diff --git a/include/OpenThreads/Thread b/include/OpenThreads/Thread
index 4d0d71562..b644fee1c 100644
--- a/include/OpenThreads/Thread
+++ b/include/OpenThreads/Thread
@@ -113,6 +113,11 @@ public:
      */
     static Thread *CurrentThread();
 
+    /**
+     *  Return the id of the current thread
+     */
+    static size_t CurrentThreadId();
+
 
     /**
      *  Initialize Threading in a program.  This method must be called before
@@ -147,7 +152,7 @@ public:
      *
      *  @return a unique thread identifier
      */
-    int getThreadId();
+    size_t getThreadId();
 
     /**
      *  Get the thread's process id.  This is the pthread_t or pid_t value
diff --git a/include/osg/GraphicsContext b/include/osg/GraphicsContext
index 33d7b0b12..fc2371f9d 100644
--- a/include/osg/GraphicsContext
+++ b/include/osg/GraphicsContext
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ class OSG_EXPORT GraphicsContext : public Object
         bool releaseContext();
 
         /** Return true if the current thread has this OpenGL graphics context.*/
-        inline bool isCurrent() const { return _threadOfLastMakeCurrent == OpenThreads::Thread::CurrentThread(); }
+        inline bool isCurrent() const { return _threadOfLastMakeCurrent == OpenThreads::Thread::CurrentThreadId(); }
 
         /** Bind the graphics context to associated texture.*/
         inline void bindPBufferToTexture(GLenum buffer) { bindPBufferToTextureImplementation(buffer); }
@@ -547,7 +547,7 @@ class OSG_EXPORT GraphicsContext : public Object
         Vec4                    _clearColor;
         GLbitfield              _clearMask;
 
-        OpenThreads::Thread*    _threadOfLastMakeCurrent;
+        size_t                              _threadOfLastMakeCurrent;
 
         OpenThreads::Mutex                  _operationsMutex;
         osg::ref_ptr<osg::RefBlock>         _operationsBlock;
diff --git a/src/OpenThreads/pthreads/PThread.cpp b/src/OpenThreads/pthreads/PThread.cpp
index 06762af22..7cac33085 100644
--- a/src/OpenThreads/pthreads/PThread.cpp
+++ b/src/OpenThreads/pthreads/PThread.cpp
@@ -48,6 +48,11 @@
 #endif
 #endif
 
+#if defined(__APPLE__) || defined(__linux__) || defined(__FreeBSD__) || defined(__FreeBSD_kernel__) || defined(__ANDROID__)
+#   include <unistd.h>
+#   include <sys/syscall.h>
+#endif
+
 #if defined(__ANDROID__)
     #ifndef PAGE_SIZE
         #define PAGE_SIZE 0x400
@@ -68,11 +73,6 @@ using namespace OpenThreads;
 #endif
 
 
-//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-// Initialize the static unique ids.
-//
-int PThreadPrivateData::nextId = 0;
-
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Initialize thread master priority level
 //
@@ -184,8 +184,7 @@ private:
 
         Thread *thread = static_cast<Thread *>(data);
 
-        PThreadPrivateData *pd =
-        static_cast<PThreadPrivateData *>(thread->_prvData);
+        PThreadPrivateData *pd = static_cast<PThreadPrivateData *>(thread->_prvData);
 
         // set up processor affinity
         setAffinity( pd->affinity );
@@ -212,6 +211,8 @@ private:
 
 #endif // ] ALLOW_PRIORITY_SCHEDULING
 
+        pd->uniqueId = Thread::CurrentThreadId();
+
         pd->setRunning(true);
 
         // release the thread that created this thread.
@@ -463,6 +464,25 @@ Thread *Thread::CurrentThread()
 
 }
 
+size_t Thread::CurrentThreadId()
+{
+#if defined(__APPLE__)
+  return (size_t)::syscall(SYS_thread_selfid);
+#elif defined(__ANDROID__)
+  return (size_t)gettid();
+#elif defined(__linux__)
+  return (size_t)::syscall(SYS_gettid);
+#elif defined(__FreeBSD__) || defined(__FreeBSD_kernel__)
+  long  tid;
+  syscall(SYS_thr_self, &tid);
+  return (size_t)tid;
+#else
+  return (size_t)pthread_self();
+#endif
+}
+
+
+
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 //
 // Description: Initialize Threading
@@ -528,7 +548,7 @@ void Thread::Init()
 //
 // Use: public
 //
-int Thread::getThreadId()
+size_t Thread::getThreadId()
 {
 
     PThreadPrivateData *pd = static_cast<PThreadPrivateData *> (_prvData);
diff --git a/src/OpenThreads/pthreads/PThreadPrivateData.h b/src/OpenThreads/pthreads/PThreadPrivateData.h
index bbbe535cb..731a0a404 100644
--- a/src/OpenThreads/pthreads/PThreadPrivateData.h
+++ b/src/OpenThreads/pthreads/PThreadPrivateData.h
@@ -49,8 +49,7 @@ private:
         setRunning(false);
         isCanceled = false;
         tid = 0;
-        uniqueId = nextId;
-        nextId++;
+        uniqueId = 0;
         threadPriority = Thread::THREAD_PRIORITY_DEFAULT;
         threadPolicy = Thread::THREAD_SCHEDULE_DEFAULT;
     };
@@ -78,12 +77,10 @@ private:
 
     pthread_t tid;
 
-    volatile int uniqueId;
+    size_t uniqueId;
 
     Affinity affinity;
 
-    static int nextId;
-
     static pthread_key_t s_tls_key;
 
 };
diff --git a/src/OpenThreads/win32/Win32Thread.cpp b/src/OpenThreads/win32/Win32Thread.cpp
index ce1db0b73..6b06ff564 100644
--- a/src/OpenThreads/win32/Win32Thread.cpp
+++ b/src/OpenThreads/win32/Win32Thread.cpp
@@ -103,6 +103,8 @@ namespace OpenThreads {
 
             pd->isRunning = true;
 
+            pd->uniqueId = Thread::CurrentThreadId();
+
             // release the thread that created this thread.
             pd->threadStartedBlock.release();
 
@@ -210,6 +212,11 @@ Thread* Thread::CurrentThread()
     return (Thread* )TlsGetValue(ID);
 }
 
+size_t Thread::CurrentThreadId()
+{
+    return (size_t)::GetCurrentThreadId();
+}
+
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 //
 // Description: Set the concurrency level (no-op)
@@ -300,7 +307,7 @@ void Thread::Init() {
 //
 // Use: public
 //
-int Thread::getThreadId() {
+size_t Thread::getThreadId() {
     Win32ThreadPrivateData *pd = static_cast<Win32ThreadPrivateData *> (_prvData);
     return pd->uniqueId;
 }
@@ -352,7 +359,7 @@ int Thread::start() {
     pd->tid.set( (void*)_beginthreadex(NULL,static_cast<unsigned>(pd->stackSize),ThreadPrivateActions::StartThread,static_cast<void *>(this),CREATE_SUSPENDED,&ID));
     ResumeThread(pd->tid.get());
 
-    pd->uniqueId = (int)ID;
+    pd->uniqueId = (size_t)ID;
 
     if(!pd->tid) {
         return -1;
@@ -442,9 +449,9 @@ int Thread::testCancel()
     if(pd->cancelMode == 2)
         return 0;
 
-    DWORD curr = GetCurrentThreadId();
+    size_t curr = Thread::CurrentThreadId();
 
-    if( pd->uniqueId != (int)curr )
+    if( pd->uniqueId != curr )
         return -1;
 
 //    pd->isRunning = false;
diff --git a/src/OpenThreads/win32/Win32ThreadPrivateData.h b/src/OpenThreads/win32/Win32ThreadPrivateData.h
index f7d4497cc..282af54b9 100644
--- a/src/OpenThreads/win32/Win32ThreadPrivateData.h
+++ b/src/OpenThreads/win32/Win32ThreadPrivateData.h
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ private:
 
     HandleHolder tid;
 
-    int uniqueId;
+    size_t uniqueId;
 
     Affinity affinity;
 
diff --git a/src/osg/GraphicsContext.cpp b/src/osg/GraphicsContext.cpp
index 1a35497d0..0d14aaf8e 100644
--- a/src/osg/GraphicsContext.cpp
+++ b/src/osg/GraphicsContext.cpp
@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@ void GraphicsContext::close(bool callCloseImplementation)
 
 bool GraphicsContext::makeCurrent()
 {
-    _threadOfLastMakeCurrent = OpenThreads::Thread::CurrentThread();
+    _threadOfLastMakeCurrent = OpenThreads::Thread::CurrentThreadId();
 
     bool result = makeCurrentImplementation();
 
@@ -546,7 +546,7 @@ bool GraphicsContext::makeContextCurrent(GraphicsContext* readContext)
 
     if (result)
     {
-        _threadOfLastMakeCurrent = OpenThreads::Thread::CurrentThread();
+        _threadOfLastMakeCurrent = OpenThreads::Thread::CurrentThreadId();
 
         // initialize extension process, not only initializes on first
         // call, will be a non-op on subsequent calls.
@@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ bool GraphicsContext::releaseContext()
 {
     bool result = releaseContextImplementation();
 
-    _threadOfLastMakeCurrent = (OpenThreads::Thread*)(-1);
+    _threadOfLastMakeCurrent = 0;
 
     return result;
 }
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@ void GraphicsContext::swapBuffers()
         clear();
     }
     else if (_graphicsThread.valid() &&
-             _threadOfLastMakeCurrent == _graphicsThread.get())
+             _threadOfLastMakeCurrent == _graphicsThread->getThreadId())
     {
         _graphicsThread->add(new SwapBuffersOperation);
     }
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/curl/ReaderWriterCURL.h b/src/osgPlugins/curl/ReaderWriterCURL.h
index 783954646..b06f8ca2c 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/curl/ReaderWriterCURL.h
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/curl/ReaderWriterCURL.h
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ class ReaderWriterCURL : public osgDB::ReaderWriter
         {
             OpenThreads::ScopedLock<OpenThreads::Mutex>  lock(_threadCurlMapMutex);
 
-            osg::ref_ptr<EasyCurl>& ec = _threadCurlMap[OpenThreads::Thread::CurrentThread()];
+            osg::ref_ptr<EasyCurl>& ec = _threadCurlMap[OpenThreads::Thread::CurrentThreadId()];
             if (!ec) ec = new EasyCurl;
 
             return *ec;
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ class ReaderWriterCURL : public osgDB::ReaderWriter
     protected:
         void getConnectionOptions(const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options *options, std::string& proxyAddress, long& connectTimeout, long& timeout, long& sslVerifyPeer) const;
 
-        typedef std::map< OpenThreads::Thread*, osg::ref_ptr<EasyCurl> >    ThreadCurlMap;
+        typedef std::map< size_t, osg::ref_ptr<EasyCurl> >    ThreadCurlMap;
 
         mutable OpenThreads::Mutex          _threadCurlMapMutex;
         mutable ThreadCurlMap               _threadCurlMap;
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/zip/ZipArchive.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/zip/ZipArchive.cpp
index 70d15a31d..02b2417dc 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/zip/ZipArchive.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/zip/ZipArchive.cpp
@@ -672,7 +672,7 @@ const ZipArchive::PerThreadData&
 ZipArchive::getDataNoLock() const
 {
     // get/create data for the currently running thread:
-    OpenThreads::Thread* current = OpenThreads::Thread::CurrentThread();
+    size_t current = OpenThreads::Thread::CurrentThreadId();
 
     PerThreadDataMap::const_iterator i = _perThreadData.find( current );
 
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/zip/ZipArchive.h b/src/osgPlugins/zip/ZipArchive.h
index c1d6e1e78..958695a83 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/zip/ZipArchive.h
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/zip/ZipArchive.h
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ class ZipArchive : public osgDB::Archive
             HZIP _zipHandle;
         };
 
-        typedef std::map<OpenThreads::Thread*, PerThreadData> PerThreadDataMap;
+        typedef std::map<size_t, PerThreadData> PerThreadDataMap;
         PerThreadDataMap _perThreadData;
 
         const PerThreadData& getData() const;
diff --git a/src/osgViewer/GraphicsWindowX11.cpp b/src/osgViewer/GraphicsWindowX11.cpp
index 7df251323..c0d0b0e80 100644
--- a/src/osgViewer/GraphicsWindowX11.cpp
+++ b/src/osgViewer/GraphicsWindowX11.cpp
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ Display* GraphicsWindowX11::getDisplayToUse() const
         return _display;
     }
 
-    if (OpenThreads::Thread::CurrentThread()==_threadOfLastMakeCurrent)
+    if (OpenThreads::Thread::CurrentThreadId()==_threadOfLastMakeCurrent)
     {
         return _display;
     }