diff --git a/panda/src/pipeline/thread.I b/panda/src/pipeline/thread.I
index f94be2d225..fd503c68e5 100644
--- a/panda/src/pipeline/thread.I
+++ b/panda/src/pipeline/thread.I
@@ -205,6 +205,26 @@ is_true_threads() {
   return ThreadImpl::is_true_threads();
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: Thread::is_simple_threads
+//       Access: Published, Static
+//  Description: Returns true if Panda is currently compiled for
+//               "simple threads", which is to say, cooperative
+//               context switching only, reducing the need for quite
+//               so many critical section protections.  This is not
+//               necessarily the opposite of "true threads", since one
+//               possible implementation of simple threads is via true
+//               threads with mutex protection to ensure only one runs
+//               at a time.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+INLINE bool Thread::
+is_simple_threads() {
+  if (!support_threads) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  return ThreadImpl::is_simple_threads();
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //     Function: Thread::sleep
 //       Access: Published, Static
diff --git a/panda/src/pipeline/thread.h b/panda/src/pipeline/thread.h
index 77f85bae9a..530912d05c 100644
--- a/panda/src/pipeline/thread.h
+++ b/panda/src/pipeline/thread.h
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ PUBLISHED:
   INLINE static int get_current_pipeline_stage();
   INLINE static bool is_threading_supported();
   INLINE static bool is_true_threads();
+  INLINE static bool is_simple_threads();
   BLOCKING INLINE static void sleep(double seconds);
 
   BLOCKING INLINE static void force_yield();
diff --git a/panda/src/pipeline/threadDummyImpl.I b/panda/src/pipeline/threadDummyImpl.I
index 4ae3cf50c3..9e19e9b0ba 100644
--- a/panda/src/pipeline/threadDummyImpl.I
+++ b/panda/src/pipeline/threadDummyImpl.I
@@ -112,6 +112,16 @@ is_true_threads() {
   return false;
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: ThreadDummyImpl::is_simple_threads
+//       Access: Public, Static
+//  Description: 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+INLINE bool ThreadDummyImpl::
+is_simple_threads() {
+  return false;
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //     Function: ThreadDummyImpl::sleep
 //       Access: Public, Static
diff --git a/panda/src/pipeline/threadDummyImpl.h b/panda/src/pipeline/threadDummyImpl.h
index 4b7b19c954..4084f2f181 100644
--- a/panda/src/pipeline/threadDummyImpl.h
+++ b/panda/src/pipeline/threadDummyImpl.h
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ public:
   INLINE static void bind_thread(Thread *thread);
   INLINE static bool is_threading_supported();
   INLINE static bool is_true_threads();
+  INLINE static bool is_simple_threads();
   INLINE static void sleep(double seconds);
   INLINE static void yield();
   INLINE static void consider_yield();
diff --git a/panda/src/pipeline/threadPosixImpl.I b/panda/src/pipeline/threadPosixImpl.I
index c82c22dd04..059f0ffbe0 100644
--- a/panda/src/pipeline/threadPosixImpl.I
+++ b/panda/src/pipeline/threadPosixImpl.I
@@ -95,6 +95,16 @@ is_true_threads() {
   return true;
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: ThreadPosixImpl::is_simple_threads
+//       Access: Public, Static
+//  Description: 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+INLINE bool ThreadPosixImpl::
+is_simple_threads() {
+  return false;
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //     Function: ThreadPosixImpl::sleep
 //       Access: Public, Static
diff --git a/panda/src/pipeline/threadPosixImpl.h b/panda/src/pipeline/threadPosixImpl.h
index 7fedf46406..e325dd6cd8 100644
--- a/panda/src/pipeline/threadPosixImpl.h
+++ b/panda/src/pipeline/threadPosixImpl.h
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ public:
   INLINE static void bind_thread(Thread *thread);
   INLINE static bool is_threading_supported();
   INLINE static bool is_true_threads();
+  INLINE static bool is_simple_threads();
   INLINE static void sleep(double seconds);
   INLINE static void yield();
   INLINE static void consider_yield();
diff --git a/panda/src/pipeline/threadSimpleImpl.I b/panda/src/pipeline/threadSimpleImpl.I
index 47a88580a6..ef2950ac23 100644
--- a/panda/src/pipeline/threadSimpleImpl.I
+++ b/panda/src/pipeline/threadSimpleImpl.I
@@ -72,6 +72,16 @@ is_true_threads() {
   return (is_os_threads != 0);
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: ThreadSimpleImpl::is_simple_threads
+//       Access: Public, Static
+//  Description: 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+INLINE bool ThreadSimpleImpl::
+is_simple_threads() {
+  return true;
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //     Function: ThreadSimpleImpl::sleep
 //       Access: Public, Static
diff --git a/panda/src/pipeline/threadSimpleImpl.h b/panda/src/pipeline/threadSimpleImpl.h
index 1f0203d99e..5d7f5e0f13 100644
--- a/panda/src/pipeline/threadSimpleImpl.h
+++ b/panda/src/pipeline/threadSimpleImpl.h
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ public:
   INLINE static void bind_thread(Thread *thread);
   INLINE static bool is_threading_supported();
   INLINE static bool is_true_threads();
+  INLINE static bool is_simple_threads();
   INLINE static void sleep(double seconds);
   INLINE static void yield();
   INLINE static void consider_yield();
diff --git a/panda/src/pipeline/threadWin32Impl.I b/panda/src/pipeline/threadWin32Impl.I
index d69915defb..988a2830e6 100644
--- a/panda/src/pipeline/threadWin32Impl.I
+++ b/panda/src/pipeline/threadWin32Impl.I
@@ -95,6 +95,16 @@ is_true_threads() {
   return true;
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: ThreadWin32Impl::is_simple_threads
+//       Access: Public, Static
+//  Description: 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+INLINE bool ThreadWin32Impl::
+is_simple_threads() {
+  return false;
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //     Function: ThreadWin32Impl::sleep
 //       Access: Public, Static
diff --git a/panda/src/pipeline/threadWin32Impl.h b/panda/src/pipeline/threadWin32Impl.h
index 73c71e364c..3957677b5a 100644
--- a/panda/src/pipeline/threadWin32Impl.h
+++ b/panda/src/pipeline/threadWin32Impl.h
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ public:
   INLINE static void bind_thread(Thread *thread);
   INLINE static bool is_threading_supported();
   INLINE static bool is_true_threads();
+  INLINE static bool is_simple_threads();
   INLINE static void sleep(double seconds);
   INLINE static void yield();
   INLINE static void consider_yield();