diff --git a/core/include/thread.h b/core/include/thread.h
index df4c73060..268367fbb 100644
--- a/core/include/thread.h
+++ b/core/include/thread.h
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
  *
  * @return  returns <0 on error, pid of newly created task else.
 */
-int thread_create(tcb *cb, char *stack, int stacksize, char priority, int flags, void (*function) (void), const char* name);
+int thread_create(char *stack, int stacksize, char priority, int flags, void (*function) (void), const char* name);
 
 /**
  * @brief   returns the status of a process.
diff --git a/core/kernel_init.c b/core/kernel_init.c
index d2d462218..a52597c11 100644
--- a/core/kernel_init.c
+++ b/core/kernel_init.c
@@ -57,10 +57,7 @@ static void idle_thread(void) {
 const char *main_name = "main";
 const char *idle_name = "idle";
 
-static tcb main_tcb;
 static char main_stack[KERNEL_CONF_STACKSIZE_MAIN];
-
-static tcb idle_tcb;
 static char idle_stack[KERNEL_CONF_STACKSIZE_IDLE];
 
 #ifdef MODULE_AUTO_INIT
@@ -76,11 +73,11 @@ void kernel_init(void)
     
     sched_init();
 
-    if (thread_create(&idle_tcb, idle_stack, sizeof(idle_stack), PRIORITY_IDLE, CREATE_WOUT_YIELD | CREATE_STACKTEST, idle_thread, idle_name) < 0) {
+    if (thread_create(idle_stack, sizeof(idle_stack), PRIORITY_IDLE, CREATE_WOUT_YIELD | CREATE_STACKTEST, idle_thread, idle_name) < 0) {
         printf("kernel_init(): error creating idle task.\n");
     }
 
-    if (thread_create(&main_tcb, main_stack, sizeof(main_stack), PRIORITY_MAIN, CREATE_WOUT_YIELD | CREATE_STACKTEST, MAIN_FUNC, main_name) < 0) {
+    if (thread_create(main_stack, sizeof(main_stack), PRIORITY_MAIN, CREATE_WOUT_YIELD | CREATE_STACKTEST, MAIN_FUNC, main_name) < 0) {
         printf("kernel_init(): error creating main task.\n");
     }
 
diff --git a/core/thread.c b/core/thread.c
index 8afbcb844..903435159 100644
--- a/core/thread.c
+++ b/core/thread.c
@@ -80,13 +80,12 @@ int thread_measure_stack_usage(char* stack) {
     return space;
 }
 
-int thread_create(tcb *cb, char *stack, int stacksize, char priority, int flags, void (*function) (void), const char* name)
+int thread_create(char *stack, int stacksize, char priority, int flags, void (*function) (void), const char* name)
 {
-    /* stacksize must be a multitude of 4 for alignment and stacktest */
-//  assert( ((stacksize & 0x03) == 0) && (stacksize > 0) );
-
-    // TODO: shall we autoalign the stack?
-    // stacksize += 4-(~(stacksize & 0x0003));
+    /* allocate our thread control block at the top of our stackspace */
+    int total_stacksize = stacksize;
+    stacksize -= sizeof(tcb);
+    tcb *cb = (tcb*) (stack + stacksize);
 
     if (priority >= SCHED_PRIO_LEVELS) {
         return -EINVAL;
@@ -130,7 +129,7 @@ int thread_create(tcb *cb, char *stack, int stacksize, char priority, int flags,
 
     cb->sp = thread_stack_init(function,stack+stacksize);
     cb->stack_start = stack;
-    cb->stack_size = stacksize;
+    cb->stack_size = total_stacksize;
 
     cb->priority = priority;
     cb->status = 0;
diff --git a/drivers/cc110x/cc1100_phy.c b/drivers/cc110x/cc1100_phy.c
index 925260fbb..4723bfa17 100644
--- a/drivers/cc110x/cc1100_phy.c
+++ b/drivers/cc110x/cc1100_phy.c
@@ -102,7 +102,6 @@ static uint64_t cc1100_watch_dog_period = 0;
 static uint16_t cc1100_event_handler_pid;
 static void cc1100_event_handler_function(void);
 
-static tcb event_handler_tcb;
 static char event_handler_stack[KERNEL_CONF_STACKSIZE_MAIN];
 
 /*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
@@ -194,7 +193,7 @@ void cc1100_phy_init()
 	mutex_init(&cc1100_mutex);
 
 	// Allocate event numbers and start cc1100 event process
-	cc1100_event_handler_pid = thread_create(&event_handler_tcb, event_handler_stack, sizeof(event_handler_stack), PRIORITY_CC1100, CREATE_STACKTEST,
+	cc1100_event_handler_pid = thread_create(event_handler_stack, sizeof(event_handler_stack), PRIORITY_CC1100, CREATE_STACKTEST,
 			cc1100_event_handler_function, cc1100_event_handler_name);
 
 	// Active watchdog for the first time
diff --git a/projects/pingpong/main.c b/projects/pingpong/main.c
index 62b720a55..2c9f21457 100644
--- a/projects/pingpong/main.c
+++ b/projects/pingpong/main.c
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ void second_thread(void) {
     }
 }
 
-tcb second_thread_tcb;
 char second_thread_stack[KERNEL_CONF_STACKSIZE_MAIN];
 
 int main(void)
@@ -24,7 +23,7 @@ int main(void)
 
     msg m;
 
-    int pid = thread_create(&second_thread_tcb, second_thread_stack, sizeof(second_thread_stack), PRIORITY_MAIN-1, CREATE_WOUT_YIELD | CREATE_STACKTEST, second_thread, "pong");
+    int pid = thread_create(second_thread_stack, sizeof(second_thread_stack), PRIORITY_MAIN-1, CREATE_WOUT_YIELD | CREATE_STACKTEST, second_thread, "pong");
     
     m.content.value = 1;
 
diff --git a/projects/pingpong_sync/main.c b/projects/pingpong_sync/main.c
index d0468ffea..8e1fd4d7d 100644
--- a/projects/pingpong_sync/main.c
+++ b/projects/pingpong_sync/main.c
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ void second_thread(void) {
     }
 }
 
-tcb second_thread_tcb;
 char second_thread_stack[8192];
 
 int main(void)
@@ -24,7 +23,7 @@ int main(void)
 
     msg m;
 
-    int pid = thread_create(&second_thread_tcb, second_thread_stack, sizeof(second_thread_stack), PRIORITY_MAIN-1, CREATE_WOUT_YIELD | CREATE_STACKTEST, second_thread, "pong");
+    int pid = thread_create(second_thread_stack, sizeof(second_thread_stack), PRIORITY_MAIN-1, CREATE_WOUT_YIELD | CREATE_STACKTEST, second_thread, "pong");
     
     m.content.value = 1;
 
diff --git a/projects/test_sleep/main.c b/projects/test_sleep/main.c
index 4568b274d..59e9e0013 100644
--- a/projects/test_sleep/main.c
+++ b/projects/test_sleep/main.c
@@ -19,14 +19,13 @@ void second_thread(void) {
     }
 }
 
-tcb second_thread_tcb;
 char second_thread_stack[KERNEL_CONF_STACKSIZE_DEFAULT*2];
 
 int main(void)
 {
     hwtimer_init();
 
-    int pid = thread_create(&second_thread_tcb, second_thread_stack, sizeof(second_thread_stack), PRIORITY_MAIN-1, CREATE_STACKTEST | CREATE_SLEEPING | CREATE_WOUT_YIELD, second_thread, "sleeper");
+    int pid = thread_create(second_thread_stack, sizeof(second_thread_stack), PRIORITY_MAIN-1, CREATE_STACKTEST | CREATE_SLEEPING | CREATE_WOUT_YIELD, second_thread, "sleeper");
 
     if (pid < 0) {
         puts("Error creating second_thread! Stopping test.");
diff --git a/projects/test_suite/mutex_trylock_fail.c b/projects/test_suite/mutex_trylock_fail.c
index 5acb9a05b..079d0d960 100644
--- a/projects/test_suite/mutex_trylock_fail.c
+++ b/projects/test_suite/mutex_trylock_fail.c
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ static void second_thread(void) {
     puts(" 2nd: done.");
 }
 
-static tcb second_tcb;
 static char second_stack[KERNEL_CONF_STACKSIZE_MAIN];
 
 void mutex_trylock_fail(char* cmdline)
@@ -22,7 +21,7 @@ void mutex_trylock_fail(char* cmdline)
     mutex_lock(&mutex);
 
     puts("main: creating thread...");
-    thread_create(&second_tcb, second_stack, KERNEL_CONF_STACKSIZE_MAIN, PRIORITY_MAIN-1, CREATE_STACKTEST, second_thread, "nr2");
+    thread_create(second_stack, KERNEL_CONF_STACKSIZE_MAIN, PRIORITY_MAIN-1, CREATE_STACKTEST, second_thread, "nr2");
     
     puts("main: thread created. Unlocking mutex...");
     mutex_unlock(&mutex, true);
diff --git a/projects/test_suite/thread_sleep.c b/projects/test_suite/thread_sleep.c
index 7790a32e0..c88c01550 100644
--- a/projects/test_suite/thread_sleep.c
+++ b/projects/test_suite/thread_sleep.c
@@ -18,11 +18,10 @@ static void second_thread(void) {
 }
 
 static char second_thread_stack[KERNEL_CONF_STACKSIZE_DEFAULT*2];
-static tcb second_thread_tcb;
 
 void test_thread_sleep(char* line)
 {
-    int pid = thread_create(&second_thread_tcb, second_thread_stack, sizeof(second_thread_stack), PRIORITY_MAIN-1, CREATE_STACKTEST | CREATE_SLEEPING | CREATE_WOUT_YIELD, second_thread, "sleeper");
+    int pid = thread_create(second_thread_stack, sizeof(second_thread_stack), PRIORITY_MAIN-1, CREATE_STACKTEST | CREATE_SLEEPING | CREATE_WOUT_YIELD, second_thread, "sleeper");
 
     if (pid < 0) {
         puts("Error creating second_thread! Stopping test.");
diff --git a/projects/test_thread_exit/main.c b/projects/test_thread_exit/main.c
index 4646c2679..363d437a2 100644
--- a/projects/test_thread_exit/main.c
+++ b/projects/test_thread_exit/main.c
@@ -9,11 +9,10 @@ void second_thread(void) {
     puts("2nd: running...");
 }
 
-tcb second_thread_tcb;
 char second_thread_stack[8192];
 
 int main(void)
 {
-    int pid = thread_create(&second_thread_tcb, second_thread_stack, sizeof(second_thread_stack), PRIORITY_MAIN-1, CREATE_WOUT_YIELD | CREATE_STACKTEST, second_thread, "nr2");
+    int pid = thread_create(second_thread_stack, sizeof(second_thread_stack), PRIORITY_MAIN-1, CREATE_WOUT_YIELD | CREATE_STACKTEST, second_thread, "nr2");
     puts("Main thread exiting...");
 }
diff --git a/sys/uart0.c b/sys/uart0.c
index 736048551..b4c561822 100644
--- a/sys/uart0.c
+++ b/sys/uart0.c
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ int uart0_handler_pid;
 
 static char buffer[UART0_BUFSIZE];
 
-static tcb uart0_thread_tcb;
 static char uart0_thread_stack[KERNEL_CONF_STACKSIZE_MAIN];
 
 static void uart0_loop() {
@@ -22,7 +21,7 @@ static void uart0_loop() {
 
 void board_uart0_init() {
     ringbuffer_init(&uart0_ringbuffer, buffer, UART0_BUFSIZE);
-    int pid = thread_create(&uart0_thread_tcb, uart0_thread_stack, sizeof(uart0_thread_stack), PRIORITY_MAIN-1, CREATE_STACKTEST, uart0_loop, "uart0");
+    int pid = thread_create(uart0_thread_stack, sizeof(uart0_thread_stack), PRIORITY_MAIN-1, CREATE_STACKTEST, uart0_loop, "uart0");
     uart0_handler_pid = pid;
     puts("uart0_init() [OK]");
 }