diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 431744a..3301961 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -13,6 +13,15 @@ set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS
 
 add_definitions(-DMD_HAVE_EPOLL -DLINUX)
 
+# check for valgrind. this should really be in FindValgrind.cmake
+# http://www.itk.org/Wiki/CMake:How_To_Find_Installed_Software
+find_file(VALGRIND_H valgrind.h /usr/include/valgrind /usr/local/include/valgrind)
+message("valgrind headers: ${VALGRIND_H}")
+if(NOT VALGRIND_H)
+# this will remove valgrind stack tracking support from state-threads
+add_definitions(-DNVALGRIND)
+endif(NOT VALGRIND_H)
+
 exec_program(${CMAKE_COMMAND} ARGS -E copy ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/public.h ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/st.h)
 # use gcc for the asm file because it needs to be
 # pre-processed by cpp first
@@ -22,3 +31,6 @@ add_library(st STATIC md.S event.c io.c  key.c  sched.c  stk.c  sync.c)
 include_directories(${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
 #add_executable(server examples/server.c examples/error.c)
 #target_link_libraries(server st)
+
+add_executable(lookupdns examples/lookupdns.c examples/res.c)
+target_link_libraries(lookupdns st resolv)
diff --git a/common.h b/common.h
index 4df39e9..84eb251 100644
--- a/common.h
+++ b/common.h
@@ -149,6 +149,11 @@ typedef struct _st_stack {
 #ifdef __ia64__
   void *bsp;                  /* Register stack backing store pointer */
 #endif
+#ifndef NVALGRIND
+  /* id returned by VALGRIND_STACK_REGISTER */
+  /* http://valgrind.org/docs/manual/manual-core-adv.html */
+  unsigned int valgrind_stack_id;
+#endif
 } _st_stack_t;
 
 
diff --git a/sched.c b/sched.c
index d9c393c..a754b4b 100644
--- a/sched.c
+++ b/sched.c
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include "common.h"
 
+#ifndef NVALGRIND
+#include <valgrind/valgrind.h>
+#endif
 
 /* Global data */
 _st_vp_t _st_this_vp;           /* This VP */
@@ -263,6 +266,12 @@ void st_thread_exit(void *retval)
   _ST_DEL_THREADQ(thread);
 #endif
 
+#ifndef NVALGRIND
+  if (!(thread->flags & _ST_FL_PRIMORDIAL)) {
+    VALGRIND_STACK_DEREGISTER(thread->stack->valgrind_stack_id);
+  }
+#endif
+
   if (!(thread->flags & _ST_FL_PRIMORDIAL))
     _st_stack_free(thread->stack);
 
@@ -610,6 +619,11 @@ _st_thread_t *st_thread_create(void *(*start)(void *arg), void *arg,
   _ST_ADD_THREADQ(thread);
 #endif
 
+#ifndef NVALGRIND
+  thread->stack->valgrind_stack_id =
+    VALGRIND_STACK_REGISTER(thread->stack->stk_top, thread->stack->stk_bottom);
+#endif
+
   return thread;
 }