diff --git a/SmartThreadPool/STPStartInfo.cs b/SmartThreadPool/STPStartInfo.cs
index c4a8e07..fdab702 100644
--- a/SmartThreadPool/STPStartInfo.cs
+++ b/SmartThreadPool/STPStartInfo.cs
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ namespace Amib.Threading
         private int _maxWorkerThreads = SmartThreadPool.DefaultMaxWorkerThreads;
         private ThreadPriority _threadPriority = SmartThreadPool.DefaultThreadPriority;
         private string _performanceCounterInstanceName = SmartThreadPool.DefaultPerformanceCounterInstanceName;
+        private bool _areThreadsBackground = SmartThreadPool.DefaultAreThreadsBackground;
         private bool _enableLocalPerformanceCounters;
 
 	    public STPStartInfo()
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ namespace Amib.Threading
             _threadPriority = stpStartInfo.ThreadPriority;
             _performanceCounterInstanceName = stpStartInfo.PerformanceCounterInstanceName;
             _enableLocalPerformanceCounters = stpStartInfo._enableLocalPerformanceCounters;
+            _areThreadsBackground = stpStartInfo.AreThreadsBackground;
         }
 
 	  
@@ -123,6 +125,19 @@ namespace Amib.Threading
 			}
 	    }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Get/Set backgroundness of thread in thread pool.
+        /// </summary>
+	    public virtual bool AreThreadsBackground
+ 	    {
+ 	        get { return _areThreadsBackground; }
+ 	        set
+ 	        {
+ 	            ThrowIfReadOnly ();
+ 	            _areThreadsBackground = value;
+ 	        }
+ 	    }
+
 	    /// <summary>
         /// Get a readonly version of this STPStartInfo.
         /// </summary>
diff --git a/SmartThreadPool/SmartThreadPool.cs b/SmartThreadPool/SmartThreadPool.cs
index 2b0202f..9853d72 100644
--- a/SmartThreadPool/SmartThreadPool.cs
+++ b/SmartThreadPool/SmartThreadPool.cs
@@ -164,6 +164,11 @@ namespace Amib.Threading
         /// It is relevant only to QueueWorkItem of Action<...>/Func<...>
         /// </summary>
         public const bool DefaultFillStateWithArgs = false;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// The default thread backgroundness. (true)
+        /// </summary>
+        public const bool DefaultAreThreadsBackground = true;
         
 		#endregion
 
@@ -608,7 +613,7 @@ namespace Amib.Threading
 
 					// Configure the new thread and start it
 					workerThread.Name = "STP " + Name + " Thread #" + _threadCounter;
-					workerThread.IsBackground = true;
+                    workerThread.IsBackground = _stpStartInfo.AreThreadsBackground;
 #if !(_SILVERLIGHT)
 					workerThread.Priority = _stpStartInfo.ThreadPriority;
 #endif