diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 442f685..32c0d56 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@ include common.mk
 
 all: server
 
-server: $(BUILD_DIR)/server/main.o $(BUILD_DIR)/common/util/hash_table.o
+$(BUILD_DIR)/common/util/thread.o: $(BUILD_DIR)/common/util/thread.posix.o
+	cp $< $@
+
+server: $(BUILD_DIR)/server/main.o $(BUILD_DIR)/common/util/hash_table.o $(BUILD_DIR)/common/util/byte_stream.o $(BUILD_DIR)/common/util/thread.o
 	$(COMPILE_EXE)
 
 run: server
diff --git a/common.mk b/common.mk
index 7735e53..0e4bc76 100644
--- a/common.mk
+++ b/common.mk
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ ifneq ($(strip $(DEPS)),)
 	CPPFLAGS += $(shell $(PKGCONFIG) --cflags $(DEPS))
 	LDLIBS += $(shell $(PKGCONFIG) --libs $(DEPS))
 endif
+LDLIBS += -lpthread
 INCPATH += -iquote $(SRC_DIR)
 ENSURE_DIR = mkdir -p $(shell dirname "$@")
 COMPILE_EXE = $(CC) $(LDFLAGS) $^ $(LOADLIBES) $(LDLIBS) -o $@
diff --git a/src/common/util/closure.h b/src/common/util/closure.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..400f4b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/util/closure.h
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#ifndef COMMON_UTIL_CLOSURE_H_
+#define COMMON_UTIL_CLOSURE_H_
+
+#include "common/defs.h"
+
+typedef struct {
+	void *opaque;
+} ClosureEnvironment;
+
+#define CLOSURE_CALLBACK_FN(TRet, ...) typeof(TRet (ClosureEnvironment closure ,## __VA_ARGS__))
+#define CLOSURE_T(...) struct { CLOSURE_CALLBACK_FN(__VA_ARGS__) *callback; ClosureEnvironment env; }
+
+#endif /* end of include guard: COMMON_UTIL_CLOSURE_H_ */
diff --git a/src/common/util/thread.h b/src/common/util/thread.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cbbe00e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/util/thread.h
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+#ifndef COMMON_UTIL_THREAD_H_
+#define COMMON_UTIL_THREAD_H_
+
+#include "common/defs.h"
+#include "common/util/closure.h"
+
+typedef union {
+	uintptr_t handle;
+	void *opaque;
+} Thread;
+
+typedef union {
+	uintptr_t value;
+	void *pointer;
+} ThreadResult;
+
+#define THREAD_NONE (Thread) { .handle = 0, }
+
+typedef CLOSURE_T(ThreadResult) ThreadEntry;
+
+/**
+ * Creates and starts new thread
+ * @param entry main thread function
+ * @param error_result join result in case of invalid entry
+ * @result new thread
+ */
+Thread thread_spawn(ThreadEntry entry, ThreadResult error_result);
+
+/**
+ * Frees memory used to store thread handle (if allocated by the implementation)
+ * Usage of th is invalid after this
+ * @return THREAD_NONE
+ */
+Thread thread_delete_handle(Thread th);
+
+/**
+ * Waits for a thread to exit
+ * @param th the thread to join
+ * @param result_ptr pointer to store the exit result or NULL
+ * @return bool on success, false on failure (errno may be set)
+ */
+bool thread_join(Thread th, ThreadResult *result_ptr);
+
+#endif /* end of include guard: COMMON_UTIL_THREAD_H_ */
diff --git a/src/common/util/thread.posix.c b/src/common/util/thread.posix.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8c4ce9d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/util/thread.posix.c
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+#include "thread.h"
+
+#include <pthread.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <assert.h>
+
+typedef struct {
+	ThreadEntry entry;
+	ThreadResult error_result;
+} NativeEntryArg;
+
+inline static pthread_t
+get_handle(Thread wrapper)
+{
+	assert(wrapper.opaque != NULL);
+	return *(pthread_t*) wrapper.opaque;
+}
+
+inline static bool
+new_uninitialized(Thread *th)
+{
+	pthread_t *data = T_ALLOC(1, pthread_t);
+	if (!data) {
+		return false;
+	}
+	*th = (Thread) { .opaque = data };
+	return true;
+}
+
+inline static void
+initialize_handle(Thread *th, pthread_t handle)
+{
+	assert(th != NULL);
+	assert(th->opaque != NULL);
+	*(pthread_t*) th->opaque = handle;
+	return;
+}
+
+inline static Thread
+delete_handle(Thread th)
+{
+	if (!th.opaque) {
+		return THREAD_NONE;
+	}
+	free(th.opaque);
+	return THREAD_NONE;
+}
+
+static void*
+run_entry(void *arg)
+{
+	assert(arg != NULL);
+	NativeEntryArg casted_arg = *(NativeEntryArg*) arg;
+	ThreadEntry entry = casted_arg.entry;
+	void *error_result = casted_arg.error_result.pointer;
+	free(arg);
+	if (!entry.callback) {
+		return error_result;
+	}
+	ThreadResult result = entry.callback(entry.env);
+	return result.pointer;
+}
+
+Thread
+thread_spawn(ThreadEntry entry, ThreadResult error_result)
+{
+	NativeEntryArg *native_arg = T_ALLOC(1, NativeEntryArg);
+	if (!native_arg) {
+		return THREAD_NONE;
+	}
+	*native_arg = (NativeEntryArg) {
+		.entry = entry,
+		.error_result = error_result,
+	};
+	Thread th;
+	pthread_t handle;
+	int error;
+	if (!new_uninitialized(&th)) {
+		return THREAD_NONE;
+	}
+	error = pthread_create(&handle, NULL, &run_entry, native_arg);
+	if (error) {
+		errno = error;
+		return delete_handle(th);
+	}
+	assert(handle && "System allows 0 as thread id");
+	initialize_handle(&th, handle);
+	return th;
+}
+
+Thread
+thread_delete_handle(Thread th)
+{
+	return delete_handle(th);
+}
+
+bool
+thread_join(Thread th, ThreadResult *result_ptr)
+{
+	if (!th.opaque) {
+		errno = EINVAL;
+		return false;
+	}
+	pthread_t handle = get_handle(th);
+	void **retval = NULL;
+	if (result_ptr) {
+		retval = &result_ptr->pointer;
+	}
+	int error = pthread_join(handle, retval);
+	if (error) {
+		errno = error;
+		return false;
+	}
+	return true;
+}
diff --git a/src/server/main.c b/src/server/main.c
index 1d09335..4daadc4 100644
--- a/src/server/main.c
+++ b/src/server/main.c
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include "common/util/hash_table.h"
 #include "common/util/byte_serdes.h"
+#include "common/util/thread.h"
 
 int
 main(int argc, char **argv)