diff --git a/CMakeExt/Threading.cmake b/CMakeExt/Threading.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7bc15f919
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CMakeExt/Threading.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+
+
+set(ENABLE_MULTITHREADING ${ENABLE_MULTITHREADING}
+    PARENT_SCOPE)
+
+if (ENABLE_MULTITHREADING)
+
+    # Find support for pthreads
+    find_package(Threads REQUIRED)
+    set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS
+        "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -pthread -DDART_ENABLE_THREADING -DHAVE_PTHREADS")
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS
+        "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -pthread -DDART_ENABLE_THREADING -DHAVE_PTHREADS")
+    set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS
+        "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS} -pthread")
+endif()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index a6edf6732..1604f1173 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -91,6 +91,8 @@ option(ENABLE_HDF5
        "Specify whether HDF5 features are enabled" on)
 option(ENABLE_NASTYMPI
        "Specify whether the NastyMPI proxy should be enabled" off)
+option(ENABLE_MULTITHREADING
+       "Specify whether support for multithreading should be compiled" off)
 
 if (BUILD_COVERAGE_TESTS)
   set(BUILD_TESTS TRUE CACHE BOOLEAN
@@ -127,6 +129,9 @@ endif()
 if (ENABLE_NASTYMPI)
   include(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/CMakeExt/NastyMPI.cmake)
 endif()
+if (ENABLE_MULTITHREADING)
+  include(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/CMakeExt/Threading.cmake)
+endif()
 
 # prepare StaticConfig.h generation
 include(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/CMakeExt/GenerateConfig.cmake)
@@ -282,6 +287,8 @@ message(INFO "HDF5 support:             (ENABLE_HDF5)                    "
         ${ENABLE_HDF5})
 message(INFO "Enabled DART backends:    (DART_IMPLEMENTATIONS)           "
         ${DART_IMPLEMENTATIONS})
+message(INFO "Enable multithreading:    (ENABLE_MULTITHREADING)          "
+        ${ENABLE_MULTITHREADING})
 message(INFO "C   compiler id:          ${CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID}")
 message(INFO "C++ compiler id:          ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}")
 if (MPI_FOUND)
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index 0852bff02..a1e9c2f26 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ rm -Rf $BUILD_DIR/*
                         -DDART_IF_VERSION=3.2 \
                         -DINSTALL_PREFIX=$HOME/opt/dash-0.3.0/ \
                         -DDART_IMPLEMENTATIONS=mpi \
+                        -DENABLE_MULTITHREADING=ON \
                         -DENABLE_DEVELOPER_COMPILER_WARNINGS=OFF \
                         -DENABLE_EXTENDED_COMPILER_WARNINGS=OFF \
                         -DENABLE_LT_OPTIMIZATION=OFF \
diff --git a/dart-impl/base/include/dash/dart/base/mutex.h b/dart-impl/base/include/dash/dart/base/mutex.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ac57bc7d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dart-impl/base/include/dash/dart/base/mutex.h
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+#ifndef DASH_DART_BASE_MUTEX__H_
+#define DASH_DART_BASE_MUTEX__H_
+
+#include <dash/dart/if/dart_types.h>
+
+
+#ifdef HAVE_PTHREADS
+#include <pthread.h>
+#endif
+
+typedef struct dart_mutex {
+#ifdef HAVE_PTHREADS
+pthread_mutex_t mutex;
+#endif
+} dart_mutex_t;
+
+static inline
+dart_ret_t
+dart_mutex_init(dart_mutex_t *mutex)
+{
+#ifdef HAVE_PTHREADS
+  pthread_mutex_init(&mutex->mutex, NULL);
+  return DART_OK;
+#else
+  return DART_ERR_INVAL;
+#endif
+}
+
+static inline
+dart_ret_t
+dart_mutex_lock(dart_mutex_t *mutex)
+{
+#ifdef HAVE_PTHREADS
+  pthread_mutex_lock(&mutex->mutex);
+  return DART_OK;
+#else
+  return DART_ERR_INVAL;
+#endif
+}
+
+static inline
+dart_ret_t
+dart_mutex_unlock(dart_mutex_t *mutex)
+{
+#ifdef HAVE_PTHREADS
+  pthread_mutex_unlock(&mutex->mutex);
+  return DART_OK;
+#else
+  return DART_ERR_INVAL;
+#endif
+}
+
+static inline
+dart_ret_t
+dart_mutex_trylock(dart_mutex_t *mutex)
+{
+#ifdef HAVE_PTHREADS
+  pthread_mutex_trylock(&mutex->mutex);
+  return DART_OK;
+#else
+  return DART_ERR_INVAL;
+#endif
+}
+
+
+dart_ret_t
+dart_mutex_destroy(dart_mutex_t *mutex)
+{
+#ifdef HAVE_PTHREADS
+  pthread_mutex_destroy(&mutex->mutex);
+  return DART_OK;
+#else
+  return DART_ERR_INVAL;
+#endif
+}
+
+#endif /* DASH_DART_BASE_MUTEX__H_ */