diff --git a/include/kernel.h b/include/kernel.h
index 97cf712c9b8..0e4b7b5e6c3 100644
--- a/include/kernel.h
+++ b/include/kernel.h
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@ struct _k_object {
 } __packed;
 
 #define K_OBJ_FLAG_INITIALIZED	BIT(0)
+#define K_OBJ_FLAG_PUBLIC	BIT(1)
 
 /**
  * Lookup a kernel object and init its metadata if it exists
@@ -253,6 +254,9 @@ __syscall void k_object_access_revoke(void *object, struct k_thread *thread);
  * as it is possible for such code to derive the addresses of kernel objects
  * and perform unwanted operations on them.
  *
+ * It is not possible to revoke permissions on public objects; once public,
+ * any thread may use it.
+ *
  * @param object Address of kernel object
  */
 __syscall void k_object_access_all_grant(void *object);
diff --git a/kernel/include/kernel_structs.h b/kernel/include/kernel_structs.h
index c27e6294898..25c5cae2b4a 100644
--- a/kernel/include/kernel_structs.h
+++ b/kernel/include/kernel_structs.h
@@ -118,6 +118,11 @@ struct _kernel {
 	struct k_thread *threads; /* singly linked list of ALL fiber+tasks */
 #endif
 
+#if defined(CONFIG_USERSPACE)
+	/* 0 bits for ids currently in use, 1 for free ids */
+	u8_t free_thread_ids[CONFIG_MAX_THREAD_BYTES];
+#endif
+
 	/* arch-specific part of _kernel */
 	struct _kernel_arch arch;
 };
diff --git a/kernel/include/syscall_handler.h b/kernel/include/syscall_handler.h
index 831b9c59ae8..236d4aa6f56 100644
--- a/kernel/include/syscall_handler.h
+++ b/kernel/include/syscall_handler.h
@@ -98,12 +98,12 @@ extern void _thread_perms_set(struct _k_object *ko, struct k_thread *thread);
  */
 extern void _thread_perms_clear(struct _k_object *ko, struct k_thread *thread);
 
-/**
- * Grant all current and future threads access to a kernel object
+/*
+ * Revoke access to all objects for the provided thread
  *
- * @param ko Kernel object metadata to update
+ * @param thread Thread object to revoke access
  */
-extern void _thread_perms_all_set(struct _k_object *ko);
+extern void _thread_perms_all_clear(struct k_thread *thread);
 
 /**
  * Clear initialization state of a kernel object
diff --git a/kernel/init.c b/kernel/init.c
index b0d711fb477..6cfb2acca14 100644
--- a/kernel/init.c
+++ b/kernel/init.c
@@ -274,6 +274,10 @@ static void prepare_multithreading(struct k_thread *dummy_thread)
 
 	/* _kernel.ready_q is all zeroes */
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_USERSPACE
+	/* Mark all potential IDs as available */
+	memset(_kernel.free_thread_ids, 0xFF, CONFIG_MAX_THREAD_BYTES);
+#endif
 
 	/*
 	 * The interrupt library needs to be initialized early since a series
diff --git a/kernel/thread.c b/kernel/thread.c
index b0aed233ea0..34eeb02b570 100644
--- a/kernel/thread.c
+++ b/kernel/thread.c
@@ -29,17 +29,60 @@ extern struct _static_thread_data _static_thread_data_list_start[];
 extern struct _static_thread_data _static_thread_data_list_end[];
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_USERSPACE
-/* Each thread gets assigned an index into a permission bitfield */
-static atomic_t thread_index;
+static int thread_count;
 
-static unsigned int thread_index_get(void)
+/*
+ * Fetch an unused thread ID. Returns -1 if all thread IDs are in use
+ */
+static int get_next_thread_index(void)
 {
-	unsigned int retval;
+	int key, pos = -1;
 
-	retval = (int)atomic_inc(&thread_index);
-	__ASSERT(retval < 8 * CONFIG_MAX_THREAD_BYTES,
-		 "too many threads created, increase CONFIG_MAX_THREAD_BYTES");
-	return retval;
+	key = irq_lock();
+
+	if (thread_count == CONFIG_MAX_THREAD_BYTES * 8) {
+		/* We have run out of thread IDs! */
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	/* find an unused bit in the kernel's bitfield of in-use thread IDs */
+	for (int i = 0; i < CONFIG_MAX_THREAD_BYTES; i++) {
+		int fs;
+
+		fs = find_lsb_set(_kernel.free_thread_ids[i]);
+		if (fs) {
+			/* find_lsb_set counts bit positions starting at 1 */
+			--fs;
+			_kernel.free_thread_ids[i] &= ~(1 << fs);
+			pos = fs + (i * 8);
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+
+	thread_count++;
+out:
+	irq_unlock(key);
+
+	return pos;
+}
+
+static void free_thread_index(int id)
+{
+	int index, key;
+	u8_t bit;
+
+	if (id == -1) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	key = irq_lock();
+
+	thread_count--;
+	index = id / 8;
+	bit = 1 << (id % 8);
+	_kernel.free_thread_ids[index] |= bit;
+
+	irq_unlock(key);
 }
 #endif
 
@@ -281,7 +324,7 @@ void _setup_new_thread(struct k_thread *new_thread,
 	_new_thread(new_thread, stack, stack_size, entry, p1, p2, p3,
 		    prio, options);
 #ifdef CONFIG_USERSPACE
-	new_thread->base.perm_index = thread_index_get();
+	new_thread->base.perm_index = get_next_thread_index();
 	_k_object_init(new_thread);
 
 	/* Any given thread has access to itself */
@@ -458,6 +501,13 @@ void _k_thread_single_abort(struct k_thread *thread)
 	 * and triggers errors if API calls are made on it from user threads
 	 */
 	_k_object_uninit(thread);
+
+	if (thread->base.perm_index != -1) {
+		free_thread_index(thread->base.perm_index);
+
+		/* Revoke permissions on thread's ID so that it may be recycled */
+		_thread_perms_all_clear(thread);
+	}
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/kernel/userspace.c b/kernel/userspace.c
index 5f039903db7..68c0eaad8c3 100644
--- a/kernel/userspace.c
+++ b/kernel/userspace.c
@@ -138,8 +138,27 @@ void _thread_perms_clear(struct _k_object *ko, struct k_thread *thread)
 	}
 }
 
+static void clear_perms_cb(struct _k_object *ko, void *ctx_ptr)
+{
+	int id = (int)ctx_ptr;
+
+	sys_bitfield_clear_bit((mem_addr_t)&ko->perms, id);
+}
+
+void _thread_perms_all_clear(struct k_thread *thread)
+{
+	if (thread->base.perm_index < 8 * CONFIG_MAX_THREAD_BYTES) {
+		_k_object_wordlist_foreach(clear_perms_cb,
+					   (void *)thread->base.perm_index);
+	}
+}
+
 static int thread_perms_test(struct _k_object *ko)
 {
+	if (ko->flags & K_OBJ_FLAG_PUBLIC) {
+		return 1;
+	}
+
 	if (_current->base.perm_index < 8 * CONFIG_MAX_THREAD_BYTES) {
 		return sys_bitfield_test_bit((mem_addr_t)&ko->perms,
 					     _current->base.perm_index);
@@ -147,11 +166,6 @@ static int thread_perms_test(struct _k_object *ko)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-void _thread_perms_all_set(struct _k_object *ko)
-{
-	memset(ko->perms, 0xFF, CONFIG_MAX_THREAD_BYTES);
-}
-
 static void dump_permission_error(struct _k_object *ko)
 {
 	printk("thread %p (%d) does not have permission on %s %p [",
@@ -202,7 +216,7 @@ void _impl_k_object_access_all_grant(void *object)
 	struct _k_object *ko = _k_object_find(object);
 
 	if (ko) {
-		_thread_perms_all_set(ko);
+		ko->flags |= K_OBJ_FLAG_PUBLIC;
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/kernel/userspace_handler.c b/kernel/userspace_handler.c
index e5346bd4848..77a47514c77 100644
--- a/kernel/userspace_handler.c
+++ b/kernel/userspace_handler.c
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ _SYSCALL_HANDLER(k_object_access_all_grant, object)
 
 	ko = validate_any_object((void *)object);
 	_SYSCALL_VERIFY_MSG(ko, "object %p access denied", (void *)object);
-	_thread_perms_all_set(ko);
+	ko->flags |= K_OBJ_FLAG_PUBLIC;
 
 	return 0;
 }