diff --git a/python/src/filesystem.rs b/python/src/filesystem.rs
index 38967f8552..d0d2f71a2c 100644
--- a/python/src/filesystem.rs
+++ b/python/src/filesystem.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use crate::error::PythonError;
-use crate::utils::{delete_dir, rt, walk_tree, warn};
+use crate::utils::{delete_dir, io_rt, walk_tree, warn};
 use crate::RawDeltaTable;
 use deltalake::storage::object_store::{MultipartUpload, PutPayloadMut};
 use deltalake::storage::{DynObjectStore, ListResult, ObjectStoreError, Path};
@@ -96,7 +96,8 @@ impl DeltaFileSystemHandler {
     fn copy_file(&self, src: String, dest: String) -> PyResult<()> {
         let from_path = Self::parse_path(&src);
         let to_path = Self::parse_path(&dest);
-        rt().block_on(self.inner.copy(&from_path, &to_path))
+        io_rt()
+            .block_on(self.inner.copy(&from_path, &to_path))
             .map_err(PythonError::from)?;
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -108,14 +109,16 @@ impl DeltaFileSystemHandler {
 
     fn delete_dir(&self, path: String) -> PyResult<()> {
         let path = Self::parse_path(&path);
-        rt().block_on(delete_dir(self.inner.as_ref(), &path))
+        io_rt()
+            .block_on(delete_dir(self.inner.as_ref(), &path))
             .map_err(PythonError::from)?;
         Ok(())
     }
 
     fn delete_file(&self, path: String) -> PyResult<()> {
         let path = Self::parse_path(&path);
-        rt().block_on(self.inner.delete(&path))
+        io_rt()
+            .block_on(self.inner.delete(&path))
             .map_err(PythonError::from)?;
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -140,13 +143,14 @@ impl DeltaFileSystemHandler {
         for file_path in paths {
             let path = Self::parse_path(&file_path);
             let listed = py.allow_threads(|| {
-                rt().block_on(self.inner.list_with_delimiter(Some(&path)))
+                io_rt()
+                    .block_on(self.inner.list_with_delimiter(Some(&path)))
                     .map_err(PythonError::from)
             })?;
 
             // TODO is there a better way to figure out if we are in a directory?
             if listed.objects.is_empty() && listed.common_prefixes.is_empty() {
-                let maybe_meta = py.allow_threads(|| rt().block_on(self.inner.head(&path)));
+                let maybe_meta = py.allow_threads(|| io_rt().block_on(self.inner.head(&path)));
                 match maybe_meta {
                     Ok(meta) => {
                         let kwargs = HashMap::from([
@@ -203,7 +207,7 @@ impl DeltaFileSystemHandler {
         };
 
         let path = Self::parse_path(&base_dir);
-        let list_result = match rt().block_on(walk_tree(self.inner.clone(), &path, recursive)) {
+        let list_result = match io_rt().block_on(walk_tree(self.inner.clone(), &path, recursive)) {
             Ok(res) => Ok(res),
             Err(ObjectStoreError::NotFound { path, source }) => {
                 if allow_not_found {
@@ -263,7 +267,8 @@ impl DeltaFileSystemHandler {
         let from_path = Self::parse_path(&src);
         let to_path = Self::parse_path(&dest);
         // TODO check the if not exists semantics
-        rt().block_on(self.inner.rename(&from_path, &to_path))
+        io_rt()
+            .block_on(self.inner.rename(&from_path, &to_path))
             .map_err(PythonError::from)?;
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -275,7 +280,7 @@ impl DeltaFileSystemHandler {
         };
 
         let path = Self::parse_path(&path);
-        let file = rt()
+        let file = io_rt()
             .block_on(ObjectInputFile::try_new(
                 self.inner.clone(),
                 path,
@@ -312,7 +317,7 @@ impl DeltaFileSystemHandler {
                 Some(2),
             )?;
         }
-        let file = rt()
+        let file = io_rt()
             .block_on(ObjectOutputStream::try_new(
                 self.inner.clone(),
                 path,
@@ -475,7 +480,8 @@ impl ObjectInputFile {
         self.pos += nbytes;
         let data = if nbytes > 0 {
             py.allow_threads(|| {
-                rt().block_on(self.store.get_range(&self.path, range))
+                io_rt()
+                    .block_on(self.store.get_range(&self.path, range))
                     .map_err(PythonError::from)
             })?
         } else {
@@ -549,14 +555,15 @@ impl ObjectOutputStream {
     }
 
     fn abort(&mut self) -> PyResult<()> {
-        rt().block_on(self.upload.lock().abort())
+        io_rt()
+            .block_on(self.upload.lock().abort())
             .map_err(PythonError::from)?;
         Ok(())
     }
 
     fn upload_buffer(&mut self) -> PyResult<()> {
         let payload = std::mem::take(&mut self.buffer).freeze();
-        let res = rt().block_on(self.upload.lock().put_part(payload));
+        let res = io_rt().block_on(self.upload.lock().put_part(payload));
         match res {
             Ok(_) => Ok(()),
             Err(err) => {
@@ -575,7 +582,7 @@ impl ObjectOutputStream {
             if !self.buffer.is_empty() {
                 self.upload_buffer()?;
             }
-            match rt().block_on(self.upload.lock().complete()) {
+            match io_rt().block_on(self.upload.lock().complete()) {
                 Ok(_) => Ok(()),
                 Err(err) => Err(PyIOError::new_err(err.to_string())),
             }
diff --git a/python/src/utils.rs b/python/src/utils.rs
index b02437cee6..6f0148049d 100644
--- a/python/src/utils.rs
+++ b/python/src/utils.rs
@@ -24,6 +24,23 @@ pub fn rt() -> &'static Runtime {
     TOKIO_RT.get_or_init(|| Runtime::new().expect("Failed to create a tokio runtime."))
 }
 
+#[inline]
+pub fn io_rt() -> &'static Runtime {
+    static IO_TOKIO_RT: OnceLock<Runtime> = OnceLock::new();
+    static IO_PID: OnceLock<u32> = OnceLock::new();
+    let pid = std::process::id();
+    let runtime_pid = *IO_PID.get_or_init(|| pid);
+    if pid != runtime_pid {
+        panic!(
+            "Forked process detected - current PID is {pid} but the tokio runtime was created by {runtime_pid}. The tokio \
+            runtime does not support forked processes https://github.com/tokio-rs/tokio/issues/4301. If you are \
+            seeing this message while using Python multithreading make sure to use the `spawn` or `forkserver` \
+            mode.", 
+        );
+    }
+    IO_TOKIO_RT.get_or_init(|| Runtime::new().expect("Failed to create an IO tokio runtime."))
+}
+
 /// walk the "directory" tree along common prefixes in object store
 pub async fn walk_tree(
     storage: Arc<dyn ObjectStore>,