diff --git a/base-hw/src/core/include/util.h b/base-hw/src/core/include/util.h
index 2c6b47ee8..5bc5baddf 100644
--- a/base-hw/src/core/include/util.h
+++ b/base-hw/src/core/include/util.h
@@ -22,6 +22,15 @@ namespace Genode
 {
 	enum { MIN_PAGE_SIZE_LOG2 = 12 };
 
+	/**
+	 * Identification that core threads use to get access to their metadata
+	 */
+	typedef addr_t Core_thread_id;
+
+	/**
+	 * Allows core threads to get their core-thread ID via their stack pointer
+	 */
+	enum { CORE_STACK_ALIGNM_LOG2 = 15 };
 
 	/**
 	 * Get the the minimal supported page-size log 2
diff --git a/base-hw/src/core/kernel/configuration.h b/base-hw/src/core/kernel/configuration.h
index 5ede42918..cd0cc4c84 100644
--- a/base-hw/src/core/kernel/configuration.h
+++ b/base-hw/src/core/kernel/configuration.h
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 namespace Kernel
 {
 	enum {
-		DEFAULT_STACK_SIZE   = 1024 * 1024,
+		DEFAULT_STACK_SIZE   = 16 * 1024,
 		USER_LAP_TIME_MS     = 100,
 		MAX_PDS              = 256,
 		MAX_THREADS          = 256,
diff --git a/base-hw/src/core/kernel/kernel.cc b/base-hw/src/core/kernel/kernel.cc
index b54cfec8d..67fc25b8e 100644
--- a/base-hw/src/core/kernel/kernel.cc
+++ b/base-hw/src/core/kernel/kernel.cc
@@ -50,8 +50,9 @@ namespace Kernel
 	Pic * pic() { return unsynchronized_singleton<Pic>(); }
 
 	/* import Genode types */
-	typedef Genode::umword_t     umword_t;
-	typedef Genode::Core_tlb     Core_tlb;
+	typedef Genode::umword_t       umword_t;
+	typedef Genode::Core_tlb       Core_tlb;
+	typedef Genode::Core_thread_id Core_thread_id;
 
 	void init_platform();
 }
@@ -216,12 +217,23 @@ extern "C" void kernel()
 
 		/* create the core main thread */
 		{
-			static Native_utcb utcb;
-			static char stack[DEFAULT_STACK_SIZE]
-			            __attribute__((aligned(Cpu::DATA_ACCESS_ALIGNM)));
-			enum { STACK_SIZE = sizeof(stack)/sizeof(stack[0]) + 1 };
+			/* get stack memory that fullfills the constraints for core stacks */
+			enum {
+				STACK_ALIGNM = 1 << Genode::CORE_STACK_ALIGNM_LOG2,
+				STACK_SIZE   = DEFAULT_STACK_SIZE,
+			};
+			if (STACK_SIZE > STACK_ALIGNM - sizeof(Core_thread_id)) {
+				PERR("stack size does not fit stack alignment of core");
+			}
+			static char s[STACK_SIZE] __attribute__((aligned(STACK_ALIGNM)));
+
+			/* provide thread ident at the aligned base of the stack */
+			*(Core_thread_id *)s = 0;
+
+			/* start thread with stack pointer at the top of stack */
+			void * const sp = (void *)((addr_t)s + STACK_SIZE);
 			void * const ip = (void *)CORE_MAIN;
-			void * const sp = (void *)&stack[STACK_SIZE - 1];
+			static Native_utcb utcb;
 			_main_utcb = &utcb;
 			static Thread t((Platform_thread *)0);
 			t.init(ip, sp, 0, core_id(), &utcb, &utcb, 1, 1);
diff --git a/base-hw/src/core/thread.cc b/base-hw/src/core/thread.cc
index 46808ffea..d2b6ff4bc 100644
--- a/base-hw/src/core/thread.cc
+++ b/base-hw/src/core/thread.cc
@@ -37,20 +37,24 @@ Native_utcb * Thread_base::utcb()
 }
 
 
-/**
- * Returns 0 if this is the main thread or the thread base pointer otherwise
- */
 Thread_base * Thread_base::myself()
 {
-	Platform_thread * const t = Kernel::get_thread(0);
-	if (t) { return t->thread_base(); }
+	/* get thread ident from the aligned base of the stack */
+	int dummy = 0;
+	addr_t sp = (addr_t)(&dummy);
+	enum { SP_MASK = ~((1 << CORE_STACK_ALIGNM_LOG2) - 1) };
+	Core_thread_id id = *(Core_thread_id *)((addr_t)sp & SP_MASK);
+
+	/* if the ident is zero this is the main thread */
+	Platform_thread * const pt = (Platform_thread *)id;
+	if (pt) { return pt->thread_base(); }
 	return 0;
 }
 
 
 void Thread_base::_thread_start()
 {
-	/* this is never called by a main thread */
+	/* this is never called by the main thread */
 	Thread_base::myself()->_thread_bootstrap();
 	Thread_base::myself()->entry();
 }
@@ -73,12 +77,30 @@ Thread_base::~Thread_base()
 
 void Thread_base::start()
 {
-	size_t const stack_size = _tid.pt->stack_size()/sizeof(umword_t) + 1;
-	void * const stack_base = new (platform()->core_mem_alloc())
-	                              umword_t [stack_size];
-	void * sp = (void *)((addr_t)stack_base + _tid.pt->stack_size());
+	/* allocate stack memory that fullfills the constraints for core stacks */
+	size_t const size = _tid.pt->stack_size();
+	if (size > (1 << CORE_STACK_ALIGNM_LOG2) - sizeof(Core_thread_id)) {
+		PERR("stack size does not fit stack alignment of core");
+		return;
+	}
+	void * base;
+	Platform * const p = static_cast<Platform *>(platform());
+	Range_allocator * const alloc = p->core_mem_alloc();
+	if (alloc->alloc_aligned(size, &base, CORE_STACK_ALIGNM_LOG2).is_error()) {
+		PERR("failed to allocate stack memory");
+		return;
+	}
+	/* provide thread ident at the aligned base of the stack */
+	*(Core_thread_id *)base = (Core_thread_id)_tid.pt;
+
+	/* start thread with stack pointer at the top of stack */
+	void * sp = (void *)((addr_t)base + size);
 	void * ip = (void *)&_thread_start;
-	if (_tid.pt->start(ip, sp)) PERR("Couldn't start thread");
+	if (_tid.pt->start(ip, sp)) {
+		PERR("failed to start thread");
+		alloc->free(base, size);
+		return;
+	}
 }