diff --git a/include/boost/thread/thread.hpp b/include/boost/thread/thread.hpp
index 88e56cb1..7be8a475 100644
--- a/include/boost/thread/thread.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/thread/thread.hpp
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include <boost/utility.hpp>
 #include <boost/function.hpp>
 #include <boost/thread/mutex.hpp>
+#include <iostream>
 #include <list>
 #include <memory>
 
@@ -119,10 +120,14 @@ public:
 
     thread();
     explicit thread(const function0<void>& threadfunc, attributes attr=attributes());
+	thread(const thread& other);
     ~thread();
 
+	thread& operator=(const thread& other);
+
     bool operator==(const thread& other) const;
     bool operator!=(const thread& other) const;
+	bool operator<(const thread& other) const;
 
     void join();
     void cancel();
@@ -145,9 +150,31 @@ public:
 	class data;
 
 private:
+	template <typename charT, typename Traits>
+		friend std::basic_ostream<charT, Traits>& operator<<(std::basic_ostream<charT, Traits>&, const thread&);
+	
+#if defined(BOOST_HAS_WINTHREADS)
+	long id() const;
+#else
+	const void* id() const;
+#endif
+
 	data* m_handle;
 };
 
+template <typename charT, typename Traits>
+std::basic_ostream<charT, Traits>& operator<<(std::basic_ostream<charT, Traits>& os, const thread& thrd)
+{
+	if (!os.good()) return os;
+
+	typename std::basic_ostream<charT, Traits>::sentry opfx(os);
+
+	if (opfx)
+		os << thrd.id();
+
+	return os;
+}
+
 class BOOST_THREAD_DECL thread_group : private noncopyable
 {
 public:
diff --git a/src/thread.cpp b/src/thread.cpp
index 8c73ac73..fa9c6df7 100644
--- a/src/thread.cpp
+++ b/src/thread.cpp
@@ -13,9 +13,11 @@
 #include <boost/thread/xtime.hpp>
 #include <boost/thread/condition.hpp>
 #include <boost/thread/tss.hpp>
+#include <boost/type_traits/is_pointer.hpp>
 #include <new>
 #include <memory>
 #include <cassert>
+#include <functional>
 #include <errno.h>
 
 #if defined(BOOST_HAS_WINTHREADS)
@@ -52,6 +54,11 @@ public:
 	void cancel();
 	void test_cancel();
 	void run();
+#if defined(BOOST_HAS_WINTHREADS)
+	long id() const;
+#else
+	const void* id() const;
+#endif
 
 #if defined(BOOST_THREAD_PRIORITY_SCHEDULING)
 	void set_scheduling_parameter(int policy, const sched_param& param);
@@ -66,6 +73,7 @@ private:
 	int m_state;
 #if defined(BOOST_HAS_WINTHREADS)
     HANDLE m_thread;
+	DWORD m_id;
 #elif defined(BOOST_HAS_PTHREADS)
     pthread_t m_thread;
 #elif defined(BOOST_HAS_MPTASKS)
@@ -141,6 +149,7 @@ thread::data::data()
 #if defined(BOOST_HAS_WINTHREADS)
 	DuplicateHandle(GetCurrentProcess(), GetCurrentThread(), GetCurrentProcess(),
 		&m_thread, 0, FALSE, DUPLICATE_SAME_ACCESS);
+	m_id = GetCurrentThreadId();
 #elif defined(BOOST_HAS_PTHREADS)
 	m_thread = pthread_self();
 #endif
@@ -236,6 +245,7 @@ void thread::data::run()
 #if defined(BOOST_HAS_WINTHREADS)
 		DuplicateHandle(GetCurrentProcess(), GetCurrentThread(), GetCurrentProcess(),
 			&m_thread, 0, FALSE, DUPLICATE_SAME_ACCESS);
+		m_id = GetCurrentThreadId();
 #elif defined(BOOST_HAS_PTHREADS)
 		m_thread = pthread_self();
 #endif
@@ -245,6 +255,28 @@ void thread::data::run()
     m_threadfunc();
 }
 
+#if defined(BOOST_HAS_WINTHREADS)
+long thread::data::id() const
+{
+	boost::mutex::scoped_lock lock(m_mutex);
+	if (m_state != joined)
+		return m_id;
+	return 0; // throw instead?
+}
+#else
+const void* thread::data::id() const
+{
+	boost::mutex::scoped_lock lock(m_mutex);
+	if (m_state != joined)
+	{
+		if (boost::is_pointer<pthread_t>::value)
+			return m_thread;
+		return this;
+	}
+	return 0; // throw instead?
+}
+#endif
+
 #if defined(BOOST_THREAD_PRIORITY_SCHEDULING)
 
 void thread::data::set_scheduling_parameter(int policy, const sched_param& param)
@@ -547,12 +579,27 @@ thread::thread(const function0<void>& threadfunc, attributes attr)
 	m_handle = param.release();
 }
 
+thread::thread(const thread& other)
+	: m_handle(other.m_handle)
+{
+	m_handle->addref();
+}
+
 thread::~thread()
 {
 	if (m_handle && m_handle->release())
 		delete m_handle;
 }
 
+thread& thread::operator=(const thread& other)
+{
+	if (m_handle->release())
+		delete m_handle;
+	m_handle = other.m_handle;
+	m_handle->addref();
+	return *this;
+}
+
 bool thread::operator==(const thread& other) const
 {
 	return m_handle == other.m_handle;
@@ -563,6 +610,11 @@ bool thread::operator!=(const thread& other) const
     return !operator==(other);
 }
 
+bool thread::operator<(const thread& other) const
+{
+	return std::less<thread::data*>()(m_handle, m_handle);
+}
+
 void thread::join()
 {
 	m_handle->join();
@@ -683,6 +735,16 @@ void thread::yield()
 	thread::test_cancel();
 }
 
+#if defined(BOOST_HAS_WINTHREADS)
+long thread::id() const
+#else
+const void* thread::id() const
+#endif
+{
+	std::cout << *this;
+	return m_handle->id();
+}
+
 thread_group::thread_group()
 {
 }