diff --git a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/AbstractXMPPConnection.java b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/AbstractXMPPConnection.java
index e76bdf2e7..2d35e4a77 100644
--- a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/AbstractXMPPConnection.java
+++ b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/AbstractXMPPConnection.java
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ import org.jivesoftware.smack.parsing.ParsingExceptionCallback;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.provider.ExtensionElementProvider;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.provider.ProviderManager;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.sasl.core.SASLAnonymous;
+import org.jivesoftware.smack.util.Async;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.util.DNSUtil;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.util.Objects;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.util.PacketParserUtils;
@@ -240,8 +241,16 @@ public abstract class AbstractXMPPConnection implements XMPPConnection {
     /**
      * This scheduled thread pool executor is used to remove pending callbacks.
      */
-    private final ScheduledExecutorService removeCallbacksService = Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor(
-                    new SmackExecutorThreadFactory(this, "Remove Callbacks"));
+    protected static final ScheduledExecutorService SCHEDULED_EXECUTOR_SERVICE = Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor(
+            new ThreadFactory() {
+                @Override
+                public Thread newThread(Runnable runnable) {
+                    Thread thread = new Thread(runnable);
+                    thread.setName("Smack Scheduled Executor Service");
+                    thread.setDaemon(true);
+                    return thread;
+                }
+            });
 
     /**
      * A cached thread pool executor service with custom thread factory to set meaningful names on the threads and set
@@ -1337,7 +1346,6 @@ public abstract class AbstractXMPPConnection implements XMPPConnection {
             // reference to their ExecutorService which prevents the ExecutorService from being
             // gc'ed. It is possible that the XMPPConnection instance is gc'ed while the
             // listenerExecutor ExecutorService call not be gc'ed until it got shut down.
-            removeCallbacksService.shutdownNow();
             singleThreadedExecutorService.shutdownNow();
         } catch (Throwable t) {
             LOGGER.log(Level.WARNING, "finalize() threw throwable", t);
@@ -1574,7 +1582,13 @@ public abstract class AbstractXMPPConnection implements XMPPConnection {
                     } else {
                         exception = NoResponseException.newWith(AbstractXMPPConnection.this, replyFilter);
                     }
-                    exceptionCallback.processException(exception);
+                    final Exception exceptionToProcess = exception;
+                    Async.go(new Runnable() {
+                        @Override
+                        public void run() {
+                            exceptionCallback.processException(exceptionToProcess);
+                        }
+                    });
                 }
             }
         }, timeout, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
@@ -1705,6 +1719,6 @@ public abstract class AbstractXMPPConnection implements XMPPConnection {
     }
 
     protected final ScheduledFuture<?> schedule(Runnable runnable, long delay, TimeUnit unit) {
-        return removeCallbacksService.schedule(runnable, delay, unit);
+        return SCHEDULED_EXECUTOR_SERVICE.schedule(runnable, delay, unit);
     }
 }
diff --git a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/Manager.java b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/Manager.java
index 0b7924eb3..aee4bcbde 100644
--- a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/Manager.java
+++ b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/Manager.java
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /**
  *
- * Copyright 2014 Florian Schmaus
+ * Copyright 2014-2018 Florian Schmaus
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 package org.jivesoftware.smack;
 
 import java.lang.ref.WeakReference;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledFuture;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.SmackException.NotLoggedInException;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.util.Objects;
@@ -48,4 +50,8 @@ public abstract class Manager {
         }
         return connection;
     }
+
+    protected static final ScheduledFuture<?> schedule(Runnable runnable, long delay, TimeUnit unit) {
+        return AbstractXMPPConnection.SCHEDULED_EXECUTOR_SERVICE.schedule(runnable, delay, unit);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/ping/PingManager.java b/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/ping/PingManager.java
index 6d2b952ab..d444c97f5 100644
--- a/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/ping/PingManager.java
+++ b/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/ping/PingManager.java
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /**
  *
- * Copyright 2012-2017 Florian Schmaus
+ * Copyright 2012-2018 Florian Schmaus
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@ import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.WeakHashMap;
 import java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArraySet;
-import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
-import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledFuture;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.logging.Level;
@@ -45,7 +43,6 @@ import org.jivesoftware.smack.packet.IQ.Type;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.packet.Stanza;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.packet.XMPPError;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.util.ExceptionCallback;
-import org.jivesoftware.smack.util.SmackExecutorThreadFactory;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.util.SuccessCallback;
 
 import org.jivesoftware.smackx.disco.ServiceDiscoveryManager;
@@ -113,8 +110,6 @@ public final class PingManager extends Manager {
 
     private final Set<PingFailedListener> pingFailedListeners = new CopyOnWriteArraySet<>();
 
-    private final ScheduledExecutorService executorService;
-
     /**
      * The interval in seconds between pings are send to the users server.
      */
@@ -124,8 +119,6 @@ public final class PingManager extends Manager {
 
     private PingManager(XMPPConnection connection) {
         super(connection);
-        executorService = Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor(
-                        new SmackExecutorThreadFactory(connection, "Ping"));
         ServiceDiscoveryManager sdm = ServiceDiscoveryManager.getInstanceFor(connection);
         sdm.addFeature(Ping.NAMESPACE);
 
@@ -398,7 +391,7 @@ public final class PingManager extends Manager {
             int nextPingIn = pingInterval - delta;
             LOGGER.fine("Scheduling ServerPingTask in " + nextPingIn + " seconds (pingInterval="
                             + pingInterval + ", delta=" + delta + ")");
-            nextAutomaticPing = executorService.schedule(pingServerRunnable, nextPingIn, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+            nextAutomaticPing = schedule(pingServerRunnable, nextPingIn, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
         }
     }
 
@@ -486,16 +479,4 @@ public final class PingManager extends Manager {
         }
     };
 
-    @Override
-    protected void finalize() throws Throwable {
-        LOGGER.fine("finalizing PingManager: Shutting down executor service");
-        try {
-            executorService.shutdown();
-        } catch (Throwable t) {
-            LOGGER.log(Level.WARNING, "finalize() threw throwable", t);
-        }
-        finally {
-            super.finalize();
-        }
-    }
 }