diff --git a/headers/private/shared/locks.h b/headers/private/shared/locks.h
index 08ab06bea5..20afa28526 100644
--- a/headers/private/shared/locks.h
+++ b/headers/private/shared/locks.h
@@ -40,6 +40,20 @@ status_t	rw_lock_read_unlock(rw_lock *lock);
 status_t	rw_lock_write_lock(rw_lock *lock);
 status_t	rw_lock_write_unlock(rw_lock *lock);
 
+
+typedef struct recursive_lock {
+	mutex		lock;
+	thread_id	holder;
+	int			recursion;
+} recursive_lock;
+
+extern status_t	recursive_lock_init(recursive_lock *lock, const char *name);
+extern void recursive_lock_destroy(recursive_lock *lock);
+extern status_t recursive_lock_lock(recursive_lock *lock);
+extern status_t recursive_lock_trylock(recursive_lock *lock);
+extern void recursive_lock_unlock(recursive_lock *lock);
+extern int32 recursive_lock_get_recursion(recursive_lock *lock);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 } // extern "C"
 
diff --git a/src/system/libroot/os/locks.cpp b/src/system/libroot/os/locks.cpp
index c6f4c4b6ad..1972c9c88b 100644
--- a/src/system/libroot/os/locks.cpp
+++ b/src/system/libroot/os/locks.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,15 @@
  * Copyright 2009, Michael Lotz, mmlr@mlotz.ch.
  * Distributed under the terms of the MIT License.
  */
+/*
+ * Copyright 2008-2009, Ingo Weinhold, ingo_weinhold@gmx.de.
+ * Copyright 2002-2009, Axel Dörfler, axeld@pinc-software.de. All rights reserved.
+ * Distributed under the terms of the MIT License.
+ *
+ * Copyright 2001-2002, Travis Geiselbrecht. All rights reserved.
+ * Distributed under the terms of the NewOS License.
+ */
+
 
 #include <locks.h>
 #include <syscalls.h>
@@ -10,6 +19,9 @@
 #include <OS.h>
 
 
+// #pragma mark - mutex
+
+
 status_t
 mutex_init(mutex *lock, const char *name)
 {
@@ -55,6 +67,9 @@ mutex_unlock(mutex *lock)
 }
 
 
+// #pragma mark - R/W lock
+
+
 typedef struct rw_lock_waiter {
 	rw_lock_waiter *	next;
 	thread_id			thread;
@@ -248,3 +263,65 @@ rw_lock_write_unlock(rw_lock *lock)
 	rw_lock_unblock(lock);
 	return B_OK;
 }
+
+
+// #pragma mark - recursive lock
+
+
+int32
+recursive_lock_get_recursion(recursive_lock *lock)
+{
+	if (lock->holder == find_thread(NULL))
+		return lock->recursion;
+
+	return -1;
+}
+
+
+status_t
+recursive_lock_init(recursive_lock *lock, const char *name)
+{
+	lock->holder = -1;
+	lock->recursion = 0;
+	return mutex_init(&lock->lock, name != NULL ? name : "recursive lock");
+}
+
+
+void
+recursive_lock_destroy(recursive_lock *lock)
+{
+	if (lock == NULL)
+		return;
+
+	mutex_destroy(&lock->lock);
+}
+
+
+status_t
+recursive_lock_lock(recursive_lock *lock)
+{
+	thread_id thread = find_thread(NULL);
+
+	if (thread != lock->holder) {
+		mutex_lock(&lock->lock);
+		lock->holder = thread;
+	}
+
+	lock->recursion++;
+	return B_OK;
+}
+
+
+void
+recursive_lock_unlock(recursive_lock *lock)
+{
+	if (find_thread(NULL) != lock->holder) {
+		debugger("recursive_lock unlocked by non-holder thread!\n");
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (--lock->recursion == 0) {
+		lock->holder = -1;
+		mutex_unlock(&lock->lock);
+	}
+}