Index: src/gate/Gate.java
===================================================================
--- src/gate/Gate.java	(revision 7462)
+++ src/gate/Gate.java	(working copy)
@@ -104,8 +104,7 @@
     lastSym = 0;
 
     // create class loader and creole register if they're null
-    if(classLoader == null)
-      classLoader = new GateClassLoader(Gate.class.getClassLoader());
+    getClassLoader();
     if(creoleRegister == null)
       creoleRegister = new CreoleRegisterImpl();
     if(knownPlugins == null) knownPlugins = new ArrayList();
@@ -768,12 +767,30 @@
   private static URL urlBase = null;
 
   /** Class loader used e.g. for loading CREOLE modules, of compiling
-    * JAPE rule RHSs.
-    */
-  private static GateClassLoader classLoader = null;
+   * JAPE rule RHSs.
+   */
+  private static GateClassLoader[] classLoader = new GateClassLoader[]{ null };
+    
+    /** Get the GATE class loader. */
+    public static GateClassLoader getClassLoader()
+    {
+        synchronized (classLoader)
+            {
+                if (classLoader[0] == null)
+                    {
+                        classLoader[0] = new GateClassLoader(Gate.class.getClassLoader());
+                    }
+                return classLoader[0];
+            }
+    }
 
-  /** Get the GATE class loader. */
-  public static GateClassLoader getClassLoader() { return classLoader; }
+    public static void resetClassLoader()
+    {
+        synchronized (classLoader)
+            {
+                classLoader[0] = null;
+            }
+    }
 
   /** The CREOLE register. */
   private static CreoleRegister creoleRegister = null;
Index: src/gate/util/Javac.java
===================================================================
--- src/gate/util/Javac.java	(revision 7462)
+++ src/gate/util/Javac.java	(working copy)
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
    * otherwise.
    */
   private static void setCompilerTypeFromUserConfig() throws GateException {
-    if(classLoader == null) classLoader = Gate.getClassLoader();
+    GateClassLoader classLoader = Gate.getClassLoader();
     // see if the user has expressed a preference
     String compilerType = Gate.getUserConfig().getString(COMPILER_TYPE_KEY);
     // if not, use the default
@@ -133,11 +133,6 @@
   private static Javac compiler = null;
 
   /**
-   * The GATE class loader.
-   */
-  private static GateClassLoader classLoader = null;
-  
-  /**
    * The default compiler to use.
    */
   public static final String DEFAULT_COMPILER = "gate.util.compilers.Eclipse";
Index: src/gate/util/compilers/Eclipse.java
===================================================================
--- src/gate/util/compilers/Eclipse.java	(revision 7462)
+++ src/gate/util/compilers/Eclipse.java	(working copy)
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
    * raised.
    */
   public void compile(final Map sources) throws GateException {
-    if(classLoader == null) classLoader = Gate.getClassLoader();
+    final GateClassLoader classLoader = Gate.getClassLoader();
 
     // store any problems that occur douring compilation
     final Map problems = new HashMap();
@@ -365,5 +365,4 @@
     }
   }
 
-  private static GateClassLoader classLoader;
 }
Index: src/gate/util/compilers/Sun.java
===================================================================
--- src/gate/util/compilers/Sun.java	(revision 7462)
+++ src/gate/util/compilers/Sun.java	(working copy)
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@
    * raised.
    */
   public void compile(Map sources)throws GateException{
-    if(classLoader == null) classLoader = Gate.getClassLoader();
     File workDir;
     File srcDir;
     File classesDir;
@@ -217,6 +216,7 @@
                      "." + classesDirectory.getName();
     }
 
+    GateClassLoader cl = Gate.getClassLoader();
     for(int i = 0; i < files.length; i++){
       if(files[i].isDirectory()) loadAllClasses(files[i], packageName);
       else{
@@ -226,11 +226,10 @@
                              filename.substring(0, filename.length() - 6);
           //load the class from the file
           byte[] bytes = Files.getByteArray(files[i]);
-          classLoader.defineGateClass(className, bytes, 0, bytes.length);
+          cl.defineGateClass(className, bytes, 0, bytes.length);
         }
       }
     }
 
   }
-  protected static GateClassLoader classLoader;
 }