diff --git a/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json b/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
index 09ddca5..51fdac8 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
+++ b/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 	"extensions": [
 		"ms-azuretools.vscode-docker",
 		"ms-vscode.cpptools-extension-pack",
+		"eamodio.gitlens",
 	],
 
 	// allow access to the toradex board
diff --git a/errors/errno.fugu b/errors/errno.fugu
index 6290f61..9b14e71 100755
--- a/errors/errno.fugu
+++ b/errors/errno.fugu
@@ -322,6 +322,7 @@ errors libaos LIB_ERR_ {
     failure PMAP_FRAME_IDENTIFY "Frame could not be identified",
     failure PMAP_NOT_MAPPED "No mapping in given address range",
     failure PMAP_ALLOC_CNODE "Failure while allocating Mapping CNode",
+    failure PMAP_ADDR_IS_GUARDED "The requested address is in a guarded range",
 
     failure OUT_OF_VIRTUAL_ADDR  "Out of virtual address",
 
diff --git a/include/aos/paging.h b/include/aos/paging.h
index fce1c0a..1a996fc 100644
--- a/include/aos/paging.h
+++ b/include/aos/paging.h
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 
 struct paging_state;
 
+void * paging_malloc(size_t bytes, size_t * retbytes, size_t guarded_region_size);
 
 struct thread;
 errval_t paging_init_state(struct paging_state *st, lvaddr_t start_vaddr,
@@ -39,7 +40,7 @@ errval_t paging_init_onthread(struct thread *t);
 
 
 errval_t paging_alloc_ext(struct paging_state *st, void **buf, size_t bytes,
-                          size_t alignment, bool heap);
+                          size_t alignment, bool heap, size_t guarded_region_size);
 
 /**
  * \brief Find a bit of free virtual address space that is large enough to
diff --git a/include/aos/paging_types.h b/include/aos/paging_types.h
index 4d4bb14..230b467 100644
--- a/include/aos/paging_types.h
+++ b/include/aos/paging_types.h
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ struct pt_vaddr_reg_t {
     size_t size;
     uint8_t free:1; // Is the region free?
     uint8_t heap:1; // Is the region part of the heap?
+    size_t guarded_region_size; //the first n bits of this region are guarded and will panic when mapped! (e.g to detect stack overflows)
     struct pt_vaddr_reg_t *next;
 };
 
diff --git a/lib/aos/morecore.c b/lib/aos/morecore.c
index 2207d20..b599f07 100644
--- a/lib/aos/morecore.c
+++ b/lib/aos/morecore.c
@@ -101,18 +101,7 @@ errval_t morecore_reinit(void)
  */
 static void *morecore_alloc(size_t bytes, size_t *retbytes)
 {
-    errval_t err;
-    // struct morecore_state *state = get_morecore_state();
-
-    size_t aligned_bytes = ROUND_UP(bytes, LARGE_PAGE_SIZE);
-    void *ret = NULL;
-    err = paging_alloc_ext(get_current_paging_state(), &ret, aligned_bytes, LARGE_PAGE_SIZE, true);
-    if (err_is_fail(err)) {
-        DEBUG_ERR(err, "in morecore_alloc, size=%"PRIuPTR"\n", aligned_bytes);
-        aligned_bytes = 0;
-    }
-    *retbytes = aligned_bytes;
-    return ret;
+    return paging_malloc(bytes, retbytes, 0);
 }
 
 static void morecore_free(void *base, size_t bytes)
diff --git a/lib/aos/paging.c b/lib/aos/paging.c
index 30b7c8d..65490fc 100644
--- a/lib/aos/paging.c
+++ b/lib/aos/paging.c
@@ -134,7 +134,8 @@ static void pt_exception_handler(enum exception_type type, int subtype,
         }
     }
     if (vaddr_reg == NULL || vaddr_reg->free) {
-        USER_PANIC("[ERROR] Page fault ouside allocated address space");
+        debug_printf("[pt_exception_handler] page_addr = %x, base = %x, size = %x\n", page_addr, vaddr_reg->base, vaddr_reg->size);
+        USER_PANIC("[pt_exception_handler][ERROR] Page fault ouside allocated address space");
     }
     if (!vaddr_reg->heap) {
         USER_PANIC("[ERROR] Page fault in allocated address space but outside heap");
@@ -259,6 +260,27 @@ void pt_print_state(struct paging_state *st) {
     PAGING_UNLOCK
 }
 
+void * paging_malloc(size_t bytes, size_t * retbytes, size_t guarded_region_size) {
+    errval_t err;
+
+    assert(guarded_region_size < bytes);
+
+    size_t aligned_bytes = ROUND_UP(bytes, LARGE_PAGE_SIZE);
+    void *ret = NULL;
+    err = paging_alloc_ext(get_current_paging_state(), &ret, aligned_bytes, LARGE_PAGE_SIZE, true, guarded_region_size);
+    if (err_is_fail(err)) {
+        DEBUG_ERR(err, "in paging_malloc, size=%"PRIuPTR"\n", aligned_bytes);
+        aligned_bytes = 0;
+    }
+    *retbytes = aligned_bytes;
+    debug_printf("[paging_malloc]: bytes = %x, aligned_bytes = %x, base = %p\n", bytes, aligned_bytes, ret);
+    return ret;
+}
+
+// void paging_free(void * ptr) {
+
+// }
+
 // refill the slab and hold the paging lock for the slab growing but not before
 static errval_t pt_slab_refill_locked(struct paging_state *st, struct slab_allocator *slabs, size_t size) {
     errval_t err;
@@ -480,6 +502,7 @@ errval_t paging_init_state(struct paging_state *st, lvaddr_t start_vaddr,
     st->vaddr_head.free = true;
     st->vaddr_head.heap = false;
     st->vaddr_head.next = NULL;
+    st->vaddr_head.guarded_region_size = 0;
 
     st->slot_alloc = ca;
     st->refilling = 0;
@@ -608,7 +631,7 @@ errval_t paging_init_onthread(struct thread *t)
 
 static errval_t paging_insert_vaddr_reg(
     struct paging_state *st, struct pt_vaddr_reg_t *target_region,
-    size_t prefix_size, size_t alloc_size, bool heap
+    size_t prefix_size, size_t alloc_size, bool heap, size_t guarded_region_size
 ) {
     assert(target_region->free);
     assert(target_region->size >= prefix_size + alloc_size);
@@ -629,6 +652,7 @@ static errval_t paging_insert_vaddr_reg(
     } else {
         main_reg = target_region;
     }
+
     if (postfix_size > 0) {
         postfix_reg = slab_alloc(&st->pt_slabs);
         if (postfix_reg == NULL) {
@@ -645,6 +669,7 @@ static errval_t paging_insert_vaddr_reg(
     if (prefix_size > 0) {
         prefix_reg->base = base;
         prefix_reg->size = prefix_size;
+        prefix_reg->guarded_region_size = 0;
 
         main_reg->next = prefix_reg->next;
         prefix_reg->next = main_reg;
@@ -656,6 +681,11 @@ static errval_t paging_insert_vaddr_reg(
     main_reg->size = alloc_size;
     main_reg->free = false;
     main_reg->heap = heap;
+    main_reg->guarded_region_size = guarded_region_size;
+
+    // if (guarded_region_size > 0) {
+    //     debug_printf("[paging_insert_vaddr_reg] guarding region: base = %x, size = %x, guarded_region_size = %x\n", main_reg->base, main_reg->size, main_reg->guarded_region_size);
+    // }
 
     base += alloc_size;
 
@@ -664,6 +694,7 @@ static errval_t paging_insert_vaddr_reg(
         postfix_reg->size = postfix_size;
         postfix_reg->free = true;
         postfix_reg->heap = false;
+        postfix_reg->guarded_region_size = 0;
 
         postfix_reg->next = main_reg->next;
         main_reg->next = postfix_reg;
@@ -674,7 +705,7 @@ static errval_t paging_insert_vaddr_reg(
 
 errval_t paging_alloc_ext(
     struct paging_state *st, void **buf, size_t bytes,
-    size_t alignment, bool heap
+    size_t alignment, bool heap, size_t guarded_region_size
 ) {
     errval_t err;
 
@@ -707,7 +738,7 @@ errval_t paging_alloc_ext(
         if (vaddr_reg->free && vaddr_reg->size >= prefix_size + bytes) {
 
             // allocate the new region, potentially splitting off a prefix and postfix from the region
-            err = paging_insert_vaddr_reg(st, vaddr_reg, prefix_size, bytes, heap);
+            err = paging_insert_vaddr_reg(st, vaddr_reg, prefix_size, bytes, heap, guarded_region_size);
             if (err_is_fail(err)) {
                 PAGING_UNLOCK
                 return err;
@@ -738,7 +769,7 @@ errval_t paging_alloc_ext(
  */
 errval_t paging_alloc(struct paging_state *st, void **buf, size_t bytes, size_t alignment)
 {
-    return paging_alloc_ext(st, buf, bytes, alignment, false);
+    return paging_alloc_ext(st, buf, bytes, alignment, false, 0);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -840,9 +871,15 @@ errval_t paging_map_fixed_attr(struct paging_state *st, lvaddr_t vaddr,
     for(;vaddr_reg != NULL; vaddr_reg = vaddr_reg->next) {
         // we have found the region it belongs to
         if(vaddr_reg->base <= vaddr && end_vaddr <= vaddr_reg->base + vaddr_reg->size) {
+            //check if we try to map anything in the guarded region!
+            if (vaddr < vaddr_reg->base + vaddr_reg->guarded_region_size) {
+                debug_printf("[paging_map_fixed_attr] attempt to map guarded region!, vaddr = %p, guarded_region_size = %x\n", vaddr, vaddr_reg->guarded_region_size);
+                return LIB_ERR_PMAP_ADDR_IS_GUARDED;
+            }
+
             if (vaddr_reg->free == true) {
                 // make sure the virtual memory is not used by anyone else
-                err = paging_insert_vaddr_reg(st, vaddr_reg, vaddr - vaddr_reg->base, bytes, false);
+                err = paging_insert_vaddr_reg(st, vaddr_reg, vaddr - vaddr_reg->base, bytes, false, 0);
                 if (err_is_fail(err)) {
                     PAGING_UNLOCK
                     return err;
diff --git a/lib/aos/threads.c b/lib/aos/threads.c
index 75199b9..eeea8e7 100644
--- a/lib/aos/threads.c
+++ b/lib/aos/threads.c
@@ -317,7 +317,8 @@ static void free_thread(struct thread *thread)
     ldt_free_segment(thread->thread_seg_selector);
 #endif
 
-    free(thread->stack);
+    //TODO: afeer: properly free stack again
+    // free(thread->stack);
     if (thread->tls_dtv != NULL) {
         free(thread->tls_dtv);
     }
@@ -345,7 +346,9 @@ struct thread *thread_create_unrunnable(thread_func_t start_func, void *arg,
 {
     // allocate stack
     assert((stacksize % sizeof(uintptr_t)) == 0);
-    void *stack = malloc(stacksize);
+    stacksize += BASE_PAGE_SIZE;
+    size_t bytes_allocated;
+    void *stack = paging_malloc(stacksize, &bytes_allocated, BASE_PAGE_SIZE);
     if (stack == NULL) {
         return NULL;
     }