diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@
     InterruptRPC();
     InterruptREST();
     InterruptTorControl();
+    InterruptMapPort();
     if (g_connman) {
         g_connman->Interrupt();
     }
@@ -195,7 +196,7 @@
         pwallet->Flush(false);
     }
 #endif
-    MapPort(false);
+    StopMapPort();
 
     // Because these depend on each-other, we make sure that neither can be
     // using the other before destroying them.
@@ -2224,7 +2225,9 @@
     Discover();
 
     // Map ports with UPnP
-    MapPort(gArgs.GetBoolArg("-upnp", DEFAULT_UPNP));
+    if (gArgs.GetBoolArg("-upnp", DEFAULT_UPNP)) {
+        StartMapPort();
+    }
 
     CConnman::Options connOptions;
     connOptions.nLocalServices = nLocalServices;
diff --git a/src/net.h b/src/net.h
--- a/src/net.h
+++ b/src/net.h
@@ -419,7 +419,9 @@
 };
 extern std::unique_ptr<CConnman> g_connman;
 void Discover();
-void MapPort(bool fUseUPnP);
+void StartMapPort();
+void InterruptMapPort();
+void StopMapPort();
 unsigned short GetListenPort();
 bool BindListenPort(const CService &bindAddr, std::string &strError,
                     bool fWhitelisted = false);
diff --git a/src/net.cpp b/src/net.cpp
--- a/src/net.cpp
+++ b/src/net.cpp
@@ -1536,6 +1536,8 @@
 }
 
 #ifdef USE_UPNP
+static CThreadInterrupt g_upnp_interrupt;
+static std::thread g_upnp_thread;
 void ThreadMapPort() {
     std::string port = strprintf("%u", GetListenPort());
     const char *multicastif = 0;
@@ -1584,40 +1586,36 @@
 
         std::string strDesc = "Bitcoin " + FormatFullVersion();
 
-        try {
-            while (true) {
+        do {
 #ifndef UPNPDISCOVER_SUCCESS
-                /* miniupnpc 1.5 */
-                r = UPNP_AddPortMapping(urls.controlURL, data.first.servicetype,
-                                        port.c_str(), port.c_str(), lanaddr,
-                                        strDesc.c_str(), "TCP", 0);
+            /* miniupnpc 1.5 */
+            r = UPNP_AddPortMapping(urls.controlURL, data.first.servicetype,
+                                    port.c_str(), port.c_str(), lanaddr,
+                                    strDesc.c_str(), "TCP", 0);
 #else
-                /* miniupnpc 1.6 */
-                r = UPNP_AddPortMapping(urls.controlURL, data.first.servicetype,
-                                        port.c_str(), port.c_str(), lanaddr,
-                                        strDesc.c_str(), "TCP", 0, "0");
+            /* miniupnpc 1.6 */
+            r = UPNP_AddPortMapping(urls.controlURL, data.first.servicetype,
+                                    port.c_str(), port.c_str(), lanaddr,
+                                    strDesc.c_str(), "TCP", 0, "0");
 #endif
 
-                if (r != UPNPCOMMAND_SUCCESS) {
-                    LogPrintf(
-                        "AddPortMapping(%s, %s, %s) failed with code %d (%s)\n",
-                        port, port, lanaddr, r, strupnperror(r));
-                } else {
-                    LogPrintf("UPnP Port Mapping successful.\n");
-                }
-
-                // Refresh every 20 minutes
-                MilliSleep(20 * 60 * 1000);
+            if (r != UPNPCOMMAND_SUCCESS) {
+                LogPrintf(
+                    "AddPortMapping(%s, %s, %s) failed with code %d (%s)\n",
+                    port, port, lanaddr, r, strupnperror(r));
+            } else {
+                LogPrintf("UPnP Port Mapping successful.\n");
             }
-        } catch (const boost::thread_interrupted &) {
-            r = UPNP_DeletePortMapping(urls.controlURL, data.first.servicetype,
-                                       port.c_str(), "TCP", 0);
-            LogPrintf("UPNP_DeletePortMapping() returned: %d\n", r);
-            freeUPNPDevlist(devlist);
-            devlist = 0;
-            FreeUPNPUrls(&urls);
-            throw;
         }
+
+        while (g_upnp_interrupt.sleep_for(std::chrono::minutes(20)));
+
+        r = UPNP_DeletePortMapping(urls.controlURL, data.first.servicetype,
+                                   port.c_str(), "TCP", 0);
+        LogPrintf("UPNP_DeletePortMapping() returned: %d\n", r);
+        freeUPNPDevlist(devlist);
+        devlist = nullptr;
+        FreeUPNPUrls(&urls);
     } else {
         LogPrintf("No valid UPnP IGDs found\n");
         freeUPNPDevlist(devlist);
@@ -1628,27 +1626,35 @@
     }
 }
 
-void MapPort(bool fUseUPnP) {
-    static boost::thread *upnp_thread = nullptr;
+void StartMapPort() {
+    if (!g_upnp_thread.joinable()) {
+        assert(!g_upnp_interrupt);
+        g_upnp_thread = std::thread(
+            (std::bind(&TraceThread<void (*)()>, "upnp", &ThreadMapPort)));
+    }
+}
 
-    if (fUseUPnP) {
-        if (upnp_thread) {
-            upnp_thread->interrupt();
-            upnp_thread->join();
-            delete upnp_thread;
-        }
-        upnp_thread = new boost::thread(
-            boost::bind(&TraceThread<void (*)()>, "upnp", &ThreadMapPort));
-    } else if (upnp_thread) {
-        upnp_thread->interrupt();
-        upnp_thread->join();
-        delete upnp_thread;
-        upnp_thread = nullptr;
+void InterruptMapPort() {
+    if (g_upnp_thread.joinable()) {
+        g_upnp_interrupt();
+    }
+}
+
+void StopMapPort() {
+    if (g_upnp_thread.joinable()) {
+        g_upnp_thread.join();
+        g_upnp_interrupt.reset();
     }
 }
 
 #else
-void MapPort(bool) {
+void StartMapPort() {
+    // Intentionally left blank.
+}
+void InterruptMapPort() {
+    // Intentionally left blank.
+}
+void StopMapPort() {
     // Intentionally left blank.
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/src/qt/optionsmodel.cpp b/src/qt/optionsmodel.cpp
--- a/src/qt/optionsmodel.cpp
+++ b/src/qt/optionsmodel.cpp
@@ -325,7 +325,12 @@
                 break;
             case MapPortUPnP: // core option - can be changed on-the-fly
                 settings.setValue("fUseUPnP", value.toBool());
-                MapPort(value.toBool());
+                if (value.toBool()) {
+                    StartMapPort();
+                } else {
+                    InterruptMapPort();
+                    StopMapPort();
+                }
                 break;
             case MinimizeOnClose:
                 fMinimizeOnClose = value.toBool();