diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 88384461..773ff35f 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 
 ## 1.17.0 - Unreleased
+- Add support for threaded abstract types. Threaded abstract types can easily be shared between threads.
 - Deprecate the `thread` library. Use threaded channels and ev instead.
 - Channels can now be marshalled.
 - Add the ability to close channels with `ev/chan-close` (or `:close`).
diff --git a/src/core/abstract.c b/src/core/abstract.c
index df829ead..e5857daf 100644
--- a/src/core/abstract.c
+++ b/src/core/abstract.c
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ void *janet_abstract_threaded(const JanetAbstractType *atype, size_t size) {
     return janet_abstract_end_threaded(janet_abstract_begin_threaded(atype, size));
 }
 
-/* Refcounting primitives */
+/* Refcounting primitives and sync primitives */
 
 #ifdef JANET_WINDOWS
 
@@ -93,6 +93,22 @@ static int32_t janet_decref(JanetAbstractHead *ab) {
     return InterlockedDecrement(&ab->gc.refcount);
 }
 
+void janet_os_mutex_init(JanetOSMutex *mutex) {
+    InitializeCriticalSection(mutex);
+}
+
+void janet_os_mutex_deinit(JanetOSMutex *mutex) {
+    DeleteCriticalSection(mutex);
+}
+
+void janet_os_mutex_lock(JanetOSMutex *mutex) {
+    EnterCriticalSection(mutex);
+}
+
+void janet_os_mutex_unlock(JanetOSMutex *mutex) {
+    LeaveCriticalSection(mutex);
+}
+
 #else
 
 static int32_t janet_incref(JanetAbstractHead *ab) {
@@ -103,6 +119,22 @@ static int32_t janet_decref(JanetAbstractHead *ab) {
     return __atomic_add_fetch(&ab->gc.refcount, -1, __ATOMIC_RELAXED);
 }
 
+void janet_os_mutex_init(JanetOSMutex *mutex) {
+    pthread_mutex_init(mutex, NULL);
+}
+
+void janet_os_mutex_deinit(JanetOSMutex *mutex) {
+    pthread_mutex_destroy(mutex);
+}
+
+void janet_os_mutex_lock(JanetOSMutex *mutex) {
+    pthread_mutex_lock(mutex);
+}
+
+void janet_os_mutex_unlock(JanetOSMutex *mutex) {
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(mutex);
+}
+
 #endif
 
 int32_t janet_abstract_incref(void *abst) {
diff --git a/src/core/ev.c b/src/core/ev.c
index 25fb221e..0ca0f647 100644
--- a/src/core/ev.c
+++ b/src/core/ev.c
@@ -65,11 +65,7 @@ typedef struct {
     int32_t limit;
     int closed;
     int is_threaded;
-#ifdef JANET_WINDOWS
-    CRITICAL_SECTION lock;
-#else
-    pthread_mutex_t lock;
-#endif
+    JanetOSMutex lock;
 } JanetChannel;
 
 typedef struct {
@@ -627,11 +623,7 @@ static void janet_chan_init(JanetChannel *chan, int32_t limit, int threaded) {
     janet_q_init(&chan->items);
     janet_q_init(&chan->read_pending);
     janet_q_init(&chan->write_pending);
-#ifdef JANET_WINDOWS
-    InitializeCriticalSection(&chan->lock);
-#else
-    pthread_mutex_init(&chan->lock, NULL);
-#endif
+    janet_os_mutex_init(&chan->lock);
 }
 
 static void janet_chan_deinit(JanetChannel *chan) {
@@ -644,29 +636,17 @@ static void janet_chan_deinit(JanetChannel *chan) {
         }
     }
     janet_q_deinit(&chan->items);
-#ifdef JANET_WINDOWS
-    DeleteCriticalSection(&chan->lock);
-#else
-    pthread_mutex_destroy(&chan->lock);
-#endif
+    janet_os_mutex_deinit(&chan->lock);
 }
 
 static void janet_chan_lock(JanetChannel *chan) {
     if (!janet_chan_is_threaded(chan)) return;
-#ifdef JANET_WINDOWS
-    EnterCriticalSection(&chan->lock);
-#else
-    pthread_mutex_lock(&chan->lock);
-#endif
+    janet_os_mutex_lock(&chan->lock);
 }
 
 static void janet_chan_unlock(JanetChannel *chan) {
     if (!janet_chan_is_threaded(chan)) return;
-#ifdef JANET_WINDOWS
-    LeaveCriticalSection(&chan->lock);
-#else
-    pthread_mutex_unlock(&chan->lock);
-#endif
+    janet_os_mutex_unlock(&chan->lock);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/src/include/janet.h b/src/include/janet.h
index 4027b672..efce9ede 100644
--- a/src/include/janet.h
+++ b/src/include/janet.h
@@ -317,6 +317,17 @@ typedef struct {
 #include <stddef.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 
+/* Some extra includes if EV is enabled */
+#ifdef JANET_EV
+#ifdef JANET_WINDOWS
+#include <synchapi.h>
+typedef CRTICAL_SECTION JanetOSMutex;
+#else
+#include <pthread.h>
+typedef pthread_mutex_t JanetOSMutex;
+#endif
+#endif
+
 #ifdef JANET_BSD
 int _setjmp(jmp_buf);
 JANET_NO_RETURN void _longjmp(jmp_buf, int);
@@ -1354,6 +1365,12 @@ JANET_API void *janet_abstract_threaded(const JanetAbstractType *atype, size_t s
 JANET_API int32_t janet_abstract_incref(void *abst);
 JANET_API int32_t janet_abstract_decref(void *abst);
 
+/* Expose some OS sync primitives to make portable abstract types easier to implement */
+JANET_API void janet_os_mutex_init(JanetOSMutex *mutex);
+JANET_API void janet_os_mutex_deinit(JanetOSMutex *mutex);
+JANET_API void janet_os_mutex_lock(JanetOSMutex *mutex);
+JANET_API void janet_os_mutex_unlock(JanetOSMutex *mutex);
+
 /* Get last error from an IO operation */
 JANET_API Janet janet_ev_lasterr(void);