diff --git a/django/utils/thread_support.py b/django/utils/thread_support.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2b97d165ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/django/utils/thread_support.py
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+"""
+Code used in a couple of places to work with the current thread's environment.
+Current users include i18n and request prefix handling.
+"""
+
+try:
+    import threading
+    currentThread = threading.currentThread
+except ImportError:
+    def currentThread():
+        return "no threading"
+
diff --git a/django/utils/translation/trans_real.py b/django/utils/translation/trans_real.py
index 451420c7d8..93bb3c9bf9 100644
--- a/django/utils/translation/trans_real.py
+++ b/django/utils/translation/trans_real.py
@@ -8,18 +8,7 @@ import gettext as gettext_module
 from cStringIO import StringIO
 
 from django.utils.safestring import mark_safe, SafeData
-
-try:
-    import threading
-    hasThreads = True
-except ImportError:
-    hasThreads = False
-
-if hasThreads:
-    currentThread = threading.currentThread
-else:
-    def currentThread():
-        return 'no threading'
+from django.utils.thread_support import currentThread
 
 # Translations are cached in a dictionary for every language+app tuple.
 # The active translations are stored by threadid to make them thread local.