diff --git a/stm-lib/src/main/groovy/gvystm/STM.groovy b/stm-lib/src/main/groovy/gvystm/STM.groovy
index c15dab0..dcd0e00 100755
--- a/stm-lib/src/main/groovy/gvystm/STM.groovy
+++ b/stm-lib/src/main/groovy/gvystm/STM.groovy
@@ -3,7 +3,10 @@ package gvystm
 import clojure.lang.LockingTransaction
 import clojure.lang.Atom
 import clojure.lang.Ref
+import clojure.lang.Var
 import clojure.lang.IRef
+import clojure.lang.PersistentHashMap
+import clojure.lang.Associative
 import java.util.concurrent.Callable
 
 class STM {
@@ -32,6 +35,10 @@ class STM {
         r.deref()
     }
 
+    static Object deref(IRef r) {
+        r.deref();
+    }
+
     /** Adds a callback that will get invoked when the value of the specified reference/atom/agent/etc. is changed.
     *   See clojure add-watch function.
     *   The specified closure should take 4 arguments - key, reference, old value and new value
@@ -48,4 +55,40 @@ class STM {
     static Object swap(Atom a, Closure c) {
         return a.swap(new SwapClosureFn(c))
     }
+
+    // TODO: add agent support
+    /** Sets the bindings into the threadlocal scope */
+    static void binding(Map bindings, Closure c) {
+        Map varMap = new HashMap();
+        bindings.every { key, value -> 
+            Var v = Var.create(key)
+            v.setDynamic()
+            varMap.put(v, value) 
+        }
+
+        Var.pushThreadBindings(PersistentHashMap.create(varMap))
+        c()
+        // TODO: need some finally
+        Var.popThreadBindings()
+    }
+
+    /** Calls the specified closure with the current thread bindings */
+    static void withCurrentBindings(Closure c) {
+        //Associative bindings = Var.getThreadBindings();
+        c(Var.getThreadBindings());
+    }
+
+    // TODO: is there a better way in the clojure collections?
+    /*private static Map associativeToMap(Associative a) {
+        IPersistentMap ret = PersistentHashMap.EMPTY;
+        for(ISeq bs = a.seq(); bs != null; bs = bs.next())
+            {
+            IMapEntry e = (IMapEntry) bs.first();
+            Var v = (Var) e.key();
+            TBox b = (TBox) e.val();
+            ret = ret.assoc(v, b.val);
+            }
+        return ret;
+
+    }*/
 }
diff --git a/stm-lib/src/test/groovy/gvystm/STMTest.groovy b/stm-lib/src/test/groovy/gvystm/STMTest.groovy
index 42fe709..73f55a7 100755
--- a/stm-lib/src/test/groovy/gvystm/STMTest.groovy
+++ b/stm-lib/src/test/groovy/gvystm/STMTest.groovy
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals
 import static org.junit.Assert.fail
 import static gvystm.STM.doSync
 import static gvystm.STM.alter
+import static gvystm.STM.binding
+import static gvystm.STM.withCurrentBindings
+import static gvystm.STM.deref
 import static gvystm.STM.ensure
 import static gvystm.STM.addWatch
 import static gvystm.STM.removeWatch
@@ -21,7 +24,7 @@ class STMTest {
         doSync {
             alter(valueMapRef) { m -> m.assoc(1,100) }
         }
-        assertEquals 100, valueMapRef.deref().get(1);
+        assertEquals 100, deref(valueMapRef).get(1);
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -47,7 +50,7 @@ class STMTest {
             doSync {
                 ensure(r)
                 Thread.sleep(1000);
-                alter(r2) { v -> r.deref() * 2 }
+                alter(r2) { v -> deref(r) * 2 }
             }
         }
 
@@ -58,8 +61,8 @@ class STMTest {
         }
 
         Thread.sleep(2000)
-        assertEquals r.deref(), -1
-        assertEquals r2.deref(), 200
+        assertEquals deref(r), -1
+        assertEquals deref(r2), 200
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -101,7 +104,7 @@ class STMTest {
     void testAtomSwap() {
         Atom a = new Atom(100);
         swap(a) { v -> v * 2 }
-        assertEquals a.deref(), 200
+        assertEquals deref(a), 200
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -116,6 +119,29 @@ class STMTest {
         }
 
         swap(a) { v -> v + 1 }
-        assertEquals a.deref(), 1
+        assertEquals deref(a), 1
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void testBindings() {
+
+        Thread.start {
+            binding([name: "Jim", id: 1]) {
+                testBindingValues("Jim", 1)
+            }
+        }
+
+        Thread.start {
+            binding([name: "Jeff", id: 2]) {
+                testBindingValues("Jeff", 1)
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    void TestBindingValues(String name, int id) {
+        withCurrentBindings { m ->
+            assertEquals m.name, name
+            assertEquals m.id, id
+        }
     }
 }