diff --git a/detect.cpp b/detect.cpp
index f5bdbbe..e9c78f0 100644
--- a/detect.cpp
+++ b/detect.cpp
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include "detect.h"
 
 #include "tools.h"
+#include "threading.h"
 
 using namespace ocv_ar;
 
@@ -229,12 +230,12 @@ void Detect::processFrame(bool enableMutex) {
     performThreshold();
     findContours();
     
-    if (enableMutex) lockMarkers();
+    if (enableMutex) Threading::mutexLock();
     
     findMarkerCandidates();
     identifyMarkers();
     
-    if (enableMutex) unlockMarkers();
+//    if (enableMutex) unlockMarkers();
 }
 
 void Detect::estimateMarkersPoses() {
@@ -267,15 +268,6 @@ cv::Mat *Detect::getOutputFrame() const {
 
 #pragma mark private methods
 
-void Detect::lockMarkers() {
-    while (markersLocked) {};
-    markersLocked = true;
-}
-
-void Detect::unlockMarkers() {
-    markersLocked = false;
-}
-
 void Detect::preprocess() {
     // downscale the image
     
diff --git a/detect.h b/detect.h
index a1d4f1b..1e3d4f3 100644
--- a/detect.h
+++ b/detect.h
@@ -59,9 +59,6 @@ class Detect {
      */
     ~Detect();
     
-    void lockMarkers();
-    void unlockMarkers();
-    
     /**
      * Prepare for input frames of size <frameW> x <frameH> with <frameChan>
      * color channels. Specify a conversion type <cvtType> for grayscale conversion of
@@ -201,8 +198,6 @@ class Detect {
     
     bool prepared;                  // detector is prepared (<prepare()> called)?
     
-    bool markersLocked;             // mutex variable to lock markers vector access
-    
     int inputFrameCvtType;          // color conversion type for input frames
     
     FrameProcLevel outFrameProcLvl; // frame output processing level
diff --git a/threading.cpp b/threading.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dd86a61
--- /dev/null
+++ b/threading.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+/**
+ * ocv_ar - OpenCV based Augmented Reality library
+ *
+ * Helper function class for threading -- implementation file.
+ *
+ * Author: Markus Konrad <konrad@htw-berlin.de>, July 2014.
+ * INKA Research Group, HTW Berlin - http://inka.htw-berlin.de/
+ *
+ * See LICENSE for license.
+ */
+
+#include "threading.h"
+
+using namespace ocv_ar;
+
+pthread_mutex_t Threading::mutex;
+
+void Threading::init() {
+    pthread_mutex_init (&mutex, NULL);
+}
+
+void Threading::mutexLock() {
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&mutex);
+}
+
+void Threading::mutexUnlock() {
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&mutex);
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/threading.h b/threading.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b5e3689
--- /dev/null
+++ b/threading.h
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+/**
+ * ocv_ar - OpenCV based Augmented Reality library
+ *
+ * Helper function class for threading -- header file.
+ *
+ * Author: Markus Konrad <konrad@htw-berlin.de>, July 2014.
+ * INKA Research Group, HTW Berlin - http://inka.htw-berlin.de/
+ *
+ * See LICENSE for license.
+ */
+
+#ifndef OCV_AR_THREADING_H
+#define OCV_AR_THREADING_H
+
+#include <pthread.h>
+
+namespace ocv_ar {
+
+class Threading {
+public:
+    static void init();
+    
+    static void mutexLock();
+    static void mutexUnlock();
+    
+private:
+    static pthread_mutex_t mutex;
+};
+
+}
+
+#endif
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/track.cpp b/track.cpp
index 80c5ffa..6d3b53b 100644
--- a/track.cpp
+++ b/track.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include "track.h"
 
 #include "tools.h"
+#include "threading.h"
 
 using namespace ocv_ar;
 
@@ -29,17 +30,14 @@ void Track::detect(const cv::Mat *frame) {
 //    lockMarkers();  // lock markers map
     
     // detect and identify the markers
-    detector->processFrame(true);
+    detector->processFrame(true);   // will call Threading::mutexLock at the correct spot
     
     // correct the vertices of the found markers
-    lockMarkers();
-    detector->lockMarkers();
     correctMarkerVertexOrder(detector->getMarkers());
     
     // estimate the markers' 3D poses
     detector->estimateMarkersPoses();
 
-    detector->unlockMarkers();
     unlockMarkers();
     
 //    unlockMarkers();  // lock markers map
@@ -47,12 +45,11 @@ void Track::detect(const cv::Mat *frame) {
 }
 
 void Track::lockMarkers() {
-    while (markersLocked) {};
-    markersLocked = true;
+    Threading::mutexLock();
 }
 
 void Track::unlockMarkers() {
-    markersLocked = false;
+    Threading::mutexUnlock();
 }
 
 void Track::update() {
diff --git a/track.h b/track.h
index ef376db..714bbb4 100644
--- a/track.h
+++ b/track.h
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ typedef std::pair<int, Marker> MarkerMapPair;
 class Track {
 public:
     Track(Detect *detectorPtr) : detector(detectorPtr),
-                                 markersLocked(false),
                                  detectionRunning(false)
     {};
     
@@ -58,7 +57,6 @@ class Track {
     
     
     MarkerMap markers;
-    bool markersLocked;
     
     bool detectionRunning;