diff --git a/vm/factor.cpp b/vm/factor.cpp
index 77ad60bd47..a241ccf86b 100755
--- a/vm/factor.cpp
+++ b/vm/factor.cpp
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ void factorvm::factor_sleep(long us)
 
 void factorvm::start_standalone_factor(int argc, vm_char **argv)
 {
-	register_vm(GetCurrentThreadId(),this);
+	register_vm(thread_id(),this);
 	vm_parameters p;
 	default_parameters(&p);
 	init_parameters_from_args(&p,argc,argv);
@@ -247,8 +247,7 @@ VM_C_API void *start_standalone_factor_in_new_thread(int argc, vm_char **argv)
 {
 	startargs *args = new startargs;   // leaks startargs structure
 	args->argc = argc; args->argv = argv;
-	void *handle = start_thread(start_standalone_factor_thread,args);
-	return handle;
+	return start_thread(start_standalone_factor_thread,args);
 }
 
 }
diff --git a/vm/mach_signal.cpp b/vm/mach_signal.cpp
index ca3b7aa161..c1d263527d 100644
--- a/vm/mach_signal.cpp
+++ b/vm/mach_signal.cpp
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ void mach_initialize ()
 	mask = EXC_MASK_BAD_ACCESS | EXC_MASK_ARITHMETIC;
 
 	/* Create the thread listening on the exception port.  */
-	start_thread(mach_exception_thread);
+	start_thread(mach_exception_thread,NULL);
 
 	/* Replace the exception port info for these exceptions with our own.
 	Note that we replace the exception port for the entire task, not only
diff --git a/vm/os-unix.cpp b/vm/os-unix.cpp
index 97e1e0c04d..4de5ede704 100644
--- a/vm/os-unix.cpp
+++ b/vm/os-unix.cpp
@@ -3,18 +3,18 @@
 namespace factor
 {
 
-void start_thread(void *(*start_routine)(void *))
+void *start_thread(void *(*start_routine)(void *),void *args)
 {
 	pthread_attr_t attr;
 	pthread_t thread;
-
 	if (pthread_attr_init (&attr) != 0)
 		vm->fatal_error("pthread_attr_init() failed",0);
 	if (pthread_attr_setdetachstate (&attr, PTHREAD_CREATE_DETACHED) != 0)
 		vm->fatal_error("pthread_attr_setdetachstate() failed",0);
-	if (pthread_create (&thread, &attr, start_routine, NULL) != 0)
+	if (pthread_create (&thread, &attr, start_routine, args) != 0)
 		vm->fatal_error("pthread_create() failed",0);
 	pthread_attr_destroy (&attr);
+	return (void*)thread;
 }
 
 static void *null_dll;
@@ -55,13 +55,24 @@ void ffi_dlclose(dll *dll)
 	dll->dll = NULL;
 }
 
-PRIMITIVE(existsp)
+
+long factorvm::thread_id(){
+	return 0;  // TODO fix me
+}
+
+
+inline void factorvm::vmprim_existsp()
 {
 	struct stat sb;
 	char *path = (char *)(vm->untag_check<byte_array>(dpop()) + 1);
 	box_boolean(stat(path,&sb) >= 0);
 }
 
+PRIMITIVE(existsp)
+{
+	PRIMITIVE_GETVM()->vmprim_existsp();
+}
+
 segment *alloc_segment(cell size)
 {
 	int pagesize = getpagesize();
@@ -320,7 +331,7 @@ void open_console()
 	stdin_read = filedes[0];
 	stdin_write = filedes[1];
 
-	start_thread(stdin_loop);
+	start_thread(stdin_loop,NULL);
 }
 
 VM_C_API void wait_for_stdin()
diff --git a/vm/os-unix.hpp b/vm/os-unix.hpp
index b7e528a421..60beb88233 100644
--- a/vm/os-unix.hpp
+++ b/vm/os-unix.hpp
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ typedef char symbol_char;
 
 #define print_native_string(string) print_string(string)
 
-void start_thread(void *(*start_routine)(void *));
+void *start_thread(void *(*start_routine)(void *),void *args);
 
 void init_ffi();
 void ffi_dlopen(dll *dll);
diff --git a/vm/os-windows-nt.cpp b/vm/os-windows-nt.cpp
index c36c2f3f7e..6085d65670 100755
--- a/vm/os-windows-nt.cpp
+++ b/vm/os-windows-nt.cpp
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ void *start_thread(void *(*start_routine)(void *),void *args){
     return CreateThread(NULL, 0, (LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE)start_routine, args, 0, 0); 
 }
 
+long factorvm::thread_id(){
+	return GetCurrentThreadId();
+}
+
 
 s64 factorvm::current_micros()
 {
diff --git a/vm/vm.hpp b/vm/vm.hpp
index b3e40640b7..384c98186a 100644
--- a/vm/vm.hpp
+++ b/vm/vm.hpp
@@ -669,6 +669,12 @@ struct factorvm {
 	void print_fixnum(fixnum x);
 	cell read_cell_hex();
 
+	
+
+
+	// os-*
+	inline void vmprim_existsp();
+	long thread_id();
 
 	// os-windows
   #if defined(WINDOWS)
@@ -681,17 +687,17 @@ struct factorvm {
 	void dealloc_segment(segment *block);
 	segment *alloc_segment(cell size);
 	const vm_char *vm_executable_path();
-	inline void vmprim_existsp();
 	const vm_char *default_image_path();
 	void windows_image_path(vm_char *full_path, vm_char *temp_path, unsigned int length);
 	bool windows_stat(vm_char *path);
-
+	
    #if defined(WINNT)
 	s64 current_micros();
 	void c_to_factor_toplevel(cell quot);
 	void open_console();
- 	// next method here:
+ 	// next method here:	
    #endif
+
   #endif
 
 };