diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index e6b74a5e1..fe202179a 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ endif ()
 
 # GMP
 include(cmake/FindGMP.cmake)
+set(EXTRA_LIBS ${EXTRA_LIBS} ${GMP_LIBRARIES})
 
 # tcmalloc
 include(cmake/FindTcmalloc.cmake)
@@ -40,10 +41,13 @@ include_directories(${LEAN_SOURCE_DIR}/numerics)
 include_directories(${LEAN_SOURCE_DIR}/interval)
 
 add_subdirectory(util)
+set(EXTRA_LIBS ${EXTRA_LIBS} util)
 add_subdirectory(numerics)
+set(EXTRA_LIBS ${EXTRA_LIBS} numerics)
 add_subdirectory(interval)
-set(EXTRA_LIBS ${EXTRA_LIBS} util numerics interval ${GMP_LIBRARIES})
+set(EXTRA_LIBS ${EXTRA_LIBS} interval)
 set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS} -pthread")
 add_subdirectory(shell)
+add_subdirectory(tests/util)
 add_subdirectory(tests/numerics)
 add_subdirectory(tests/interval)
diff --git a/src/tests/util/CMakeLists.txt b/src/tests/util/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..203f770d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/util/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+add_executable(interrupt interrupt.cpp)
+target_link_libraries(interrupt ${EXTRA_LIBS})
+add_test(interrupt ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/interrupt)
diff --git a/src/tests/util/interrupt.cpp b/src/tests/util/interrupt.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cfa8577f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/util/interrupt.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+/*
+Copyright (c) 2013 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
+Released under Apache 2.0 license as described in the file LICENSE.
+
+Author: Leonardo de Moura
+*/
+#include <iostream>
+#include <chrono>
+#include <mutex>
+#include "interrupt.h"
+#include "test.h"
+
+std::mutex g_stdout_mutex;
+
+static void loop(unsigned i) {
+    try {
+        while (true) {
+            lean::check_interrupt();
+        }
+    }
+    catch (lean::interrupt) {
+        std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(g_stdout_mutex);
+        std::cout << "interrupted " << i << ".\n";
+    }
+}
+
+static void tst1() {
+    lean::interruptible_thread t1([](){ loop(1); });
+    lean::interruptible_thread t2([](){ loop(2); });
+
+    std::chrono::milliseconds dura(200);
+    std::this_thread::sleep_for(dura);
+    t2.request_interrupt();
+
+    std::this_thread::sleep_for(dura);
+    t1.request_interrupt();
+
+    t1.join();
+    t2.join();
+}
+
+int main() {
+    tst1();
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/src/util/CMakeLists.txt b/src/util/CMakeLists.txt
index 561812db0..7e9f1ae6b 100644
--- a/src/util/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/util/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-add_library(util trace.cpp debug.cpp name.cpp exception.cpp verbosity.cpp)
+add_library(util trace.cpp debug.cpp name.cpp exception.cpp verbosity.cpp interrupt.cpp)
diff --git a/src/util/interrupt.cpp b/src/util/interrupt.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b19fb5429
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/interrupt.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+/*
+Copyright (c) 2013 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
+Released under Apache 2.0 license as described in the file LICENSE.
+
+Author: Leonardo de Moura
+*/
+#include "interrupt.h"
+
+namespace lean {
+
+thread_local std::atomic_bool g_interrupt;
+
+void request_interrupt() {
+    g_interrupt.store(true);
+}
+
+void reset_interrupt() {
+    g_interrupt.store(false);
+}
+
+bool interrupted() {
+    return g_interrupt.load();
+}
+
+void check_interrupt() {
+    if (interrupted())
+        throw interrupt();
+}
+
+std::atomic_bool * interruptible_thread::get_flag_addr() {
+    return &g_interrupt;
+}
+
+bool interruptible_thread::interrupted() const {
+    std::atomic_bool * f = m_flag_addr.load();
+    if (f == nullptr)
+        return false;
+    return f->load();
+}
+
+bool interruptible_thread::request_interrupt() {
+    std::atomic_bool * f = m_flag_addr.load();
+    if (f == nullptr)
+        return false;
+    f->store(true);
+    return true;
+}
+
+void interruptible_thread::join() {
+    m_thread.join();
+}
+
+bool interruptible_thread::joinable() {
+    return m_thread.joinable();
+}
+
+}
diff --git a/src/util/interrupt.h b/src/util/interrupt.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a54acee08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/interrupt.h
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+/*
+Copyright (c) 2013 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
+Released under Apache 2.0 license as described in the file LICENSE.
+
+Author: Leonardo de Moura
+*/
+#pragma once
+#include <atomic>
+#include <thread>
+#include <utility>
+// APIs for interrupting Lean.
+
+namespace lean {
+
+/**
+   \brief Mark flag for interrupting current thread.
+*/
+void request_interrupt();
+/**
+   \brief Reset (interrupt) flag for current thread.
+*/
+void reset_interrupt();
+
+/**
+   \brief Return true if the
+*/
+bool interrupted();
+
+class interrupt : public std::exception {
+public:
+    virtual char const * what() const noexcept { return "interrupted"; }
+};
+
+/**
+   \brief Throw an interrupt exception if the (interrupt) flag is set.
+*/
+void check_interrupt();
+
+/**
+   \brief Thread that provides a method for setting its interrupt flag.
+*/
+class interruptible_thread {
+private:
+    std::atomic<std::atomic_bool*> m_flag_addr;
+    std::thread                    m_thread;
+    static std::atomic_bool *      get_flag_addr();
+public:
+    template<typename Function, typename... Args>
+    interruptible_thread(Function && fun, Args &&... args):
+        m_flag_addr(nullptr),
+        m_thread(
+            [&](Function&& fun, Args&&... args) {
+                m_flag_addr.store(get_flag_addr());
+                fun(std::forward<Args>(args)...);
+            },
+            std::forward<Function>(fun),
+            std::forward<Args>(args)...)
+        {}
+
+    /**
+       \brief Return true iff an interrupt request has been made to the current thread.
+     */
+    bool interrupted() const;
+    /**
+       \brief Send a interrupt request to the current thread. Return
+       true iff the request has been successfully performed.
+    */
+    bool request_interrupt();
+
+    void join();
+    bool joinable();
+};
+
+}