void mythread_fn(void) { static PerlInterpreter *my_perl=NULL; my_perl = perl_alloc(); PERL_SET_CONTEXT(my_perl); perl_construct(my_perl); perl_run(my_perl); while (1) { /* monitor for events */ if (event == xyz) callback_handler(event); } perl_destruct(my_perl); perl_free(my_perl); } void callback_handler(int event) { dTHX; dSP; ENTER; SAVETMPS; SV * sv = disc_callback; /* saved earlier in an API call */ if (sv == (SV*)NULL) croak("Internal error...\n"); PUSHMARK(SP); XPUSHs(sv_2mortal(newSViv(event))); PUTBACK; /* Call the Perl sub */ call_sv(sv, G_DISCARD); /* crashes as shown below in gdb */ FREETMPS; LEAVE; } Part of gdb stacktrace. #0 Perl_pp_entersub (my_perl=0x6587b0) at pp_hot.c:2945 #1 0x00000000004224f3 in S_call_body (my_perl=0x6587b0, myop=0x65a6e0, is_eval=1 '\001') at perl.c:2728 #2 0x00000000004223c4 in Perl_call_sv (my_perl=0x6587b0, sv=0x635420, flags=2) at perl.c:2607