diff --git a/include/zmq.h b/include/zmq.h
index 5dc11461..8329b37e 100644
--- a/include/zmq.h
+++ b/include/zmq.h
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ ZMQ_EXPORT int zmq_getmsgopt (zmq_msg_t *msg, int option, void *optval,
 /******************************************************************************/
 
 ZMQ_EXPORT void *zmq_init (int io_threads);
+ZMQ_EXPORT void *zmq_init_thread_safe (int io_threads);
 ZMQ_EXPORT int zmq_term (void *context);
 
 /******************************************************************************/
diff --git a/src/ctx.cpp b/src/ctx.cpp
index d8783be8..44fd0465 100644
--- a/src/ctx.cpp
+++ b/src/ctx.cpp
@@ -81,6 +81,16 @@ zmq::ctx_t::ctx_t (uint32_t io_threads_) :
     zmq_assert (rc == 0);
 }
 
+void zmq::ctx_t::set_thread_safe() 
+{
+  thread_safe_flag = true;
+}
+
+bool zmq::ctx_t::get_thread_safe() const
+{
+  return thread_safe_flag;
+}
+
 bool zmq::ctx_t::check_tag ()
 {
     return tag == 0xbadcafe0;
diff --git a/src/ctx.hpp b/src/ctx.hpp
index d259f594..40b4acff 100644
--- a/src/ctx.hpp
+++ b/src/ctx.hpp
@@ -99,6 +99,10 @@ namespace zmq
             reaper_tid = 1
         };
 
+        // create thread safe sockets
+        void set_thread_safe();
+        bool get_thread_safe() const;
+
         ~ctx_t ();
     private:
 
@@ -151,6 +155,8 @@ namespace zmq
         zmq::socket_base_t *log_socket;
         mutex_t log_sync;
 
+        bool thread_safe_flag;
+
         ctx_t (const ctx_t&);
         const ctx_t &operator = (const ctx_t&);
     };
diff --git a/src/socket_base.cpp b/src/socket_base.cpp
index 8167786d..7cd24c66 100644
--- a/src/socket_base.cpp
+++ b/src/socket_base.cpp
@@ -874,6 +874,11 @@ void zmq::socket_base_t::extract_flags (msg_t *msg_)
     rcvmore = msg_->flags () & msg_t::more ? true : false;
 }
 
+void zmq::socket_base_t::set_thread_safe()
+{
+   thread_safe_flag = true;
+}
+
 void zmq::socket_base_t::lock() 
 {
    sync.lock();
diff --git a/src/socket_base.hpp b/src/socket_base.hpp
index 3df50802..f22e1ef0 100644
--- a/src/socket_base.hpp
+++ b/src/socket_base.hpp
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ namespace zmq
         void hiccuped (pipe_t *pipe_);
         void terminated (pipe_t *pipe_);
         bool thread_safe() const { return thread_safe_flag; }
+        void set_thread_safe(); // should be in constructor, here for compat
         void lock();
         void unlock();
     protected:
diff --git a/src/zmq.cpp b/src/zmq.cpp
index 9aca8f9d..777cbc3f 100644
--- a/src/zmq.cpp
+++ b/src/zmq.cpp
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ const char *zmq_strerror (int errnum_)
     return zmq::errno_to_string (errnum_);
 }
 
-void *zmq_init (int io_threads_)
+static zmq::ctx_t *inner_init (int io_threads_)
 {
     if (io_threads_ < 0) {
         errno = EINVAL;
@@ -139,7 +139,19 @@ void *zmq_init (int io_threads_)
     //  Create 0MQ context.
     zmq::ctx_t *ctx = new (std::nothrow) zmq::ctx_t ((uint32_t) io_threads_);
     alloc_assert (ctx);
-    return (void*) ctx;
+    return ctx;
+}
+
+void *zmq_init (int io_threads_)
+{
+    return (void*) inner_init (io_threads_);
+}
+
+void *zmq_init_thread_safe (int io_threads_)
+{
+  zmq::ctx_t *ctx = inner_init (io_threads_);
+  ctx->set_thread_safe();
+  return (void*) ctx;
 }
 
 int zmq_term (void *ctx_)
@@ -174,7 +186,10 @@ void *zmq_socket (void *ctx_, int type_)
         errno = EFAULT;
         return NULL;
     }
-    return (void*) (((zmq::ctx_t*) ctx_)->create_socket (type_));
+    zmq::ctx_t *ctx = (zmq::ctx_t*) ctx_;
+    zmq::socket_base_t *s = ctx->create_socket (type_);
+    if (ctx->get_thread_safe ()) s->set_thread_safe ();
+    return (void*) s;
 }
 
 int zmq_close (void *s_)