diff --git a/src/monitor.h b/src/monitor.h
index ebd714c8..c082e75d 100644
--- a/src/monitor.h
+++ b/src/monitor.h
@@ -18,16 +18,16 @@
 #ifndef HAVE_PTHREADS_MONITOR_H
 #define HAVE_PTHREADS_MONITOR_H
 
-typedef unsigned long pthreads_monitor_state_t;
+typedef volatile unsigned long pthreads_monitor_state_t;
 
 typedef struct _pthreads_monitor_t pthreads_monitor_t;
 
-#define PTHREADS_MONITOR_NOTHING (0)
-#define PTHREADS_MONITOR_READY   (1<<0)
-#define PTHREADS_MONITOR_STARTED (1<<1)
-#define PTHREADS_MONITOR_RUNNING (1<<2)
-#define PTHREADS_MONITOR_JOINED  (1<<3)
-#define PTHREADS_MONITOR_ERROR	 (1<<4)
+#define PTHREADS_MONITOR_NOTHING	(0)
+#define PTHREADS_MONITOR_STARTED	(1<<0)
+#define PTHREADS_MONITOR_RUNNING	(1<<1)
+#define PTHREADS_MONITOR_JOINED		(1<<2)
+#define PTHREADS_MONITOR_ERROR		(1<<3)
+#define PTHREADS_MONITOR_READY		(1<<4)
 
 pthreads_monitor_t* pthreads_monitor_alloc();
 zend_bool pthreads_monitor_lock(pthreads_monitor_t *m);
diff --git a/src/object.c b/src/object.c
index ec8c55ea..7ec622ee 100644
--- a/src/object.c
+++ b/src/object.c
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ extern zend_module_entry pthreads_module_entry; /* }}} */
 static void pthreads_base_ctor(pthreads_object_t* base, zend_class_entry *entry); /* }}} */
 
 /* {{{ */
-static void * pthreads_routine(void *arg); /* }}} */
+static void * pthreads_routine(pthreads_routine_arg_t *arg); /* }}} */
 
 static inline void pthreads_object_iterator_dtor(pthreads_iterator_t* iterator) {
 	if (Z_TYPE(iterator->zit.data) != IS_UNDEF)
@@ -203,7 +203,6 @@ int pthreads_connect(pthreads_object_t* source, pthreads_object_t* destination)
 				pthreads_stack_free(destination->stack);
 			}
 
-			pthreads_monitor_free(destination->ready);
 			pthreads_monitor_free(destination->monitor);	
 
 			destination->scope |= PTHREADS_SCOPE_CONNECTION;
@@ -215,7 +214,6 @@ int pthreads_connect(pthreads_object_t* source, pthreads_object_t* destination)
 		destination->local.id = source->local.id;
 		destination->local.ls = source->local.ls;
 		destination->monitor = source->monitor;
-		destination->ready  = source->ready;
 		destination->store = source->store;
 		destination->stack = source->stack;	
 		
@@ -267,7 +265,6 @@ static void pthreads_base_ctor(pthreads_object_t* base, zend_class_entry *entry)
 
 	if (PTHREADS_IS_NOT_CONNECTION(base)) {
 		base->monitor = pthreads_monitor_alloc();
-		base->ready   = pthreads_monitor_alloc();
 		base->store   = pthreads_store_alloc();
 
 		if (PTHREADS_IS_WORKER(base)) {
@@ -322,6 +319,7 @@ HashTable* pthreads_base_gc(zval *object, zval **table, int *n) {
 
 /* {{{ */
 zend_bool pthreads_start(pthreads_object_t* thread) {
+	pthreads_routine_arg_t routine;
 
 	if (!PTHREADS_IN_CREATOR(thread) || PTHREADS_IS_CONNECTION(thread)) {
 		zend_throw_exception_ex(spl_ce_RuntimeException, 
@@ -336,11 +334,11 @@ zend_bool pthreads_start(pthreads_object_t* thread) {
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	pthreads_monitor_add(thread->monitor, PTHREADS_MONITOR_STARTED);
+	pthreads_routine_init(&routine, thread);
 
-	switch (pthread_create(&thread->thread, NULL, pthreads_routine, (void*)thread)) {
+	switch (pthread_create(&thread->thread, NULL, (void* (*) (void*)) pthreads_routine, (void*)&routine)) {
 		case SUCCESS:
-			pthreads_monitor_wait_until(thread->ready, PTHREADS_MONITOR_READY);
+			pthreads_routine_wait(&routine);
 			return 1;
 
 		case EAGAIN:
@@ -353,8 +351,8 @@ zend_bool pthreads_start(pthreads_object_t* thread) {
 				0, "cannot start %s, unknown error", thread->std.ce->name->val);
 	}
 	
-	pthreads_monitor_remove(thread->monitor, PTHREADS_MONITOR_STARTED);
-	
+	pthreads_routine_free(&routine);
+
 	return 0;
 } /* }}} */
 
@@ -433,10 +431,11 @@ static inline zend_bool pthreads_routine_run_function(pthreads_object_t* object,
 } /* }}} */
 
 /* {{{ */
-static void * pthreads_routine(void *arg) {
-	pthreads_object_t* thread = (pthreads_object_t*) arg;
+static void * pthreads_routine(pthreads_routine_arg_t *routine) {
+	pthreads_object_t* thread = routine->thread;
+	pthreads_monitor_t* ready = routine->ready;
 
-	pthreads_prepared_startup(thread);
+	pthreads_prepared_startup(thread, ready);
 
 	zend_first_try {
 		ZVAL_UNDEF(&PTHREADS_ZG(this));
diff --git a/src/prepare.c b/src/prepare.c
index e9a5b71b..2851562b 100644
--- a/src/prepare.c
+++ b/src/prepare.c
@@ -589,7 +589,7 @@ static inline void pthreads_kill_handler(int signo) /* {{{ */
 #endif
 
 /* {{{ */
-int pthreads_prepared_startup(pthreads_object_t* thread) {
+int pthreads_prepared_startup(pthreads_object_t* thread, pthreads_monitor_t *ready) {
 #ifdef PTHREADS_KILL_SIGNAL
 #ifdef ZEND_SIGNAL
 	zend_signal(PTHREADS_KILL_SIGNAL, pthreads_kill_handler);
@@ -629,7 +629,7 @@ int pthreads_prepared_startup(pthreads_object_t* thread) {
 	pthreads_prepare_exception_handler(thread);
 	pthreads_prepare_resource_destructor(thread);
 
-	pthreads_monitor_add(thread->ready, PTHREADS_MONITOR_READY);
+	pthreads_monitor_add(ready, PTHREADS_MONITOR_READY);
 
 	return SUCCESS;
 } /* }}} */
diff --git a/src/prepare.h b/src/prepare.h
index 83cd8aff..12507a1a 100644
--- a/src/prepare.h
+++ b/src/prepare.h
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 zend_class_entry* pthreads_prepared_entry(pthreads_object_t* thread, zend_class_entry *candidate); /* }}} */
 
 /* {{{ */
-int pthreads_prepared_startup(pthreads_object_t* thread); /* }}} */
+int pthreads_prepared_startup(pthreads_object_t* thread, pthreads_monitor_t *ready); /* }}} */
 
 /* {{{ */
 int pthreads_prepared_shutdown(pthreads_object_t* thread); /* }}} */
diff --git a/src/thread.h b/src/thread.h
index 27ea582a..4effbc7b 100644
--- a/src/thread.h
+++ b/src/thread.h
@@ -31,19 +31,43 @@ typedef struct _pthreads_ident_t {
 	void*** ls;
 } pthreads_ident_t;
 
-/* {{{ threaded structure */
+/* {{{ */
 typedef struct _pthreads_object_t {
 	pthread_t thread;
 	uint scope;
 	zend_ulong options;
 	pthreads_monitor_t	*monitor;
-	pthreads_monitor_t  *ready;
 	pthreads_store_t	*store;
 	pthreads_stack_t    *stack;
 	pthreads_ident_t 	creator;
 	pthreads_ident_t	local;
 	zend_object std;
-} pthreads_object_t;
+} pthreads_object_t; /* }}} */
+
+/* {{{ */
+typedef struct _pthreads_routine_arg_t {
+	pthreads_object_t *thread;
+	pthreads_monitor_t *ready;
+} pthreads_routine_arg_t;
+
+static inline void pthreads_routine_init(pthreads_routine_arg_t *r, pthreads_object_t *thread) {
+	r->thread = thread;
+	r->ready  = pthreads_monitor_alloc();
+	pthreads_monitor_add(
+		r->thread->monitor, PTHREADS_MONITOR_STARTED);
+}
+
+static inline void pthreads_routine_wait(pthreads_routine_arg_t *r) {
+	pthreads_monitor_wait_until(
+		r->ready, PTHREADS_MONITOR_READY);
+	pthreads_monitor_free(r->ready);
+}
+
+static inline void pthreads_routine_free(pthreads_routine_arg_t *r) {
+	pthreads_monitor_remove(
+		r->thread->monitor, PTHREADS_MONITOR_STARTED);
+	pthreads_monitor_free(r->ready);
+} /* }}} */
 
 /* {{{ object iterator structure */
 typedef struct _pthreads_iterator_t {
@@ -116,3 +140,4 @@ static inline ulong pthreads_self() {
 #define PTHREADS_IN_THREAD(t)	((t)->local.ls == TSRMLS_CACHE) /* }}} */
 
 #endif /* HAVE_PTHREADS_THREAD_H */
+