diff --git a/src/runtime.rs b/src/runtime.rs
index c83ad8ee..70aae023 100644
--- a/src/runtime.rs
+++ b/src/runtime.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 use crate::Query;
 use crate::QueryContext;
+use rustc_hash::FxHashMap;
 use std::cell::RefCell;
 use std::fmt::Write;
-use std::sync::atomic::AtomicU64;
+use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicU64, Ordering};
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
 pub struct Runtime<QC>
@@ -10,9 +11,10 @@ where
     QC: QueryContext,
 {
     shared_state: Arc<SharedState<QC>>,
-    execution_stack: RefCell<Vec<QC::QueryDescriptor>>,
+    local_state: RefCell<LocalState<QC>>,
 }
 
+/// State that will be common to all threads (when we support multiple threads)
 struct SharedState<QC>
 where
     QC: QueryContext,
@@ -21,9 +23,23 @@ where
     revision: AtomicU64,
 }
 
+/// State that will be specific to a single execution threads (when we support multiple threads)
+struct LocalState<QC>
+where
+    QC: QueryContext,
+{
+    query_stack: Vec<QC::QueryDescriptor>,
+}
+
 #[derive(Copy, Clone, Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Hash, PartialOrd, Ord)]
 pub struct Revision {
-    generation: usize,
+    generation: u64,
+}
+
+impl Revision {
+    crate fn zero() -> Self {
+        Revision { generation: 0 }
+    }
 }
 
 impl<QC> Default for Runtime<QC>
@@ -36,7 +52,9 @@ where
                 storage: Default::default(),
                 revision: Default::default(),
             }),
-            execution_stack: RefCell::default(),
+            local_state: RefCell::new(LocalState {
+                query_stack: Default::default(),
+            }),
         }
     }
 }
@@ -49,6 +67,20 @@ where
         &self.shared_state.storage
     }
 
+    /// Read current value of the revision counter.
+    crate fn current_revision(&self) -> Revision {
+        Revision {
+            generation: self.shared_state.revision.load(Ordering::SeqCst),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Increments the current revision counter and returns the new value.
+    crate fn increment_revision(&self) -> Revision {
+        Revision {
+            generation: 1 + self.shared_state.revision.fetch_add(1, Ordering::SeqCst),
+        }
+    }
+
     crate fn execute_query_implementation<Q>(
         &self,
         query: &QC,
@@ -58,23 +90,25 @@ where
     where
         Q: Query<QC>,
     {
-        self.execution_stack.borrow_mut().push(descriptor);
+        self.local_state.borrow_mut().query_stack.push(descriptor);
         let value = Q::execute(query, key.clone());
-        self.execution_stack.borrow_mut().pop();
+        self.local_state.borrow_mut().query_stack.pop();
         value
     }
 
     /// Obviously, this should be user configurable at some point.
     crate fn report_unexpected_cycle(&self, descriptor: QC::QueryDescriptor) -> ! {
-        let execution_stack = self.execution_stack.borrow();
-        let start_index = (0..execution_stack.len())
+        let local_state = self.local_state.borrow();
+        let LocalState { query_stack, .. } = &*local_state;
+
+        let start_index = (0..query_stack.len())
             .rev()
-            .filter(|&i| execution_stack[i] == descriptor)
+            .filter(|&i| query_stack[i] == descriptor)
             .next()
             .unwrap();
 
         let mut message = format!("Internal error, cycle detected:\n");
-        for descriptor in &execution_stack[start_index..] {
+        for descriptor in &query_stack[start_index..] {
             writeln!(message, "- {:?}\n", descriptor).unwrap();
         }
         panic!(message)