diff --git a/src/tl/tl/tlThreads.h b/src/tl/tl/tlThreads.h
index 1f4a7a870..2fbd7204d 100644
--- a/src/tl/tl/tlThreads.h
+++ b/src/tl/tl/tlThreads.h
@@ -228,7 +228,6 @@ protected:
   }
 };
 
-//  TODO: this is the non-threaded dummy implementation
 template <class T>
 class ThreadStorage
   : public ThreadStorageBase
@@ -253,7 +252,11 @@ public:
 
   void setLocalData (const T &data)
   {
-    add (new ThreadStorageHolder<T> (new T (data)));
+    if (hasLocalData ()) {
+      localData () = data;
+    } else {
+      add (new ThreadStorageHolder<T> (new T (data)));
+    }
   }
 };
 
diff --git a/src/tl/unit_tests/tlThreadsTests.cc b/src/tl/unit_tests/tlThreadsTests.cc
index c5a65d4a5..57d2285a9 100644
--- a/src/tl/unit_tests/tlThreadsTests.cc
+++ b/src/tl/unit_tests/tlThreadsTests.cc
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ TEST(3)
   MyThread3 my_thread;
   my_thread.start ();
   //  While we start the loop inside the thread we run it outside. Since
-  //  the counter is TLS, both loops will to the same but with different data.
+  //  the counter is TLS, both loops will do the same but with different data.
   //  A mutex is not involved.
   EXPECT_EQ (my_thread.do_run (9999999), 9999999);
   my_thread.wait ();