diff --git a/boost/thread/detail/thread.hpp b/boost/thread/detail/thread.hpp
index 005555e..4fa7619 100644
--- a/boost/thread/detail/thread.hpp
+++ b/boost/thread/detail/thread.hpp
@@ -117,8 +117,6 @@ namespace boost
         
         detail::thread_data_ptr thread_info;
 
-        void start_thread();
-        
         explicit thread(detail::thread_data_ptr data);
 
         detail::thread_data_ptr get_thread_info BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION () const;
@@ -147,12 +145,22 @@ namespace boost
 
 #endif
         struct dummy;
+        
+    protected:
+        template <class F>
+        void set_thread_main_function(F f)
+        {
+            thread_info = make_thread_info(f);
+        }
+        
+        void start_thread(unsigned int stack_size = 0);
+        
     public:
 #if BOOST_WORKAROUND(__SUNPRO_CC, < 0x5100)
         thread(const volatile thread&); 
 #endif 
         thread();
-        ~thread();
+        virtual ~thread();
 
 #ifndef BOOST_NO_RVALUE_REFERENCES
 #ifdef BOOST_MSVC
@@ -164,10 +172,10 @@ namespace boost
         }
 #else
         template <class F>
-        thread(F&& f):
+        thread(F&& f, unsigned int stack_size = 0):
             thread_info(make_thread_info(static_cast<F&&>(f)))
         {
-            start_thread();
+            start_thread(stack_size);
         }
 #endif
 
@@ -191,25 +199,25 @@ namespace boost
 #else
 #ifdef BOOST_NO_SFINAE
         template <class F>
-        explicit thread(F f):
+        explicit thread(F f, unsigned int stack_size = 0):
             thread_info(make_thread_info(f))
         {
-            start_thread();
+            start_thread(stack_size);
         }
 #else
         template <class F>
-        explicit thread(F f,typename disable_if<boost::is_convertible<F&,detail::thread_move_t<F> >, dummy* >::type=0):
+        explicit thread(F f,typename disable_if<boost::is_convertible<F&,detail::thread_move_t<F> >, dummy* >::type=0, unsigned int stack_size = 0):
             thread_info(make_thread_info(f))
         {
-            start_thread();
+            start_thread(stack_size);
         }
 #endif
         
         template <class F>
-        explicit thread(detail::thread_move_t<F> f):
+        explicit thread(detail::thread_move_t<F> f, unsigned int stack_size = 0):
             thread_info(make_thread_info(f))
         {
-            start_thread();
+            start_thread(stack_size);
         }
 
         thread(detail::thread_move_t<thread> x)
@@ -246,65 +254,65 @@ namespace boost
 #endif
 
         template <class F,class A1>
-        thread(F f,A1 a1):
+        thread(F f,A1 a1, unsigned int stack_size = 0):
             thread_info(make_thread_info(boost::bind(boost::type<void>(),f,a1)))
         {
-            start_thread();
+            start_thread(stack_size);
         }
         template <class F,class A1,class A2>
-        thread(F f,A1 a1,A2 a2):
+        thread(F f,A1 a1,A2 a2, unsigned int stack_size = 0):
             thread_info(make_thread_info(boost::bind(boost::type<void>(),f,a1,a2)))
         {
-            start_thread();
+            start_thread(stack_size);
         }
 
         template <class F,class A1,class A2,class A3>
-        thread(F f,A1 a1,A2 a2,A3 a3):
+        thread(F f,A1 a1,A2 a2,A3 a3, unsigned int stack_size = 0):
             thread_info(make_thread_info(boost::bind(boost::type<void>(),f,a1,a2,a3)))
         {
-            start_thread();
+            start_thread(stack_size);
         }
 
         template <class F,class A1,class A2,class A3,class A4>
-        thread(F f,A1 a1,A2 a2,A3 a3,A4 a4):
+        thread(F f,A1 a1,A2 a2,A3 a3,A4 a4, unsigned int stack_size = 0):
             thread_info(make_thread_info(boost::bind(boost::type<void>(),f,a1,a2,a3,a4)))
         {
-            start_thread();
+            start_thread(stack_size);
         }
 
         template <class F,class A1,class A2,class A3,class A4,class A5>
-        thread(F f,A1 a1,A2 a2,A3 a3,A4 a4,A5 a5):
+        thread(F f,A1 a1,A2 a2,A3 a3,A4 a4,A5 a5, unsigned int stack_size = 0):
             thread_info(make_thread_info(boost::bind(boost::type<void>(),f,a1,a2,a3,a4,a5)))
         {
-            start_thread();
+            start_thread(stack_size);
         }
 
         template <class F,class A1,class A2,class A3,class A4,class A5,class A6>
-        thread(F f,A1 a1,A2 a2,A3 a3,A4 a4,A5 a5,A6 a6):
+        thread(F f,A1 a1,A2 a2,A3 a3,A4 a4,A5 a5,A6 a6, unsigned int stack_size = 0):
             thread_info(make_thread_info(boost::bind(boost::type<void>(),f,a1,a2,a3,a4,a5,a6)))
         {
-            start_thread();
+            start_thread(stack_size);
         }
 
         template <class F,class A1,class A2,class A3,class A4,class A5,class A6,class A7>
-        thread(F f,A1 a1,A2 a2,A3 a3,A4 a4,A5 a5,A6 a6,A7 a7):
+        thread(F f,A1 a1,A2 a2,A3 a3,A4 a4,A5 a5,A6 a6,A7 a7, unsigned int stack_size = 0):
             thread_info(make_thread_info(boost::bind(boost::type<void>(),f,a1,a2,a3,a4,a5,a6,a7)))
         {
-            start_thread();
+            start_thread(stack_size);
         }
 
         template <class F,class A1,class A2,class A3,class A4,class A5,class A6,class A7,class A8>
-        thread(F f,A1 a1,A2 a2,A3 a3,A4 a4,A5 a5,A6 a6,A7 a7,A8 a8):
+        thread(F f,A1 a1,A2 a2,A3 a3,A4 a4,A5 a5,A6 a6,A7 a7,A8 a8, unsigned int stack_size = 0):
             thread_info(make_thread_info(boost::bind(boost::type<void>(),f,a1,a2,a3,a4,a5,a6,a7,a8)))
         {
-            start_thread();
+            start_thread(stack_size);
         }
 
         template <class F,class A1,class A2,class A3,class A4,class A5,class A6,class A7,class A8,class A9>
-        thread(F f,A1 a1,A2 a2,A3 a3,A4 a4,A5 a5,A6 a6,A7 a7,A8 a8,A9 a9):
+        thread(F f,A1 a1,A2 a2,A3 a3,A4 a4,A5 a5,A6 a6,A7 a7,A8 a8,A9 a9, unsigned int stack_size = 0):
             thread_info(make_thread_info(boost::bind(boost::type<void>(),f,a1,a2,a3,a4,a5,a6,a7,a8,a9)))
         {
-            start_thread();
+            start_thread(stack_size);
         }
 
         void swap(thread& x)
diff --git a/libs/thread/src/pthread/thread.cpp b/libs/thread/src/pthread/thread.cpp
index ecff395..cab8463 100644
--- a/libs/thread/src/pthread/thread.cpp
+++ b/libs/thread/src/pthread/thread.cpp
@@ -180,10 +180,24 @@ namespace boost
     thread::thread()
     {}
 
-    void thread::start_thread()
+    void thread::start_thread(unsigned int stack_size)
     {
         thread_info->self=thread_info;
-        int const res = pthread_create(&thread_info->thread_handle, 0, &thread_proxy, thread_info.get());
+        pthread_attr_t attr;
+        int res = pthread_attr_init(&attr);
+        if (res != 0) {
+            throw thread_resource_error();
+        }
+        if (stack_size > 0) {
+            res = pthread_attr_setstacksize(&attr, stack_size);
+            if (res != 0) {
+                pthread_attr_destroy(&attr);
+                throw thread_resource_error();
+            }
+        }
+
+        res = pthread_create(&thread_info->thread_handle, &attr, &thread_proxy, thread_info.get());
+        pthread_attr_destroy(&attr);
         if (res != 0)
         {
             thread_info->self.reset();