thread.start();
      // we want to wait until each thread is WAITING - one thread waiting inside CacheLoader.load
      // (in startSignal.await()), and the others waiting for that thread's result.
      while (thread.isAlive() && thread.getState() != Thread.State.WAITING) {
        Thread.yield();
      }
    }
    gettersStartedSignal.countDown();
    gettersComplete.await();