diff --git a/userspace/libscap/settings.h b/userspace/libscap/settings.h
index cbc0b5787e..d1a5cb77b1 100644
--- a/userspace/libscap/settings.h
+++ b/userspace/libscap/settings.h
@@ -4,4 +4,4 @@
 //
 #define INCLUDE_UNKNOWN_SOCKET_FDS
 
-#define USE_ZLIB
+#undef USE_ZLIB
diff --git a/userspace/libsinsp/sinsp.cpp b/userspace/libsinsp/sinsp.cpp
index 3da4470710..cdd7a1d680 100644
--- a/userspace/libsinsp/sinsp.cpp
+++ b/userspace/libsinsp/sinsp.cpp
@@ -669,8 +669,27 @@ sinsp_threadinfo* sinsp::get_thread(int64_t tid, bool query_os_if_not_found, boo
 			newti.m_exe = "<NA>";
 			newti.m_uid = 0xffffffff;
 			newti.m_gid = 0xffffffff;
+			newti.m_nchilds = 0;
 		}
 
+		//
+		// Since this thread is created out of thin air, we need to
+		// properly set its reference count, by scanning the table 
+		//
+		threadinfo_map_t* pttable = &m_thread_manager->m_threadtable;
+		threadinfo_map_iterator_t it;
+
+		for(it = pttable->begin(); it != pttable->end(); ++it)
+		{
+			if(it->second.m_pid == tid)
+			{
+				newti.m_nchilds++;
+			}
+		}
+
+		//
+		// Done. Add the new thread to the list.
+		//
 		m_thread_manager->add_thread(newti);
 		sinsp_proc = m_thread_manager->get_thread(tid, lookup_only);
 	}
diff --git a/userspace/libsinsp/threadinfo.cpp b/userspace/libsinsp/threadinfo.cpp
index 2390bb5924..d806f6637c 100644
--- a/userspace/libsinsp/threadinfo.cpp
+++ b/userspace/libsinsp/threadinfo.cpp
@@ -172,6 +172,7 @@ void sinsp_threadinfo::init(const scap_threadinfo* pi)
 	m_vmswap_kb = pi->vmswap_kb;
 	m_pfmajor = pi->pfmajor;
 	m_pfminor = pi->pfminor;
+	m_nchilds = 0;
 
 	HASH_ITER(hh, pi->fdlist, fdi, tfdi)
 	{