diff --git a/src/cpuexec.c b/src/cpuexec.c
index 07db6a1..0bfcbe7 100644
--- a/src/cpuexec.c
+++ b/src/cpuexec.c
@@ -466,6 +466,65 @@ void cpu_run(void)
 #endif
 }
 
+#if defined(LIBPINMAME) && defined(__EMSCRIPTEN__)
+/* Emscripten is single-threaded, so cpu_run()'s own blocking "while
+   (!time_to_quit) { ... }" loop above can't run on a real OS thread the way
+   it does everywhere else libpinmame runs (see PinmameRun() in
+   libpinmame.cpp). These three entry points split that same loop, using the
+   exact same globals/logic, into a one-shot init, a step callable once per
+   host video frame (bounded to roughly one frame of emulated time via
+   timer_get_time(), the same clock cpu_timeslice()'s own time_fence logic
+   above already uses), and a one-shot teardown - so the host's own
+   per-frame callback can drive it cooperatively instead. */
+
+void cpu_run_emscripten_init(void)
+{
+	time_to_quit = 0;
+	cpu_pre_run();
+	time_to_reset = 0;
+	time_fence_global_offset = -options.time_fence;
+}
+
+/* Returns 1 if the emulation is still running (call again next frame), or 0
+   once it has fully quit (cpu_post_run() has already been invoked). */
+int cpu_run_emscripten_step(void)
+{
+	const double frame_target = timer_get_time() + (1.0 / 60.0);
+
+	while (!time_to_quit && !time_to_reset && timer_get_time() < frame_target)
+	{
+		profiler_mark(PROFILER_EXTRA);
+
+		if (loadsave_schedule != LOADSAVE_NONE)
+			handle_loadsave();
+
+		cpu_timeslice();
+
+		extern int libpinmame_time_to_quit(void);
+		if (libpinmame_time_to_quit())
+			time_to_quit = 1;
+
+		profiler_mark(PROFILER_END);
+	}
+
+	if (time_to_reset && !time_to_quit)
+	{
+		cpu_post_run();
+		cpu_pre_run();
+		time_to_reset = 0;
+		time_fence_global_offset = -options.time_fence;
+	}
+
+	if (time_to_quit)
+	{
+		cpu_post_run();
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	return 1;
+}
+#endif
+
 
 
 /*************************************
diff --git a/src/libpinmame/libpinmame.cpp b/src/libpinmame/libpinmame.cpp
index 6966d77..755d762 100644
--- a/src/libpinmame/libpinmame.cpp
+++ b/src/libpinmame/libpinmame.cpp
@@ -1104,11 +1104,52 @@ PINMAMEAPI PINMAME_STATUS PinmameRun(const char* const p_name)
 
 	vp_init();
 
+#ifdef __EMSCRIPTEN__
+	// No real OS thread: Emscripten builds here are single-threaded (see
+	// vpinball-wasm's README on why pthreads/SharedArrayBuffer are out of
+	// scope), so run_game()'s own blocking call chain - which StartGame()
+	// otherwise runs on _p_gameThread - has been split in mame.c/cpuexec.c
+	// into a one-shot init (called synchronously right here) plus a step
+	// the host calls once per video frame via PinmameEmscriptenStep().
+	memset(_mechInit, 0, sizeof(_mechInit));
+	memset(_mechInfo, 0, sizeof(_mechInfo));
+
+	extern int run_game_emscripten_init(int game);
+	if (run_game_emscripten_init(gameNum) != 0)
+	{
+		OnStateChange(0);
+		return PINMAME_STATUS_GAME_NOT_FOUND;
+	}
+
+	OnStateChange(1);
+#else
 	_p_gameThread = new std::thread(StartGame, gameNum);
+#endif
 
 	return PINMAME_STATUS_OK;
 }
 
+#ifdef __EMSCRIPTEN__
+/******************************************************
+ * PinmameEmscriptenStep
+ *
+ * Must be called once per host video frame (e.g. from the same
+ * requestAnimationFrame-driven callback that steps vpinball's own frame)
+ * while the emulator is running - see PinmameRun's __EMSCRIPTEN__ branch
+ * above for why this exists instead of a real thread.
+ ******************************************************/
+
+PINMAMEAPI void PinmameEmscriptenStep(void)
+{
+	if (!_isRunning)
+		return;
+
+	extern int run_game_emscripten_step(void);
+	if (!run_game_emscripten_step())
+		OnStateChange(0);
+}
+#endif
+
 /******************************************************
  * PinmameIsRunning
  ******************************************************/
@@ -1161,6 +1202,19 @@ PINMAMEAPI int PinmameIsPaused()
 
 PINMAMEAPI void PinmameStop()
 {
+#ifdef __EMSCRIPTEN__
+	// No game thread to join here (see PinmameRun's __EMSCRIPTEN__ branch) -
+	// just request the stop. The next PinmameEmscriptenStep() call notices
+	// libpinmame_time_to_quit() via cpu_run_emscripten_step(), runs the same
+	// teardown chain a real quit would, and calls OnStateChange(0) itself.
+	if (_isRunning)
+	{
+		g_fPause = 0;
+		_timeToQuit = 1;
+	}
+	return;
+#endif
+
 	if (!_p_gameThread) {
 		if (_isRunning) {
 			libpinmame_log_error("PinmameStop(): run state is %d but game thread handle is null; forcing stopped state.", _isRunning);
diff --git a/src/libpinmame/libpinmame.h b/src/libpinmame/libpinmame.h
index dc604df..d3aacc1 100644
--- a/src/libpinmame/libpinmame.h
+++ b/src/libpinmame/libpinmame.h
@@ -453,6 +453,11 @@ PINMAMEAPI PINMAME_STATUS PinmamePause(const int pause);
 PINMAMEAPI int PinmameIsPaused();
 PINMAMEAPI PINMAME_STATUS PinmameReset();
 PINMAMEAPI void PinmameStop();
+#ifdef __EMSCRIPTEN__
+// Must be called once per host video frame while running - see PinmameRun's
+// __EMSCRIPTEN__ branch in libpinmame.cpp for why.
+PINMAMEAPI void PinmameEmscriptenStep(void);
+#endif
 PINMAMEAPI PINMAME_HARDWARE_GEN PinmameGetHardwareGen();
 PINMAMEAPI int PinmameGetSwitch(const int swNo);
 PINMAMEAPI void PinmameSetSwitch(const int swNo, const int state);
diff --git a/src/mame.c b/src/mame.c
index d0aea1a..2f8c4d5 100644
--- a/src/mame.c
+++ b/src/mame.c
@@ -229,6 +229,16 @@ static void shutdown_machine(void);
 static int run_machine(void);
 static void run_machine_core(void);
 
+#if defined(LIBPINMAME) && defined(__EMSCRIPTEN__)
+/* See cpu_run_emscripten_init's comment in cpuexec.c for why these exist. */
+void cpu_run_emscripten_init(void);
+int cpu_run_emscripten_step(void);
+void run_machine_core_emscripten_init(void);
+int run_machine_core_emscripten_step(void);
+int run_machine_emscripten_init(void);
+int run_machine_emscripten_step(void);
+#endif
+
 #ifdef MAME_DEBUG
 static int validitychecks(void);
 #endif
@@ -355,6 +365,71 @@ int run_game(int game)
 	return err;
 }
 
+#if defined(LIBPINMAME) && defined(__EMSCRIPTEN__)
+/* Mirrors run_game() above, split around run_machine() the same way that's
+   split around run_machine_core(). This is the top of the whole init/step/
+   teardown chain PinmameRun()/PinmameEmscriptenStep() in libpinmame.cpp
+   drive - see cpu_run_emscripten_init's comment in cpuexec.c for why the
+   chain exists at all. Returns 0 on success, non-zero on failure (matching
+   run_game()'s own convention) - a failure here (e.g. ROM not found) means
+   no teardown call is needed, since nothing that needs undoing succeeded. */
+int run_game_emscripten_init(int game)
+{
+	begin_resource_tracking();
+
+	memset(Machine, 0, sizeof(*Machine));
+	Machine->gamedrv = gamedrv = drivers[game];
+	expand_machine_driver(gamedrv->drv, &internal_drv);
+	Machine->drv = &internal_drv;
+
+	if (init_game_options())
+		return 1;
+
+	cpu_loadsave_reset();
+	bailing = 0;
+
+	if (osd_init())
+	{
+		bail_and_print("Unable to initialize system");
+		return 1;
+	}
+
+	begin_resource_tracking();
+
+	if (init_machine())
+	{
+		bail_and_print("Unable to initialize machine emulation");
+		end_resource_tracking();
+		osd_exit();
+		return 1;
+	}
+
+	if (run_machine_emscripten_init())
+	{
+		bail_and_print("Unable to start machine emulation");
+		shutdown_machine();
+		end_resource_tracking();
+		osd_exit();
+		return 1;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/* Returns 1 while still running, 0 once fully torn down. */
+int run_game_emscripten_step(void)
+{
+	if (run_machine_emscripten_step())
+		return 1;
+
+	shutdown_machine();
+	end_resource_tracking();
+	osd_exit();
+	end_resource_tracking();
+	return 0;
+}
+#endif
+
 
 
 /*-------------------------------------------------
@@ -547,6 +622,71 @@ static int run_machine(void)
 	return res;
 }
 
+#if defined(LIBPINMAME) && defined(__EMSCRIPTEN__)
+/* Mirrors run_machine() above, split around run_machine_core() the same way
+   that's split around cpu_run(). Returns 0 on success (matching
+   run_machine()'s own convention), non-zero on failure. */
+int run_machine_emscripten_init(void)
+{
+	if (vh_open())
+	{
+		bail_and_print("Unable to start video emulation");
+		return 1;
+	}
+
+	tilemap_init();
+
+	if (Machine->drv->video_start && (*Machine->drv->video_start)())
+	{
+		bail_and_print("Unable to start video emulation");
+		tilemap_close();
+		vh_close();
+		return 1;
+	}
+
+	if (sound_start())
+	{
+		bail_and_print("Unable to start audio emulation");
+		if (Machine->drv->video_stop)
+			(*Machine->drv->video_stop)();
+		tilemap_close();
+		vh_close();
+		return 1;
+	}
+
+	{
+		int region;
+		/* free memory regions allocated with REGIONFLAG_DISPOSE (typically gfx roms) */
+		for (region = 0; region < MAX_MEMORY_REGIONS; region++)
+			if (Machine->memory_region[region].flags & ROMREGION_DISPOSE)
+			{
+				size_t i;
+				for (i = 0; i < memory_region_length(region); i++)
+					memory_region(region)[i] = rand();
+				free(Machine->memory_region[region].base);
+				Machine->memory_region[region].base = 0;
+			}
+	}
+
+	run_machine_core_emscripten_init();
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/* Returns 1 while still running, 0 once fully torn down. */
+int run_machine_emscripten_step(void)
+{
+	if (run_machine_core_emscripten_step())
+		return 1;
+
+	sound_stop();
+	if (Machine->drv->video_stop)
+		(*Machine->drv->video_stop)();
+	tilemap_close();
+	vh_close();
+	return 0;
+}
+#endif
+
 
 
 /*-------------------------------------------------
@@ -620,6 +760,60 @@ void run_machine_core(void)
 	}
 }
 
+#if defined(LIBPINMAME) && defined(__EMSCRIPTEN__)
+/* Mirrors run_machine_core() above (same globals, same calls), split around
+   cpu_run() - see cpu_run_emscripten_init/_step/PinmameRun's own comment for
+   why. The disclaimer/gamewarnings/gameinfo splash screens run_machine_core()
+   shows natively are skipped entirely here: gamewarnings is already excluded
+   for LIBPINMAME builds above, and disclaimer/gameinfo are native-UI-only
+   concerns with nothing meaningful to display in an embedded/headless
+   context like this one. */
+void run_machine_core_emscripten_init(void)
+{
+	artwork_enable(0);
+	init_user_interface();
+	artwork_enable(1);
+
+	if (!gamedrv->rom)
+		options.cheat = 0;
+	if (options.cheat)
+		InitCheat();
+
+	if (Machine->drv->nvram_handler)
+	{
+		mame_file *nvram_file = mame_fopen(Machine->gamedrv->name, 0, FILETYPE_NVRAM, 0);
+		(*Machine->drv->nvram_handler)(nvram_file, 0);
+		if (nvram_file)
+			mame_fclose(nvram_file);
+	}
+
+	cpu_run_emscripten_init();
+}
+
+/* Returns 1 while still running, 0 once cpu_run's own teardown has run. */
+int run_machine_core_emscripten_step(void)
+{
+	if (cpu_run_emscripten_step())
+		return 1;
+
+	if (Machine->drv->nvram_handler)
+	{
+		mame_file *nvram_file = mame_fopen(Machine->gamedrv->name, 0, FILETYPE_NVRAM, 1);
+		if (nvram_file != NULL)
+		{
+			(*Machine->drv->nvram_handler)(nvram_file, 1);
+			mame_fclose(nvram_file);
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (options.cheat)
+		StopCheat();
+
+	save_input_port_settings();
+	return 0;
+}
+#endif
+
 
 
 /*-------------------------------------------------