diff --git a/Foundation/include/Poco/Mutex.h b/Foundation/include/Poco/Mutex.h
index c4f849e7d..74c092025 100644
--- a/Foundation/include/Poco/Mutex.h
+++ b/Foundation/include/Poco/Mutex.h
@@ -49,9 +49,16 @@ class Foundation_API Mutex: private MutexImpl
 	/// lock and unlock a mutex.
 {
 public:
+	enum MutexType
+		/// The type of a mutex.
+	{
+		MUTEX_RECURSIVE = MUTEX_RECURSIVE_IMPL,			/// A recursive mutex
+		MUTEX_NONRECURSIVE = MUTEX_NONRECURSIVE_IMPL,	/// A non-recursive mutex
+	};
+
 	typedef Poco::ScopedLock<Mutex> ScopedLock;
 	
-	explicit Mutex(bool recursive = true);
+	explicit Mutex(MutexType type = MUTEX_RECURSIVE);
 		/// creates the Mutex.
 		
 	~Mutex();
diff --git a/Foundation/include/Poco/Mutex_POSIX.h b/Foundation/include/Poco/Mutex_POSIX.h
index db586b745..5dfb83928 100644
--- a/Foundation/include/Poco/Mutex_POSIX.h
+++ b/Foundation/include/Poco/Mutex_POSIX.h
@@ -31,8 +31,15 @@ namespace Poco {
 
 class Foundation_API MutexImpl
 {
+public:
+	enum MutexTypeImpl
+	{
+		MUTEX_RECURSIVE_IMPL,
+		MUTEX_NONRECURSIVE_IMPL,
+	};
+
 protected:
-	MutexImpl(bool recursive);
+	explicit MutexImpl(MutexTypeImpl type);
 	~MutexImpl();
 	void lockImpl();
 	bool tryLockImpl();
diff --git a/Foundation/include/Poco/Mutex_VX.h b/Foundation/include/Poco/Mutex_VX.h
index 27457d5ed..3fbb37834 100644
--- a/Foundation/include/Poco/Mutex_VX.h
+++ b/Foundation/include/Poco/Mutex_VX.h
@@ -31,8 +31,15 @@ namespace Poco {
 
 class Foundation_API MutexImpl
 {
+public:
+	enum MutexTypeImpl
+	{
+		MUTEX_RECURSIVE_IMPL,
+		MUTEX_NONRECURSIVE_IMPL,
+	};
+
 protected:
-	MutexImpl(bool recursive);
+	explicit MutexImpl(MutexTypeImpl type);
 	~MutexImpl();
 	void lockImpl();
 	bool tryLockImpl();
diff --git a/Foundation/include/Poco/Mutex_WIN32.h b/Foundation/include/Poco/Mutex_WIN32.h
index 6ae48d005..e4fc2c55b 100644
--- a/Foundation/include/Poco/Mutex_WIN32.h
+++ b/Foundation/include/Poco/Mutex_WIN32.h
@@ -30,8 +30,15 @@ namespace Poco {
 
 class Foundation_API MutexImpl
 {
+public:
+	enum MutexTypeImpl
+	{
+		MUTEX_RECURSIVE_IMPL,
+		MUTEX_NONRECURSIVE_IMPL,
+	};
+
 protected:
-	MutexImpl(bool recursive);
+	explicit MutexImpl(MutexTypeImpl type);
 	~MutexImpl();
 	void lockImpl();
 	bool tryLockImpl();
diff --git a/Foundation/include/Poco/Mutex_WINCE.h b/Foundation/include/Poco/Mutex_WINCE.h
index 8f672d46d..21fca3f03 100644
--- a/Foundation/include/Poco/Mutex_WINCE.h
+++ b/Foundation/include/Poco/Mutex_WINCE.h
@@ -30,8 +30,15 @@ namespace Poco {
 
 class Foundation_API MutexImpl
 {
+public:
+	enum MutexTypeImpl
+	{
+		MUTEX_RECURSIVE_IMPL,
+		MUTEX_NONRECURSIVE_IMPL,
+	};
+
 protected:
-	MutexImpl(bool recursive);
+	explicit MutexImpl(MutexTypeImpl type);
 	~MutexImpl();
 	void lockImpl();
 	bool tryLockImpl();
diff --git a/Foundation/samples/Benchmark/src/Benchmark.cpp b/Foundation/samples/Benchmark/src/Benchmark.cpp
index dac13c848..02b843c5b 100644
--- a/Foundation/samples/Benchmark/src/Benchmark.cpp
+++ b/Foundation/samples/Benchmark/src/Benchmark.cpp
@@ -49,12 +49,12 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
 	}
 
 	{
-		Poco::Mutex mtx(true);
+		Poco::Mutex mtx(Poco::Mutex::MUTEX_RECURSIVE);
 		Benchmark(mtx, "Mutex(true)");
 	}
 
 	{
-		Poco::Mutex mtx(false);
+		Poco::Mutex mtx(Poco::Mutex::MUTEX_NONRECURSIVE);
 		Benchmark(mtx, "Mutex(false)");
 	}
 
diff --git a/Foundation/src/Mutex.cpp b/Foundation/src/Mutex.cpp
index 5ad648f3d..fa28e7aab 100644
--- a/Foundation/src/Mutex.cpp
+++ b/Foundation/src/Mutex.cpp
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@
 namespace Poco {
 
 
-Mutex::Mutex(bool recursive)
-	: MutexImpl(recursive)
+Mutex::Mutex(MutexType type)
+	: MutexImpl((MutexTypeImpl) type)
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/Foundation/src/Mutex_POSIX.cpp b/Foundation/src/Mutex_POSIX.cpp
index 7d242ed48..c3d63c875 100644
--- a/Foundation/src/Mutex_POSIX.cpp
+++ b/Foundation/src/Mutex_POSIX.cpp
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 namespace Poco {
 
 
-MutexImpl::MutexImpl(bool recursive)
+MutexImpl::MutexImpl(MutexTypeImpl type)
 {
 #if defined(POCO_VXWORKS)
 	// This workaround is for VxWorks 5.x where
@@ -50,9 +50,9 @@ MutexImpl::MutexImpl(bool recursive)
 	pthread_mutexattr_t attr;
 	pthread_mutexattr_init(&attr);
 #if defined(PTHREAD_MUTEX_RECURSIVE_NP)
-	pthread_mutexattr_settype_np(&attr, recursive ? PTHREAD_MUTEX_RECURSIVE_NP : PTHREAD_MUTEX_NORMAL_NP);
+	pthread_mutexattr_settype_np(&attr, type == MUTEX_RECURSIVE_IMPL ? PTHREAD_MUTEX_RECURSIVE_NP : PTHREAD_MUTEX_NORMAL_NP);
 #elif !defined(POCO_VXWORKS)
-	pthread_mutexattr_settype(&attr, recursive ? PTHREAD_MUTEX_RECURSIVE : PTHREAD_MUTEX_NORMAL);
+	pthread_mutexattr_settype(&attr, type == MUTEX_RECURSIVE_IMPL ? PTHREAD_MUTEX_RECURSIVE : PTHREAD_MUTEX_NORMAL);
 #endif
 	if (pthread_mutex_init(&_mutex, &attr))
 	{
diff --git a/Foundation/src/Mutex_VX.cpp b/Foundation/src/Mutex_VX.cpp
index 1ebf73043..352ba826c 100644
--- a/Foundation/src/Mutex_VX.cpp
+++ b/Foundation/src/Mutex_VX.cpp
@@ -21,15 +21,16 @@
 namespace Poco {
 
 
-MutexImpl::MutexImpl(bool recursive)
+MutexImpl::MutexImpl(MutexTypeImpl type)
 {
-	if (recursive)
+	switch (type)
 	{
+	case MUTEX_RECURSIVE_IMPL:
 		_sem = semMCreate(SEM_INVERSION_SAFE | SEM_Q_PRIORITY);
-	}
-	else
-	{
+		break;
+	case MUTEX_NONRECURSIVE_IMPL:
 		_sem = semBCreate(SEM_Q_PRIORITY, SEM_FULL);
+		break;
 	}
 	if (_sem == 0)
 		throw Poco::SystemException("cannot create mutex");
diff --git a/Foundation/src/Mutex_WIN32.cpp b/Foundation/src/Mutex_WIN32.cpp
index f784df9f0..63d3ae161 100644
--- a/Foundation/src/Mutex_WIN32.cpp
+++ b/Foundation/src/Mutex_WIN32.cpp
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@
 namespace Poco {
 
 
-MutexImpl::MutexImpl(bool recursive)
+MutexImpl::MutexImpl(MutexTypeImpl type)
 	: _lockCount(0)
-	, _recursive(recursive)
+	, _recursive(type == MUTEX_RECURSIVE_IMPL)
 {
 	// the fct has a boolean return value under WInnNt/2000/XP but not on Win98
 	// the return only checks if the input address of &_cs was valid, so it is safe to omit it
diff --git a/Foundation/src/Mutex_WINCE.cpp b/Foundation/src/Mutex_WINCE.cpp
index e37ea2a68..6d9f544ca 100644
--- a/Foundation/src/Mutex_WINCE.cpp
+++ b/Foundation/src/Mutex_WINCE.cpp
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@
 namespace Poco {
 
 
-MutexImpl::MutexImpl(bool recursive)
+MutexImpl::MutexImpl(MutexTypeImpl type)
 	: _lockCount(0)
-	, _recursive(recursive)
+	, _recursive(type == MUTEX_RECURSIVE_IMPL)
 {
 	_mutex = CreateMutexW(NULL, FALSE, NULL);
 	if (!_mutex) throw SystemException("cannot create mutex");
diff --git a/Foundation/testsuite/src/MutexTest.cpp b/Foundation/testsuite/src/MutexTest.cpp
index 49019eeaa..9b3f70f24 100644
--- a/Foundation/testsuite/src/MutexTest.cpp
+++ b/Foundation/testsuite/src/MutexTest.cpp
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ namespace
 		{
 			try
 			{
-				Mutex mtx(false);
+				Mutex mtx(Mutex::MUTEX_NONRECURSIVE);
 				mtx.lock();
 				mtx.lock();
 			}
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ MutexTest::~MutexTest()
 
 void MutexTest::testMutexRecursion()
 {
-	Mutex mtx(false);
+	Mutex mtx(Mutex::MUTEX_NONRECURSIVE);
 	mtx.lock();
 	
 	bool success = mtx.tryLock();