diff --git a/classfile/src/attribute.rs b/classfile/src/attribute.rs
index 9dbf6ea2..645abe01 100644
--- a/classfile/src/attribute.rs
+++ b/classfile/src/attribute.rs
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ pub enum AttributeInfo {
     MethodParameters(Vec<u8>), // TODO
     NestMembers(Vec<u8>),      // TODO
     NestHost(Vec<u8>),         // TODO
+    Unknown(Arc<String>, Vec<u8>),
 }
 
 impl AttributeInfo {
@@ -170,7 +171,8 @@ impl AttributeInfo {
                     "MethodParameters" => AttributeInfo::MethodParameters(info.to_vec()),
                     "NestMembers" => AttributeInfo::NestMembers(info.to_vec()),
                     "NestHost" => AttributeInfo::NestHost(info.to_vec()),
-                    _ => return Err(nom::Err::Error(nom::error_position!(info, nom::error::ErrorKind::Switch))),
+                    // unrecognized attributes must be silently ignored (JVMS 4.7.1)
+                    _ => AttributeInfo::Unknown(name.clone(), info.to_vec()),
                 })
             },
         )
diff --git a/java_runtime/src/classes/java/lang/thread.rs b/java_runtime/src/classes/java/lang/thread.rs
index d40447d0..aa8ab1f0 100644
--- a/java_runtime/src/classes/java/lang/thread.rs
+++ b/java_runtime/src/classes/java/lang/thread.rs
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ impl Thread {
             async fn call(&self) -> Result<()> {
                 tracing::trace!("Thread start");
 
-                self.jvm.attach_thread()?;
+                self.jvm.attach_thread(self.this.instance.clone()).await?;
 
                 let result: Result<()> = self.jvm.invoke_virtual(&self.this, "run", "()V", []).await;
 
@@ -202,10 +202,8 @@ impl Thread {
     }
 
     async fn current_thread(jvm: &Jvm, _: &mut RuntimeContext) -> Result<ClassInstanceRef<Self>> {
-        tracing::warn!("stub java.lang.Thread::currentThread()");
+        tracing::debug!("java.lang.Thread::currentThread()");
 
-        let thread = jvm.new_class("java/lang/Thread", "(Z)V", (true,)).await?;
-
-        Ok(thread.into())
+        Ok(jvm.current_java_thread().into())
     }
 }
diff --git a/java_runtime/tests/classes/java/lang/test_object.rs b/java_runtime/tests/classes/java/lang/test_object.rs
index ba0b4a85..ef3c7f33 100644
--- a/java_runtime/tests/classes/java/lang/test_object.rs
+++ b/java_runtime/tests/classes/java/lang/test_object.rs
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ async fn test_wait() -> Result<()> {
     #[async_trait::async_trait]
     impl SpawnCallback for Notifier {
         async fn call(&self) -> Result<()> {
-            self.jvm.attach_thread()?;
+            self.jvm.attach_thread(None).await?;
 
             self.runtime.sleep(Duration::from_millis(100)).await;
             self.notified.store(true, Ordering::Relaxed);
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ async fn test_wait_timeout() -> Result<()> {
     #[async_trait::async_trait]
     impl SpawnCallback for Notifier {
         async fn call(&self) -> Result<()> {
-            self.jvm.attach_thread()?;
+            self.jvm.attach_thread(None).await?;
 
             self.runtime.sleep(Duration::from_millis(1000)).await;
             self.notified.store(true, Ordering::Relaxed);
diff --git a/jvm/src/garbage_collector.rs b/jvm/src/garbage_collector.rs
index fb1dec92..7cc76493 100644
--- a/jvm/src/garbage_collector.rs
+++ b/jvm/src/garbage_collector.rs
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ pub fn determine_garbage(
             find_reachable_objects(jvm, x, &mut reachable_objects);
         });
 
+    threads.values().filter_map(|thread| thread.java_thread()).for_each(|x| {
+        find_reachable_objects(jvm, x, &mut reachable_objects);
+    });
+
     interned_strings.iter().for_each(|x| {
         find_reachable_objects(jvm, x, &mut reachable_objects);
     });
diff --git a/jvm/src/jvm.rs b/jvm/src/jvm.rs
index 41d965d9..8a777f09 100644
--- a/jvm/src/jvm.rs
+++ b/jvm/src/jvm.rs
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ impl Jvm {
         }
 
         // init startup thread
-        jvm.attach_thread()?;
+        jvm.attach_thread(None).await?;
 
         // set java class for bootstrap classes
         let classes = jvm.inner.classes.read().values().cloned().collect::<Vec<_>>();
@@ -822,11 +822,19 @@ impl Jvm {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    pub fn attach_thread(&self) -> Result<()> {
+    // every attached thread owns a java/lang/Thread instance; pass the instance for threads
+    // started from java (Thread.start), or None to create one
+    pub async fn attach_thread(&self, java_thread: Option<Box<dyn ClassInstance>>) -> Result<()> {
         let thread_id = (self.inner.get_current_thread_id)();
         self.inner.threads.write().insert(thread_id, JvmThread::new());
         self.push_native_frame();
 
+        let java_thread = match java_thread {
+            Some(x) => x,
+            None => self.new_class("java/lang/Thread", "(Z)V", (true,)).await?,
+        };
+        self.inner.threads.write().get_mut(&thread_id).unwrap().set_java_thread(java_thread);
+
         Ok(())
     }
 
@@ -837,6 +845,11 @@ impl Jvm {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    pub fn current_java_thread(&self) -> Box<dyn ClassInstance> {
+        let thread_id = (self.inner.get_current_thread_id)();
+        self.inner.threads.read().get(&thread_id).unwrap().java_thread().unwrap().clone()
+    }
+
     // TODO we need safe, ergonomic api..
     pub fn push_native_frame(&self) {
         let thread_id = (self.inner.get_current_thread_id)();
diff --git a/jvm/src/thread.rs b/jvm/src/thread.rs
index e335eeab..77e76d53 100644
--- a/jvm/src/thread.rs
+++ b/jvm/src/thread.rs
@@ -29,11 +29,24 @@ impl StackFrame {
 
 pub struct JvmThread {
     stack: Vec<StackFrame>,
+    java_thread: Option<Box<dyn ClassInstance>>,
 }
 
 impl JvmThread {
     pub fn new() -> Self {
-        Self { stack: Vec::new() }
+        Self {
+            stack: Vec::new(),
+            java_thread: None,
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[allow(clippy::borrowed_box)] // same as jvm.rs; callers pass it to &Box-taking apis
+    pub fn java_thread(&self) -> Option<&Box<dyn ClassInstance>> {
+        self.java_thread.as_ref()
+    }
+
+    pub fn set_java_thread(&mut self, java_thread: Box<dyn ClassInstance>) {
+        self.java_thread = Some(java_thread);
     }
 
     pub fn push_java_frame(&mut self, class: &Class, class_instance: Option<Box<dyn ClassInstance>>, method: &str) {
diff --git a/test_data/CurrentThread$1.class b/test_data/CurrentThread$1.class
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a0170410
Binary files /dev/null and b/test_data/CurrentThread$1.class differ
diff --git a/test_data/CurrentThread.class b/test_data/CurrentThread.class
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cafa82c1
Binary files /dev/null and b/test_data/CurrentThread.class differ
diff --git a/test_data/CurrentThread.txt b/test_data/CurrentThread.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9e8a46ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test_data/CurrentThread.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+true
+true
+false
diff --git a/test_data/src/CurrentThread.java b/test_data/src/CurrentThread.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c32b02a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test_data/src/CurrentThread.java
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+public class CurrentThread {
+    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
+        Thread a = Thread.currentThread();
+        Thread b = Thread.currentThread();
+        System.out.println(a == b);
+
+        final Thread[] seen = new Thread[1];
+        Thread t = new Thread(new Runnable() {
+            public void run() {
+                seen[0] = Thread.currentThread();
+            }
+        });
+        t.start();
+        t.join();
+        System.out.println(seen[0] == t);
+        System.out.println(seen[0] == a);
+    }
+}