diff --git a/include/maxscale/thread.h b/include/maxscale/thread.h
index e2addc302..49f694538 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/thread.h
+++ b/include/maxscale/thread.h
@@ -29,11 +29,44 @@ MXS_BEGIN_DECLS
  * Thread type and thread identifier function macros
  */
 #include <pthread.h>
-#define THREAD         pthread_t
-#define thread_self()  pthread_self()
 
-extern THREAD *thread_start(THREAD *thd, void (*entry)(void *), void *arg);
+typedef pthread_t THREAD;
+
+/**
+ * Obtain a handle to the calling thread
+ *
+ * @return The thread handle of the calling thread.
+ */
+static inline THREAD thread_self()
+{
+    return pthread_self();
+}
+
+/**
+ * Start a secondary thread
+ *
+ * @param thd         Pointer to the THREAD object
+ * @param entry       The entry point to call
+ * @param arg         The argument to pass the thread entry point
+ * @param stack_size  The stack size of the thread. If 0, the default
+ *                    size will be used.
+ *
+ * @return            The thread handle or NULL if an error occurred
+ */
+extern THREAD *thread_start(THREAD *thd, void (*entry)(void *), void *arg, size_t stack_size);
+
+/**
+ * Wait for a running thread to complete.
+ *
+ * @param thd   The thread handle
+ */
 extern void thread_wait(THREAD thd);
+
+/**
+ * Put the calling thread to sleep for a number of milliseconds
+ *
+ * @param ms  Number of milliseconds to sleep
+ */
 extern void thread_millisleep(int ms);
 
 MXS_END_DECLS
diff --git a/server/core/gateway.cc b/server/core/gateway.cc
index 362d78b1f..11391c256 100644
--- a/server/core/gateway.cc
+++ b/server/core/gateway.cc
@@ -2004,7 +2004,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
      */
     log_flush_timeout_ms = 1000;
 
-    if (thread_start(&log_flush_thr, log_flush_cb, (void *) &log_flush_timeout_ms) == NULL)
+    if (thread_start(&log_flush_thr, log_flush_cb, (void *) &log_flush_timeout_ms, 0) == NULL)
     {
         const char* logerr = "Failed to start log flushing thread.";
         print_log_n_stderr(true, true, logerr, logerr, 0);
diff --git a/server/core/housekeeper.cc b/server/core/housekeeper.cc
index 41d365a1e..0e484e013 100644
--- a/server/core/housekeeper.cc
+++ b/server/core/housekeeper.cc
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ bool hkinit()
 {
     bool inited = false;
 
-    if (thread_start(&hk_thr_handle, hkthread, NULL) != NULL)
+    if (thread_start(&hk_thr_handle, hkthread, NULL, 0) != NULL)
     {
         inited = true;
     }
diff --git a/server/core/test/testatomic.cc b/server/core/test/testatomic.cc
index 30988fadd..35786d52b 100644
--- a/server/core/test/testatomic.cc
+++ b/server/core/test/testatomic.cc
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ int run_test(void(*func)(void*))
 
     for (size_t i = 0; i < NTHR; i++)
     {
-        if (thread_start(&threads[i], func, (void*)(i + 1)) == NULL)
+        if (thread_start(&threads[i], func, (void*)(i + 1), 0) == NULL)
         {
             ss_dassert(false);
         }
diff --git a/server/core/test/testspinlock.cc b/server/core/test/testspinlock.cc
index 52d935cc0..f0ea61d62 100644
--- a/server/core/test/testspinlock.cc
+++ b/server/core/test/testspinlock.cc
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ test2()
     acquire_time = 0;
     spinlock_init(&lck);
     spinlock_acquire(&lck);
-    thread_start(&handle, test2_helper, (void *)&lck);
+    thread_start(&handle, test2_helper, (void *)&lck, 0);
     nanosleep(&sleeptime, NULL);
     spinlock_release(&lck);
     thread_wait(handle);
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ test3()
     {
         threadrun[i] = 0;
         tnum[i] = i;
-        thread_start(&handle[i], test3_helper, &tnum[i]);
+        thread_start(&handle[i], test3_helper, &tnum[i], 0);
     }
     for (i = 0; i < THREADS; i++)
     {
diff --git a/server/core/thread.cc b/server/core/thread.cc
index b0856dce0..8b154a72a 100644
--- a/server/core/thread.cc
+++ b/server/core/thread.cc
@@ -10,58 +10,58 @@
  * of this software will be governed by version 2 or later of the General
  * Public License.
  */
+
 #include <maxscale/thread.h>
+#include <maxscale/log_manager.h>
 
-/**
- * @file thread.c  - Implementation of thread related operations
- *
- * @verbatim
- * Revision History
- *
- * Date         Who             Description
- * 25/06/13     Mark Riddoch    Initial implementation
- *
- * @endverbatim
- */
-
-
-/**
- * Start a polling thread
- *
- * @param thd       Pointer to the THREAD object
- * @param entry     The entry point to call
- * @param arg       The argument to pass the thread entry point
- * @return          The thread handle or NULL if an error occurred
- */
-THREAD *thread_start(THREAD *thd, void (*entry)(void *), void *arg)
+THREAD *thread_start(THREAD *thd, void (*entry)(void *), void *arg, size_t stack_size)
 {
-    if (pthread_create(thd, NULL, (void *(*)(void *))entry, arg) != 0)
+    THREAD* rv = NULL;
+
+    pthread_attr_t attr;
+    int error = pthread_attr_init(&attr);
+
+    if (error == 0)
     {
-        return NULL;
+        if (stack_size != 0)
+        {
+            error = pthread_attr_setstacksize(&attr, stack_size);
+        }
+
+        if (error == 0)
+        {
+            error = pthread_create(thd, &attr, (void *(*)(void *))entry, arg);
+
+            if (error == 0)
+            {
+                rv = thd;
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                MXS_ERROR("Could not start thread: %s", mxs_strerror(error));
+            }
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            MXS_ERROR("Could not set thread stack size to %lu: %s", stack_size, mxs_strerror(error));
+        }
     }
-    return thd;
+    else
+    {
+        MXS_ERROR("Could not initialize thread attributes: %s", mxs_strerror(error));
+    }
+
+    return rv;
 }
 
-/**
- * Wait for a running threads to complete.
- *
- * @param thd   The thread handle
- */
-void
-thread_wait(THREAD thd)
+void thread_wait(THREAD thd)
 {
     void *rval;
 
     pthread_join((pthread_t)thd, &rval);
 }
 
-/**
- * Put the thread to sleep for a number of milliseconds
- *
- * @param ms    Number of milliseconds to sleep
- */
-void
-thread_millisleep(int ms)
+void thread_millisleep(int ms)
 {
     struct timespec req;
     req.tv_sec = ms / 1000;
diff --git a/server/core/worker.cc b/server/core/worker.cc
index 9728aea45..2b5386628 100644
--- a/server/core/worker.cc
+++ b/server/core/worker.cc
@@ -847,7 +847,7 @@ bool Worker::start()
 {
     m_started = true;
 
-    if (!thread_start(&m_thread, &Worker::thread_main, this))
+    if (!thread_start(&m_thread, &Worker::thread_main, this, 0))
     {
         m_started = false;
     }
diff --git a/server/modules/filter/tpmfilter/tpmfilter.c b/server/modules/filter/tpmfilter/tpmfilter.c
index 5c666e11a..c54d02eea 100644
--- a/server/modules/filter/tpmfilter/tpmfilter.c
+++ b/server/modules/filter/tpmfilter/tpmfilter.c
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ createInstance(const char *name, char **options, MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER *params)
          * Launch a thread that checks the named pipe.
          */
         THREAD thread;
-        if (!error && thread_start(&thread, checkNamedPipe, (void*)my_instance) == NULL)
+        if (!error && thread_start(&thread, checkNamedPipe, (void*)my_instance, 0) == NULL)
         {
             MXS_ERROR("Couldn't create a thread to check the named pipe: %s", strerror(errno));
             error = true;
diff --git a/server/modules/monitor/auroramon/auroramon.c b/server/modules/monitor/auroramon/auroramon.c
index a5d48a29c..cf15d6ad1 100644
--- a/server/modules/monitor/auroramon/auroramon.c
+++ b/server/modules/monitor/auroramon/auroramon.c
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ startMonitor(MXS_MONITOR *mon, const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER *params)
     handle->script = config_copy_string(params, "script");
     handle->events = config_get_enum(params, "events", mxs_monitor_event_enum_values);
 
-    if (thread_start(&handle->thread, monitorMain, handle) == NULL)
+    if (thread_start(&handle->thread, monitorMain, handle, 0) == NULL)
     {
         MXS_ERROR("Failed to start monitor thread for monitor '%s'.", mon->name);
         auroramon_free(handle);
diff --git a/server/modules/monitor/galeramon/galeramon.c b/server/modules/monitor/galeramon/galeramon.c
index dd87b439a..307d03dcb 100644
--- a/server/modules/monitor/galeramon/galeramon.c
+++ b/server/modules/monitor/galeramon/galeramon.c
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ startMonitor(MXS_MONITOR *mon, const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER *params)
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    if (thread_start(&handle->thread, monitorMain, handle) == NULL)
+    if (thread_start(&handle->thread, monitorMain, handle, 0) == NULL)
     {
         MXS_ERROR("Failed to start monitor thread for monitor '%s'.", mon->name);
         hashtable_free(handle->galera_nodes_info);
diff --git a/server/modules/monitor/mmmon/mmmon.c b/server/modules/monitor/mmmon/mmmon.c
index 7e2a0ca87..568cc5da0 100644
--- a/server/modules/monitor/mmmon/mmmon.c
+++ b/server/modules/monitor/mmmon/mmmon.c
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ startMonitor(MXS_MONITOR *mon, const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER *params)
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    if (thread_start(&handle->thread, monitorMain, handle) == NULL)
+    if (thread_start(&handle->thread, monitorMain, handle, 0) == NULL)
     {
         MXS_ERROR("Failed to start monitor thread for monitor '%s'.", mon->name);
         MXS_FREE(handle->script);
diff --git a/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon/mysql_mon.c b/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon/mysql_mon.c
index ba90c72ba..b728aaec9 100644
--- a/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon/mysql_mon.c
+++ b/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon/mysql_mon.c
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ startMonitor(MXS_MONITOR *monitor, const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER* params)
         MXS_FREE(handle);
         handle = NULL;
     }
-    else if (thread_start(&handle->thread, monitorMain, handle) == NULL)
+    else if (thread_start(&handle->thread, monitorMain, handle, 0) == NULL)
     {
         MXS_ERROR("Failed to start monitor thread for monitor '%s'.", monitor->name);
         hashtable_free(handle->server_info);
diff --git a/server/modules/monitor/ndbclustermon/ndbclustermon.c b/server/modules/monitor/ndbclustermon/ndbclustermon.c
index ce56d81d2..520569f9e 100644
--- a/server/modules/monitor/ndbclustermon/ndbclustermon.c
+++ b/server/modules/monitor/ndbclustermon/ndbclustermon.c
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ startMonitor(MXS_MONITOR *mon, const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER *params)
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    if (thread_start(&handle->thread, monitorMain, handle) == NULL)
+    if (thread_start(&handle->thread, monitorMain, handle, 0) == NULL)
     {
         MXS_ERROR("Failed to start monitor thread for monitor '%s'.", mon->name);
         MXS_FREE(handle->script);