diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 3c6fcb59..07d628d3 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -206,6 +206,7 @@ test_run_tests_SOURCES = test/blackhole-server.c \
                          test/test-tcp-writealot.c \
                          test/test-tcp-try-write.c \
                          test/test-tcp-write-queue-order.c \
+                         test/test-thread-equal.c \
                          test/test-thread.c \
                          test/test-threadpool-cancel.c \
                          test/test-threadpool.c \
diff --git a/docs/src/threading.rst b/docs/src/threading.rst
index 38daf4e5..0d6c0df1 100644
--- a/docs/src/threading.rst
+++ b/docs/src/threading.rst
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ Threads
 .. c:function:: int uv_thread_create(uv_thread_t* tid, uv_thread_cb entry, void* arg)
 .. c:function:: unsigned long uv_thread_self(void)
 .. c:function:: int uv_thread_join(uv_thread_t *tid)
+.. c:function:: int uv_thread_equal(const uv_thread_t* t1, const uv_thread_t* t2)
 
 Thread-local storage
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
diff --git a/include/uv.h b/include/uv.h
index ad6bde99..9afdc0b5 100644
--- a/include/uv.h
+++ b/include/uv.h
@@ -1369,8 +1369,9 @@ UV_EXTERN void uv_key_set(uv_key_t* key, void* value);
 typedef void (*uv_thread_cb)(void* arg);
 
 UV_EXTERN int uv_thread_create(uv_thread_t* tid, uv_thread_cb entry, void* arg);
-UV_EXTERN unsigned long uv_thread_self(void);
+UV_EXTERN uv_thread_t uv_thread_self(void);
 UV_EXTERN int uv_thread_join(uv_thread_t *tid);
+UV_EXTERN int uv_thread_equal(const uv_thread_t* t1, const uv_thread_t* t2);
 
 /* The presence of these unions force similar struct layout. */
 #define XX(_, name) uv_ ## name ## _t name;
diff --git a/src/unix/thread.c b/src/unix/thread.c
index 522426f6..00579cb8 100644
--- a/src/unix/thread.c
+++ b/src/unix/thread.c
@@ -36,6 +36,11 @@ int uv_thread_join(uv_thread_t *tid) {
 }
 
 
+int uv_thread_equal(const uv_thread_t* t1, const uv_thread_t* t2) {
+  return pthread_equal(*t1, *t2);
+}
+
+
 int uv_mutex_init(uv_mutex_t* mutex) {
 #if defined(NDEBUG) || !defined(PTHREAD_MUTEX_ERRORCHECK)
   return -pthread_mutex_init(mutex, NULL);
diff --git a/src/uv-common.c b/src/uv-common.c
index 97727baa..69fc53ae 100644
--- a/src/uv-common.c
+++ b/src/uv-common.c
@@ -306,11 +306,11 @@ int uv_thread_create(uv_thread_t *tid, void (*entry)(void *arg), void *arg) {
 }
 
 
-unsigned long uv_thread_self(void) {
+uv_thread_t uv_thread_self(void) {
 #ifdef _WIN32
-  return (unsigned long) GetCurrentThreadId();
+  return GetCurrentThreadId();
 #else
-  return (unsigned long) pthread_self();
+  return pthread_self();
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/src/win/thread.c b/src/win/thread.c
index ccc5579f..5d8d568c 100644
--- a/src/win/thread.c
+++ b/src/win/thread.c
@@ -129,6 +129,11 @@ int uv_thread_join(uv_thread_t *tid) {
 }
 
 
+int uv_thread_equal(const uv_thread_t* t1, const uv_thread_t* t2) {
+  return *t1 == *t2;
+}
+
+
 int uv_mutex_init(uv_mutex_t* mutex) {
   InitializeCriticalSection(mutex);
   return 0;
diff --git a/test/test-list.h b/test/test-list.h
index 9971c916..eff34306 100644
--- a/test/test-list.h
+++ b/test/test-list.h
@@ -258,6 +258,7 @@ TEST_DECLARE   (thread_local_storage)
 TEST_DECLARE   (thread_mutex)
 TEST_DECLARE   (thread_rwlock)
 TEST_DECLARE   (thread_create)
+TEST_DECLARE   (thread_equal)
 TEST_DECLARE   (dlerror)
 TEST_DECLARE   (poll_duplex)
 TEST_DECLARE   (poll_unidirectional)
@@ -630,6 +631,7 @@ TASK_LIST_START
   TEST_ENTRY  (thread_mutex)
   TEST_ENTRY  (thread_rwlock)
   TEST_ENTRY  (thread_create)
+  TEST_ENTRY  (thread_equal)
   TEST_ENTRY  (dlerror)
   TEST_ENTRY  (ip4_addr)
   TEST_ENTRY  (ip6_addr_link_local)
diff --git a/test/test-thread-equal.c b/test/test-thread-equal.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..27c07ee2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test-thread-equal.c
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+/* Copyright Joyent, Inc. and other Node contributors. All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+ * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to
+ * deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the
+ * rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or
+ * sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+ * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+ * all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+ * AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
+ * FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS
+ * IN THE SOFTWARE.
+ */
+
+#include "uv.h"
+#include "task.h"
+
+uv_thread_t main_thread_id;
+uv_thread_t subthreads[2];
+
+static void check_thread(void* arg) {
+  uv_thread_t *thread_id = arg;
+  uv_thread_t self_id = uv_thread_self();
+  ASSERT(uv_thread_equal(&main_thread_id, &self_id) == 0);
+  *thread_id = uv_thread_self();
+}
+
+TEST_IMPL(thread_equal) {
+  uv_thread_t threads[2];
+  main_thread_id = uv_thread_self();
+  ASSERT(0 != uv_thread_equal(&main_thread_id, &main_thread_id));
+  ASSERT(0 == uv_thread_create(threads + 0, check_thread, subthreads + 0));
+  ASSERT(0 == uv_thread_create(threads + 1, check_thread, subthreads + 1));
+  ASSERT(0 == uv_thread_join(threads + 0));
+  ASSERT(0 == uv_thread_join(threads + 1));
+  ASSERT(0 == uv_thread_equal(subthreads + 0, subthreads + 1));
+  return 0;
+}
diff --git a/uv.gyp b/uv.gyp
index 444182b6..27885d23 100644
--- a/uv.gyp
+++ b/uv.gyp
@@ -410,6 +410,7 @@
         'test/test-tcp-write-queue-order.c',
         'test/test-threadpool.c',
         'test/test-threadpool-cancel.c',
+        'test/test-thread-equal.c',
         'test/test-mutexes.c',
         'test/test-thread.c',
         'test/test-barrier.c',