diff --git a/panda/src/pipeline/conditionVarDebug.cxx b/panda/src/pipeline/conditionVarDebug.cxx
index 423d4cd757..d8a482b52f 100755
--- a/panda/src/pipeline/conditionVarDebug.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/pipeline/conditionVarDebug.cxx
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ wait() {
     return;
   }
 
-  if (thread_cat.is_spam()) {
+  if (thread_cat->is_spam()) {
     thread_cat.spam()
       << *Thread::get_current_thread() << " waiting on " << *this << "\n";
   }
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ signal() {
     return;
   }
 
-  if (thread_cat.is_spam()) {
+  if (thread_cat->is_spam()) {
     thread_cat.spam()
       << *Thread::get_current_thread() << " signalling " << *this << "\n";
   }
diff --git a/panda/src/pipeline/conditionVarFullDebug.cxx b/panda/src/pipeline/conditionVarFullDebug.cxx
index 273a76a72d..4997bf21e6 100644
--- a/panda/src/pipeline/conditionVarFullDebug.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/pipeline/conditionVarFullDebug.cxx
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ wait() {
     return;
   }
 
-  if (thread_cat.is_spam()) {
+  if (thread_cat->is_spam()) {
     thread_cat.spam()
       << *Thread::get_current_thread() << " waiting on " << *this << "\n";
   }
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ signal() {
     return;
   }
 
-  if (thread_cat.is_spam()) {
+  if (thread_cat->is_spam()) {
     thread_cat.spam()
       << *Thread::get_current_thread() << " signalling " << *this << "\n";
   }
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ signal_all() {
     return;
   }
 
-  if (thread_cat.is_spam()) {
+  if (thread_cat->is_spam()) {
     thread_cat.spam()
       << *Thread::get_current_thread() << " signalling all " << *this << "\n";
   }
diff --git a/panda/src/pipeline/mutexDebug.cxx b/panda/src/pipeline/mutexDebug.cxx
index 9386c9e4f4..dd77309e3d 100755
--- a/panda/src/pipeline/mutexDebug.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/pipeline/mutexDebug.cxx
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ do_lock() {
 
     // Go to sleep on the condition variable until it's unlocked.
 
-    if (thread_cat.is_debug()) {
+    if (thread_cat->is_debug()) {
       thread_cat.debug()
         << *this_thread << " blocking on " << *this << " (held by "
         << *_locking_thread << ")\n";
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ do_debug_is_locked() const {
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 void MutexDebug::
 report_deadlock(Thread *this_thread) {
-  thread_cat.error()
+  thread_cat->error()
     << "\n\n"
     << "****************************************************************\n"
     << "*****                 Deadlock detected!                   *****\n"
diff --git a/panda/src/pipeline/thread.cxx b/panda/src/pipeline/thread.cxx
index ca83005710..33a567e83b 100644
--- a/panda/src/pipeline/thread.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/pipeline/thread.cxx
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ start(ThreadPriority priority, bool joinable) {
   nassertr(!_started, false);
 
   if (!support_threads) {
-    thread_cat.warning()
+    thread_cat->warning()
       << *this << " could not be started: support-threads is false.\n";
     return false;
   }
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ start(ThreadPriority priority, bool joinable) {
   _started = _impl.start(priority, joinable);
 
   if (!_started) {
-    thread_cat.warning()
+    thread_cat->warning()
       << *this << " could not be started!\n";
   }
 
diff --git a/panda/src/pipeline/threadPosixImpl.cxx b/panda/src/pipeline/threadPosixImpl.cxx
index 1d199ca956..68fe2a5bca 100644
--- a/panda/src/pipeline/threadPosixImpl.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/pipeline/threadPosixImpl.cxx
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ bool ThreadPosixImpl::_got_pt_ptr_index = false;
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 ThreadPosixImpl::
 ~ThreadPosixImpl() {
-  if (thread_cat.is_debug()) {
+  if (thread_cat->is_debug()) {
     thread_cat.debug() 
       << "Deleting thread " << _parent_obj->get_name() << "\n";
   }
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ setup_main_thread() {
 bool ThreadPosixImpl::
 start(ThreadPriority priority, bool joinable) {
   _mutex.lock();
-  if (thread_cat.is_debug()) {
+  if (thread_cat->is_debug()) {
     thread_cat.debug() << "Starting " << *_parent_obj << "\n";
   }
 
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ start(ThreadPriority priority, bool joinable) {
 
   int result = pthread_attr_setstacksize(&attr, thread_stack_size);
   if (result != 0) {
-    thread_cat.warning()
+    thread_cat->warning()
       << "Unable to set stack size.\n";
   }
 
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ start(ThreadPriority priority, bool joinable) {
   // run in parallel with other threads.
   result = pthread_attr_setscope(&attr, PTHREAD_SCOPE_SYSTEM);
   if (result != 0) {
-    thread_cat.warning()
+    thread_cat->warning()
       << "Unable to set system scope.\n";
   }
 
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ start(ThreadPriority priority, bool joinable) {
   int current_policy = SCHED_OTHER;
   result = pthread_attr_setschedpolicy(&attr, current_policy);
   if (result != 0) {
-    thread_cat.warning()
+    thread_cat->warning()
       << "Unable to set scheduling policy.\n";
 
   }
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ start(ThreadPriority priority, bool joinable) {
   }
   
   if (result != 0) {
-    thread_cat.warning()
+    thread_cat->warning()
       << "Unable to specify thread priority.\n";
   }
 
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ root_func(void *data) {
     
     self->_parent_obj->thread_main();
     
-    if (thread_cat.is_debug()) {
+    if (thread_cat->is_debug()) {
       thread_cat.debug()
         << "Terminating thread " << self->_parent_obj->get_name() 
         << ", count = " << self->_parent_obj->get_ref_count() << "\n";
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ init_pt_ptr_index() {
 
   int result = pthread_key_create(&_pt_ptr_index, NULL);
   if (result != 0) {
-    thread_cat.error()
+    thread_cat->error()
       << "Unable to associate Thread pointers with threads.\n";
     return;
   }
diff --git a/panda/src/pipeline/threadSimpleImpl.cxx b/panda/src/pipeline/threadSimpleImpl.cxx
index ff651a5019..56a0066135 100644
--- a/panda/src/pipeline/threadSimpleImpl.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/pipeline/threadSimpleImpl.cxx
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ ThreadSimpleImpl(Thread *parent_obj) :
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 ThreadSimpleImpl::
 ~ThreadSimpleImpl() {
-  if (thread_cat.is_debug()) {
+  if (thread_cat->is_debug()) {
     thread_cat.debug() 
       << "Deleting thread " << _parent_obj->get_name() << "\n";
   }
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ setup_main_thread() {
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 bool ThreadSimpleImpl::
 start(ThreadPriority priority, bool joinable) {
-  if (thread_cat.is_debug()) {
+  if (thread_cat->is_debug()) {
     thread_cat.debug() << "Starting " << *_parent_obj << "\n";
   }
 
diff --git a/panda/src/pipeline/threadSimpleManager.cxx b/panda/src/pipeline/threadSimpleManager.cxx
index cc150b6147..73a8c6e63f 100644
--- a/panda/src/pipeline/threadSimpleManager.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/pipeline/threadSimpleManager.cxx
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ enqueue_ready(ThreadSimpleImpl *thread) {
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 void ThreadSimpleManager::
 enqueue_sleep(ThreadSimpleImpl *thread, double seconds) {
-  if (thread_cat.is_debug()) {
+  if (thread_cat->is_debug()) {
     thread_cat.debug()
       << *_current_thread->_parent_obj << " sleeping for " 
       << seconds << " seconds\n";
@@ -434,7 +434,7 @@ choose_next_context() {
       // All threads are sleeping.
       double wait = _sleeping.front()->_start_time - now;
       if (wait > 0.0) {
-        if (thread_cat.is_debug()) {
+        if (thread_cat->is_debug()) {
           thread_cat.debug()
             << "Sleeping all threads " << wait << " seconds\n";
         }
@@ -446,7 +446,7 @@ choose_next_context() {
     } else {
       // No threads are ready!
       if (!_blocked.empty()) {
-        thread_cat.error()
+        thread_cat->error()
           << "Deadlock!  All threads blocked.\n";
         report_deadlock();
         abort();
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ choose_next_context() {
       // No threads are queued anywhere.  This is some kind of
       // internal error, since normally the main thread, at least,
       // should be queued somewhere.
-      thread_cat.error()
+      thread_cat->error()
         << "All threads disappeared!\n";
       exit(0);
     }
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ choose_next_context() {
   _current_thread->_start_time = now;
 
   // All right, the thread is ready to roll.  Begin.
-  if (thread_cat.is_debug()) {
+  if (thread_cat->is_debug()) {
     size_t blocked_count = 0;
     Blocked::const_iterator bi;
     for (bi = _blocked.begin(); bi != _blocked.end(); ++bi) {
@@ -550,7 +550,7 @@ kill_non_joinable(ThreadSimpleManager::FifoThreads &threads) {
     if (thread->_joinable) {
       new_threads.push_back(thread);
     } else {
-      if (thread_cat.is_debug()) {
+      if (thread_cat->is_debug()) {
         thread_cat.debug()
           << "Killing " << *thread->_parent_obj << "\n";
       }
@@ -577,7 +577,7 @@ kill_non_joinable(ThreadSimpleManager::Sleeping &threads) {
     if (thread->_joinable) {
       new_threads.push_back(thread);
     } else {
-      if (thread_cat.is_debug()) {
+      if (thread_cat->is_debug()) {
         thread_cat.debug()
           << "Killing " << *thread->_parent_obj << "\n";
       }
diff --git a/panda/src/pipeline/threadWin32Impl.cxx b/panda/src/pipeline/threadWin32Impl.cxx
index 6716c9080f..156418ec5f 100644
--- a/panda/src/pipeline/threadWin32Impl.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/pipeline/threadWin32Impl.cxx
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ bool ThreadWin32Impl::_got_pt_ptr_index = false;
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 ThreadWin32Impl::
 ~ThreadWin32Impl() {
-  if (thread_cat.is_debug()) {
+  if (thread_cat->is_debug()) {
     thread_cat.debug() << "Deleting thread " << _parent_obj->get_name() << "\n";
   }
 
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ setup_main_thread() {
 bool ThreadWin32Impl::
 start(ThreadPriority priority, bool joinable) {
   _mutex.lock();
-  if (thread_cat.is_debug()) {
+  if (thread_cat->is_debug()) {
     thread_cat.debug() << "Starting " << *_parent_obj << "\n";
   }
 
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ root_func(LPVOID data) {
     
     self->_parent_obj->thread_main();
     
-    if (thread_cat.is_debug()) {
+    if (thread_cat->is_debug()) {
       thread_cat.debug()
         << "Terminating thread " << self->_parent_obj->get_name() 
         << ", count = " << self->_parent_obj->get_ref_count() << "\n";
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ init_pt_ptr_index() {
 
   _pt_ptr_index = TlsAlloc();
   if (_pt_ptr_index == TLS_OUT_OF_INDEXES) {
-    thread_cat.error()
+    thread_cat->error()
       << "Unable to associate Thread pointers with threads.\n";
     return;
   }