diff --git a/vpi/sys_display.c b/vpi/sys_display.c
index 5ed2000ac..bebd2c235 100644
--- a/vpi/sys_display.c
+++ b/vpi/sys_display.c
@@ -1042,6 +1042,10 @@ static char *get_display(unsigned int *rtnsz, const struct strobe_cb_info *info)
   return rtn;
 }
 
+#ifdef BR916_STOPGAP_FIX
+static char br916_hint_issued = 0;
+#endif
+
 static int sys_check_args(vpiHandle callh, vpiHandle argv, const PLI_BYTE8*name,
                           int no_auto, int is_monitor)
 {
@@ -1085,6 +1089,31 @@ static int sys_check_args(vpiHandle callh, vpiHandle argv, const PLI_BYTE8*name,
 	      case vpiTimeVar:
 	      case vpiRealVar:
 	      case vpiStringVar:
+#ifdef BR916_STOPGAP_FIX
+		    // no_auto implies either $strobe or $monitor
+	          if (no_auto) {
+	  	    switch (vpi_get(_vpiFromThr, arg)) {
+		      case _vpiVThr:
+		      case _vpiWord:
+		      case _vpiString:
+	                vpi_printf("SORRY: %s:%d: ",
+				   vpi_get_str(vpiFile, callh),
+	                           (int)vpi_get(vpiLineNo, callh));
+	                vpi_printf("currently only simple signals or constant "
+                                   "expressions may be passed to %s.\n", name);
+			if (!br916_hint_issued) {
+			      vpi_printf("NOTE: You can work round this by "
+					 "assigning the desired expression "
+					 "to an intermediate net (using a "
+					 "continuous assignment) and passing "
+					 "that net to %s.\n", name);
+			}
+	                ret = 1;
+		      default:
+			break;
+		    }
+		  }
+#endif
 	      case vpiSysFuncCall:
 		  break;
 
diff --git a/vpi_user.h b/vpi_user.h
index b767c9efd..dc601509a 100644
--- a/vpi_user.h
+++ b/vpi_user.h
@@ -633,6 +633,25 @@ extern void vpip_make_systf_system_defined(vpiHandle ref);
 extern void vpip_count_drivers(vpiHandle ref, unsigned idx,
                                unsigned counts[4]);
 
+/*
+ * Stopgap fix for br916. We need to reject any attempt to pass a thread
+ * variable to $strobe or $monitor. To do this, we use some private VPI
+ * properties that are normally only used by the VVP thread cleanup code.
+ * Normally the following definitions are provided by vvp/vpi_priv.h, but
+ * for the stopgap fix we need to make them more widely available.
+ */
+#define BR916_STOPGAP_FIX
+#ifdef BR916_STOPGAP_FIX
+#define _vpiFromThr 0x1000001
+#   define _vpiNoThr   0
+#   define _vpiString  1
+#   define _vpiVThr    2
+#   define _vpiWord    3
+#   define _vpi_at_PV  4
+#   define _vpi_at_A   5
+#   define _vpi_at_APV 6
+#endif
+
 EXTERN_C_END
 
 #endif
diff --git a/vvp/array.cc b/vvp/array.cc
index 430c96e78..a798c920d 100644
--- a/vvp/array.cc
+++ b/vvp/array.cc
@@ -618,7 +618,7 @@ static int vpi_array_var_word_get(int code, vpiHandle ref)
 	  case vpiAutomatic:
 	    return (int) parent->scope->is_automatic;
 
-#ifdef CHECK_WITH_VALGRIND
+#if defined(CHECK_WITH_VALGRIND) || defined(BR916_STOPGAP_FIX)
 	  case _vpiFromThr:
 	    return _vpiNoThr;
 #endif
@@ -768,7 +768,7 @@ static int vpi_array_vthr_A_get(int code, vpiHandle ref)
 	  case vpiAutomatic:
 	    return (int) parent->scope->is_automatic;
 
-#ifdef CHECK_WITH_VALGRIND
+#if defined(CHECK_WITH_VALGRIND) || defined(BR916_STOPGAP_FIX)
 	  case _vpiFromThr:
 	    return _vpi_at_A;
 #endif
@@ -936,7 +936,7 @@ static int vpi_array_vthr_APV_get(int code, vpiHandle ref)
 	  case vpiAutomatic:
 	    return (int) parent->scope->is_automatic;
 
-#ifdef CHECK_WITH_VALGRIND
+#if defined(CHECK_WITH_VALGRIND) || defined(BR916_STOPGAP_FIX)
 	  case _vpiFromThr:
 	    return _vpi_at_APV;
 #endif
diff --git a/vvp/vpi_const.cc b/vvp/vpi_const.cc
index 5e90851a5..8406fade9 100644
--- a/vvp/vpi_const.cc
+++ b/vvp/vpi_const.cc
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ int __vpiStringConst::vpi_get(int code)
           case vpiAutomatic:
 	      return 0;
 
-#ifdef CHECK_WITH_VALGRIND
+#if defined(CHECK_WITH_VALGRIND) || defined(BR916_STOPGAP_FIX)
           case _vpiFromThr:
 	      return _vpiNoThr;
 #endif
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ int __vpiBinaryConst::vpi_get(int code)
           case vpiAutomatic:
 	    return 0;
 
-#ifdef CHECK_WITH_VALGRIND
+#if defined(CHECK_WITH_VALGRIND) || defined(BR916_STOPGAP_FIX)
           case _vpiFromThr:
 	      return _vpiNoThr;
 #endif
@@ -555,7 +555,7 @@ int __vpiDecConst::vpi_get(int code)
           case vpiAutomatic:
 	    return 0;
 
-#ifdef CHECK_WITH_VALGRIND
+#if defined(CHECK_WITH_VALGRIND) || defined(BR916_STOPGAP_FIX)
           case _vpiFromThr:
 	      return _vpiNoThr;
 #endif
@@ -643,7 +643,7 @@ int __vpiRealConst::vpi_get(int code)
           case vpiAutomatic:
 	    return 0;
 
-#ifdef CHECK_WITH_VALGRIND
+#if defined(CHECK_WITH_VALGRIND) || defined(BR916_STOPGAP_FIX)
           case _vpiFromThr:
 	      return _vpiNoThr;
 #endif
diff --git a/vvp/vpi_priv.h b/vvp/vpi_priv.h
index 69ce30444..a547e71c3 100644
--- a/vvp/vpi_priv.h
+++ b/vvp/vpi_priv.h
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ extern vpiHandle vpip_build_file_line(char*description,
 /*
  * Private VPI properties that are only used in the cleanup code.
  */
-#ifdef CHECK_WITH_VALGRIND
+#if defined(CHECK_WITH_VALGRIND) && !defined(BR916_STOPGAP_FIX)
 #define _vpiFromThr 0x1000001
 #   define _vpiNoThr   0
 #   define _vpiString  1
diff --git a/vvp/vpi_signal.cc b/vvp/vpi_signal.cc
index eb8903d8c..86fb6eba5 100644
--- a/vvp/vpi_signal.cc
+++ b/vvp/vpi_signal.cc
@@ -570,6 +570,11 @@ static int signal_get(int code, vpiHandle ref)
           case vpiAutomatic:
             return (int) vpip_scope(rfp)->is_automatic;
 
+#ifdef BR916_STOPGAP_FIX
+          case _vpiFromThr:
+            return _vpiNoThr;
+#endif
+
 	    // This private property must return zero when undefined.
 	  case _vpiNexusId:
 	    if (rfp->msb == rfp->lsb)
@@ -1196,7 +1201,7 @@ static int PV_get(int code, vpiHandle ref)
         case vpiAutomatic:
             return vpi_get(vpiAutomatic, rfp->parent);
 
-#ifdef CHECK_WITH_VALGRIND
+#if defined(CHECK_WITH_VALGRIND) || defined(BR916_STOPGAP_FIX)
         case _vpiFromThr:
             return _vpi_at_PV;
 #endif
diff --git a/vvp/vpi_vthr_vector.cc b/vvp/vpi_vthr_vector.cc
index 335510e5e..f44a4dbc4 100644
--- a/vvp/vpi_vthr_vector.cc
+++ b/vvp/vpi_vthr_vector.cc
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ static int vthr_vec_get(int code, vpiHandle ref)
 	  case vpiSize:
 	    return rfp->wid;
 
-#ifdef CHECK_WITH_VALGRIND
+#if defined(CHECK_WITH_VALGRIND) || defined(BR916_STOPGAP_FIX)
 	  case _vpiFromThr:
 	    return _vpiVThr;
 #endif
@@ -508,7 +508,7 @@ static int vthr_word_get(int code, vpiHandle ref)
 	  case vpiConstType:
 	    return rfp->subtype;
 
-#ifdef CHECK_WITH_VALGRIND
+#if defined(CHECK_WITH_VALGRIND) || defined(BR916_STOPGAP_FIX)
 	  case _vpiFromThr:
 	    return _vpiWord;
 #endif
@@ -660,7 +660,7 @@ int __vpiVThrStrStack::vpi_get(int code)
       switch (code) {
 	  case vpiConstType:
 	    return vpiStringConst;
-#ifdef CHECK_WITH_VALGRIND
+#if defined(CHECK_WITH_VALGRIND) || defined(BR916_STOPGAP_FIX)
 	  case _vpiFromThr:
 	    return _vpiString;
 #endif