+{
+    if (m_refreshing.exchange(value) != value)
+    {
+        emit refreshingChanged();
+    }
+}
+
+
 void Wallet::setConnectionStatus(ConnectionStatus value)
 {
     if (m_connectionStatus == value)
@@ -245,7 +265,7 @@ void Wallet::initAsync(
             emit walletCreationHeightChanged();
             qDebug() << "init async finished - starting refresh";
             connected(true);
-            m_walletImpl->startRefresh();
+            startRefresh();
         }
     });
     if (future.first)
@@ -456,20 +476,14 @@ bool Wallet::importOutputs(const QString& path) {
     return m_walletImpl->importOutputs(path.toStdString());
 }
 
-bool Wallet::refresh()
+void Wallet::startRefresh()
 {
-    qDebug() << "refresh async";
-    m_walletImpl->refreshAsync();
+    m_refreshEnabled = true;
 }
 
-void Wallet::startRefresh() const
+void Wallet::pauseRefresh()
 {
-    m_walletImpl->startRefresh();
-}
-
-void Wallet::pauseRefresh() const
-{
-    m_walletImpl->pauseRefresh();
+    m_refreshEnabled = false;
 }
 
 PendingTransaction *Wallet::createTransaction(const QString &dst_addr, const QString &payment_id,
@@ -580,6 +594,29 @@ bool Wallet::submitTxFile(const QString &fileName) const
     return m_walletImpl->importKeyImages(fileName.toStdString() + "_keyImages");
 }
 
+bool Wallet::refresh(bool historyAndSubaddresses /* = true */)
+{
+    refreshingSet(true);
+    const auto cleanup = sg::make_scope_guard([this]() noexcept {
+        refreshingSet(false);
+    });
+
+    {
+        QMutexLocker locker(&m_asyncMutex);
+
+        bool result = m_walletImpl->refresh();
+        if (historyAndSubaddresses)
+        {
+            m_history->refresh(currentSubaddressAccount());
+            m_subaddress->refresh(currentSubaddressAccount());
+            m_subaddressAccount->getAll();
+        }
+        if (result)
+                emit updated();
+        return result;
+    }
+}
+
 void Wallet::commitTransactionAsync(PendingTransaction *t)
 {
     m_scheduler.run([this, t] {
@@ -1063,6 +1100,8 @@ Wallet::Wallet(Monero::Wallet *w, QObject *parent)
         , m_subaddressAccount(nullptr)
         , m_subaddressAccountModel(nullptr)
         , m_coinsModel(nullptr)
+        , m_refreshEnabled(false)
+        , m_refreshing(false)
         , m_scheduler(this)
 {
     m_history = new TransactionHistory(m_walletImpl->history(), this);
@@ -1081,12 +1120,17 @@ Wallet::Wallet(Monero::Wallet *w, QObject *parent)
     m_connectionStatusRunning = false;
     m_daemonUsername = "";
     m_daemonPassword = "";
+
+    startRefreshThread();
 }
 
 Wallet::~Wallet()
 {
     qDebug("~Wallet: Closing wallet");
 
+    pauseRefresh();
+    m_walletImpl->stop();
+
     m_scheduler.shutdownWaitForFinished();
 
     delete m_addressBook;
@@ -1116,3 +1160,32 @@ Wallet::~Wallet()
     m_walletListener = NULL;
     qDebug("m_walletImpl deleted");
 }
+
+void Wallet::startRefreshThread()
+{
+    const auto future = m_scheduler.run([this] {
+        constexpr const std::chrono::seconds refreshInterval{10};
+        constexpr const std::chrono::milliseconds intervalResolution{100};
+
+        auto last = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
+        while (!m_scheduler.stopping())
+        {
+            if (m_refreshEnabled)
+            {
+                const auto now = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
+                const auto elapsed = now - last;
+                if (elapsed >= refreshInterval)
+                {
+                    refresh(false);
+                    last = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
+                }
+            }
+
+            std::this_thread::sleep_for(intervalResolution);
+        }
+    });
+    if (!future.first)
+    {
+        throw std::runtime_error("failed to start auto refresh thread");
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/libwalletqt/Wallet.h b/src/libwalletqt/Wallet.h
index 6cf1ef4..010009d 100644
--- a/src/libwalletqt/Wallet.h
+++ b/src/libwalletqt/Wallet.h
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ class Wallet : public QObject, public PassprasePrompter
 {
 Q_OBJECT
     Q_PROPERTY(bool disconnected READ disconnected NOTIFY disconnectedChanged)
+    Q_PROPERTY(bool refreshing READ refreshing NOTIFY refreshingChanged)
     Q_PROPERTY(QString seed READ getSeed)
     Q_PROPERTY(QString seedLanguage READ getSeedLanguage)
     Q_PROPERTY(Status status READ status)
@@ -199,11 +200,11 @@ public:
     Q_INVOKABLE bool importOutputs(const QString& path);
 
     //! refreshes the wallet
-    Q_INVOKABLE bool refresh();
+    Q_INVOKABLE bool refresh(bool historyAndSubaddresses = false);
 
     // pause/resume refresh
-    Q_INVOKABLE void startRefresh() const;
-    Q_INVOKABLE void pauseRefresh() const;
+    Q_INVOKABLE void startRefresh();
+    Q_INVOKABLE void pauseRefresh();
 
     //! returns current wallet's block height
     //! (can be less than daemon's blockchain height when wallet sync in progress)
@@ -411,6 +412,7 @@ signals:
     void currentSubaddressAccountChanged() const;
     void disconnectedChanged() const;
     void proxyAddressChanged() const;
+    void refreshingChanged() const;
 
 private:
     Wallet(QObject * parent = nullptr);
@@ -428,9 +430,13 @@ private:
             const QString& proxyAddress);
 
     bool disconnected() const;
+    bool refreshing() const;
+    void refreshingSet(bool value);
+
     void setConnectionStatus(ConnectionStatus value);
     QString getProxyAddress() const;
     void setProxyAddress(QString address);
+    void startRefreshThread();
 
 private:
     friend class WalletManager;