diff --git a/include/osmocom/core/select.h b/include/osmocom/core/select.h
index e4787b0..a200b6f 100644
--- a/include/osmocom/core/select.h
+++ b/include/osmocom/core/select.h
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@
 void osmo_fd_unregister(struct osmo_fd *fd);
 void osmo_fd_close(struct osmo_fd *fd);
 int osmo_select_main(int polling);
+int osmo_select_main_ctx(int polling);
 
 struct osmo_fd *osmo_fd_get_by_fd(int fd);
 
diff --git a/include/osmocom/core/talloc.h b/include/osmocom/core/talloc.h
index 191a463..c68a56c 100644
--- a/include/osmocom/core/talloc.h
+++ b/include/osmocom/core/talloc.h
@@ -1,5 +1,27 @@
-/*! \file talloc.h
- * Convenience wrapper.  libosmocore used to ship its own internal copy of
- * talloc, before libtalloc became a standard component on most systems */
+/*! \file talloc.h */
 #pragma once
 #include <talloc.h>
+
+/*! per-thread talloc contexts.  This works around the problem that talloc is not
+ * thread-safe. However, one can simply have a different set of talloc contexts for each
+ * thread, and ensure that allocations made on one thread are always only free'd on that
+ * very same thread.
+ * WARNING: Users must make sure they free() on the same thread as they allocate!! */
+struct osmo_talloc_contexts {
+	/*! global per-thread talloc context. */
+	void *global;
+	/*! volatile select-dispatch context.  This context is completely free'd and
+	 * re-created every time the main select loop in osmo_select_main() returns from
+	 * select(2) and calls per-fd callback functions.  This allows users of this
+	 * facility to allocate temporary objects like string buffers, message buffers
+	 * and the like which are automatically free'd when going into the next select()
+	 * system call */
+	void *select;
+};
+
+extern __thread struct osmo_talloc_contexts *osmo_ctx;
+
+/* short-hand #defines for the osmo talloc contexts (OTC) that can be used to pass
+ * to the various _c functions like msgb_alloc_c() */
+#define OTC_GLOBAL (osmo_ctx->global)
+#define OTC_SELECT (osmo_ctx->select)