diff --git a/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/qrenderdoc.i b/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/qrenderdoc.i
index c0c4f5b6d..e43b9b483 100644
--- a/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/qrenderdoc.i
+++ b/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/qrenderdoc.i
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ CONTAINER_TYPEMAPS(QMap &)
 CONTAINER_TYPEMAPS(QMap *)
 CONTAINER_TYPEMAPS(QMap)
 
+// need to ignore the original function and add a helper that releases the python GIL while calling
+%ignore IRenderManager::BlockInvoke;
+
 // ignore these functions as we don't map QVariantMap to/from python
 %ignore EnvironmentModification::toJSON;
 %ignore EnvironmentModification::fromJSON;
@@ -53,6 +56,17 @@ CONTAINER_TYPEMAPS(QMap)
 %include "Code/Interface/PersistantConfig.h"
 %include "Code/Interface/RemoteHost.h"
 
+// unignore the function from above
+%rename("%s") IRenderManager::BlockInvoke;
+
+%extend IRenderManager {
+  void BlockInvoke(InvokeMethod m) {
+    Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
+    $self->BlockInvoke(m);
+    Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
+  }
+};
+
 %init %{
   PyDateTime_IMPORT;
 %}