diff --git a/src/duktape/context.c b/src/duktape/context.c
index a04ac92a75..8c03c96d9e 100644
--- a/src/duktape/context.c
+++ b/src/duktape/context.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ static int DukContext_init(DukContext *self, PyObject *args, PyObject *kw)
     (void)kw;
 
     self->heap_manager = NULL;  /* We manage the heap */
+    self->py_thread_state = NULL;
 
     self->ctx = duk_create_heap_default();
     if (!self->ctx) {
@@ -87,7 +88,7 @@ static void DukContext_dealloc(DukContext *self)
 static PyObject *DukContext_eval(DukContext *self, PyObject *args, PyObject *kw)
 {
     const char *code;
-    int noresult = 0;
+    int noresult = 0, ret = 0;
     PyObject *result = NULL, *temp = NULL;
 
     static char *keywords[] = {"code", "noreturn", NULL};
@@ -97,7 +98,11 @@ static PyObject *DukContext_eval(DukContext *self, PyObject *args, PyObject *kw)
     }
     if (temp && PyObject_IsTrue(temp)) noresult = 1;
 
-    if (duk_peval_string(self->ctx, code) != 0) {
+    self->py_thread_state = PyEval_SaveThread();  // Release GIL
+    ret = duk_peval_string(self->ctx, code);
+    PyEval_RestoreThread(self->py_thread_state);  // Acquire GIL
+    self->py_thread_state = NULL;  
+    if (ret != 0) {
         temp = duk_to_python(self->ctx, -1);
         if (temp) {
             PyErr_SetObject(JSError, temp);
@@ -121,7 +126,7 @@ static PyObject *DukContext_eval(DukContext *self, PyObject *args, PyObject *kw)
 static PyObject *DukContext_eval_file(DukContext *self, PyObject *args, PyObject *kw)
 {
     const char *path;
-    int noresult = 0;
+    int noresult = 0, ret = 0;
     PyObject *result = NULL, *temp = NULL;
 
     static char *keywords[] = {"path", "noreturn", NULL};
@@ -131,7 +136,11 @@ static PyObject *DukContext_eval_file(DukContext *self, PyObject *args, PyObject
     }
     if (temp && PyObject_IsTrue(temp)) noresult = 1;
 
-    if (duk_peval_file(self->ctx, path) != 0) {
+    self->py_thread_state = PyEval_SaveThread();  // Release GIL
+    ret = duk_peval_file(self->ctx, path);
+    PyEval_RestoreThread(self->py_thread_state);  // Acquire GIL
+    self->py_thread_state = NULL;  
+    if (ret != 0) {
         temp = duk_to_python(self->ctx, -1);
         if (temp) {
             PyErr_SetObject(JSError, temp);
diff --git a/src/duktape/conversions.c b/src/duktape/conversions.c
index bd197f19eb..e273bebefe 100644
--- a/src/duktape/conversions.c
+++ b/src/duktape/conversions.c
@@ -20,53 +20,95 @@ static int get_repr(PyObject *value, char *buf, int bufsz) {
 static duk_ret_t python_function_caller(duk_context *ctx)
 {
     PyObject *func, *args, *result;
+    DukContext *dctx;
     duk_idx_t nargs, i;
     static char buf1[200], buf2[1024];
+    int gil_acquired = 0, ret = 1;
 
+    dctx = DukContext_get(ctx);
     nargs = duk_get_top(ctx);
 
     duk_push_current_function(ctx);
     duk_get_prop_string(ctx, -1, "\xff" "py_object");
     func = duk_get_pointer(ctx, -1);
 
+    if (dctx->py_thread_state) {
+        gil_acquired = 1;
+        PyEval_RestoreThread(dctx->py_thread_state);
+        dctx->py_thread_state = NULL;
+    }
+
     args = PyTuple_New(nargs);
-    if (!args)
-        return DUK_RET_ALLOC_ERROR;
+    if (!args) {
+        ret = DUK_RET_ALLOC_ERROR;
+        goto error;
+    }
 
     for (i = 0; i < nargs; i++) {
         PyObject *arg = duk_to_python(ctx, i);
-        if (arg == NULL)
-            return DUK_RET_TYPE_ERROR;
+        if (arg == NULL)  {
+            Py_DECREF(args);
+            ret = DUK_RET_TYPE_ERROR;
+            goto error;
+        }
 
         PyTuple_SET_ITEM(args, i, arg);
     }
 
     result = PyObject_Call(func, args, NULL);
+    Py_DECREF(args);
+
     if (!result) {
         get_repr(func, buf1, 200);
-        if (!PyErr_Occurred())
+        if (!PyErr_Occurred()) {
+            if (gil_acquired) {
+                dctx->py_thread_state = PyEval_SaveThread();
+                gil_acquired = 0;
+            }
             duk_error(ctx, DUK_ERR_ERROR, "Python function (%s) failed", buf1);
+        }
         PyObject *ptype = NULL, *pval = NULL, *tb = NULL;
         PyErr_Fetch(&ptype, &pval, &tb);
         if (!get_repr(pval, buf2, 1024)) get_repr(ptype, buf2, 1024);
         Py_XDECREF(ptype); Py_XDECREF(pval); Py_XDECREF(tb);
         PyErr_Clear();  /* In case there was an error in get_repr() */
+        if (gil_acquired) {
+            dctx->py_thread_state = PyEval_SaveThread();
+            gil_acquired = 0;
+        }
         duk_error(ctx, DUK_ERR_ERROR, "Python function (%s) failed with error: %s", buf1, buf2);
 
     }
     python_to_duk(ctx, result);
     Py_DECREF(result);
-    return 1;
+error:
+    if (gil_acquired) {
+        dctx->py_thread_state = PyEval_SaveThread();
+        gil_acquired = 0;
+    }
+    return ret;
 }
 
 static duk_ret_t python_object_decref(duk_context *ctx) {
-    int deleted = 0;
+    int deleted = 0, gil_acquired = 0;
+    DukContext *dctx = DukContext_get(ctx);
+
+
     duk_get_prop_string(ctx, 0, "\xff""deleted");
     deleted = duk_to_boolean(ctx, -1);
     duk_pop(ctx);
     if (!deleted) {
         duk_get_prop_string(ctx, 0, "\xff""py_object");
+        if (dctx->py_thread_state) {
+            gil_acquired = 1;
+            PyEval_RestoreThread(dctx->py_thread_state);
+            dctx->py_thread_state = NULL;
+        }
         Py_XDECREF(duk_get_pointer(ctx, -1));
+        if (gil_acquired) {
+            dctx->py_thread_state = PyEval_SaveThread();
+            gil_acquired = 0;
+        }
         duk_pop(ctx);
 
         // Mark as deleted
diff --git a/src/duktape/dukpy.h b/src/duktape/dukpy.h
index 4b3dafcdcd..6ec98a340d 100644
--- a/src/duktape/dukpy.h
+++ b/src/duktape/dukpy.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ struct DukContext_ {
     PyObject_HEAD
     duk_context *ctx;
     DukContext *heap_manager;
+    PyThreadState *py_thread_state;
 };
 
 PyTypeObject DukContext_Type;
diff --git a/src/duktape/tests.py b/src/duktape/tests.py
index 6fa47fddaf..3c664612bd 100644
--- a/src/duktape/tests.py
+++ b/src/duktape/tests.py
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 import os
 import sys
 import unittest
+from threading import Thread, Event
 from duktape import dukpy
 undefined, JSError, Context = dukpy.undefined, dukpy.JSError, dukpy.Context
 
 class ContextTests(unittest.TestCase):
+
     def setUp(self):
         self.ctx = Context()
         self.g = self.ctx.g
@@ -30,6 +32,7 @@ class ContextTests(unittest.TestCase):
 
 
 class ValueTests(unittest.TestCase):
+
     def setUp(self):
         self.ctx = Context()
         self.g = self.ctx.g
@@ -106,6 +109,7 @@ class ValueTests(unittest.TestCase):
 
 
 class EvalTests(unittest.TestCase):
+
     def setUp(self):
         self.ctx = Context()
         self.g = self.ctx.g
@@ -148,6 +152,18 @@ class EvalTests(unittest.TestCase):
             self.assertEqual('ReferenceError', e.name)
             self.assertEqual(2, e.lineNumber)
 
+    def test_eval_multithreading(self):
+        ev = Event()
+        self.ctx.g.func = ev.wait
+        t = Thread(target=self.ctx.eval, args=('func()',))
+        t.daemon = True
+        t.start()
+        t.join(0.01)
+        self.assertTrue(t.is_alive())
+        ev.set()
+        t.join(1)
+        self.assertFalse(t.is_alive())
+
     def test_eval_noreturn(self):
         self.assertIsNone(self.ctx.eval("1+1", noreturn=True))
 
@@ -166,5 +182,3 @@ class EvalTests(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_eval_file_noreturn(self):
         self.assertIsNone(self.ctx.eval_file(self.testfile, noreturn=True))
-
-