diff --git a/sched/environ/env_dup.c b/sched/environ/env_dup.c
index 8a41b393e98ce..389284b9a4229 100644
--- a/sched/environ/env_dup.c
+++ b/sched/environ/env_dup.c
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ int env_dup(FAR struct task_group_s *group, FAR char * const *envcp)
 
   /* Is there an environment ? */
 
-  if (envcp != NULL)
+  if (envcp != NULL && group->tg_envp == NULL)
     {
       /* Pre-emption must be disabled throughout the following because the
        * environment may be shared.
diff --git a/sched/group/group_create.c b/sched/group/group_create.c
index 1648e286f79f1..a8018e7802253 100644
--- a/sched/group/group_create.c
+++ b/sched/group/group_create.c
@@ -40,9 +40,11 @@
 #include "tls/tls.h"
 
 /****************************************************************************
- * Public Data
+ * Private Data
  ****************************************************************************/
 
+static struct task_group_s  g_kthread_group;   /* Shared among kthreads     */
+
 /****************************************************************************
  * Private Functions
  ****************************************************************************/
@@ -119,9 +121,23 @@ int group_initialize(FAR struct task_tcb_s *tcb, uint8_t ttype)
 
   DEBUGASSERT(tcb && !tcb->cmn.group);
 
-  /* Allocate the group structure and assign it to the TCB */
+  ttype &= TCB_FLAG_TTYPE_MASK;
+
+  /* Initialize group pointer and assign to TCB */
 
-  group = &tcb->group;
+  if (ttype == TCB_FLAG_TTYPE_KERNEL)
+    {
+      group = &g_kthread_group;
+      tcb->cmn.group = group;
+      if (group->tg_info)
+        {
+          return OK;
+        }
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      group = &tcb->group;
+    }
 
 #if defined(CONFIG_MM_KERNEL_HEAP)
   /* If this group is being created for a privileged thread, then all
@@ -222,5 +238,6 @@ void group_postinitialize(FAR struct task_tcb_s *tcb)
    * task has exited.
    */
 
-  group->tg_pid = tcb->cmn.pid;
+  group->tg_pid = (group == &g_kthread_group) ? group->tg_pid :
+                  tcb->cmn.pid;
 }
diff --git a/sched/group/group_setuptaskfiles.c b/sched/group/group_setuptaskfiles.c
index 4c074da887233..f5b31537e3518 100644
--- a/sched/group/group_setuptaskfiles.c
+++ b/sched/group/group_setuptaskfiles.c
@@ -79,7 +79,8 @@ int group_setuptaskfiles(FAR struct task_tcb_s *tcb,
 
   /* Duplicate the parent task's file descriptors */
 
-  ret = files_duplist(&rtcb->group->tg_filelist,
+  ret = (group == rtcb->group) ? OK :
+        files_duplist(&rtcb->group->tg_filelist,
                       &group->tg_filelist, actions, cloexec);
   if (ret >= 0 && actions != NULL)
     {
diff --git a/sched/init/nx_start.c b/sched/init/nx_start.c
index 26fd5400e063e..a38125229841c 100644
--- a/sched/init/nx_start.c
+++ b/sched/init/nx_start.c
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ uint8_t g_nx_initstate;  /* See enum nx_initstate_e */
  * bringing up the rest of the system.
  */
 
-static struct task_tcb_s g_idletcb[CONFIG_SMP_NCPUS];
+static struct tcb_s g_idletcb[CONFIG_SMP_NCPUS];
 
 /* This is the name of the idle task */
 
@@ -350,10 +350,11 @@ static void tasklist_initialize(void)
 
 static void idle_task_initialize(void)
 {
-  FAR struct task_tcb_s *tcb;
+  FAR struct tcb_s *tcb;
   FAR dq_queue_t *tasklist;
   int i;
 
+  memset(g_idletcb, 0, sizeof(g_idletcb));
   for (i = 0; i < CONFIG_SMP_NCPUS; i++)
     {
       tcb = &g_idletcb[i];
@@ -365,9 +366,8 @@ static void idle_task_initialize(void)
        * that has pid == 0 and sched_priority == 0.
        */
 
-      memset(tcb, 0, sizeof(struct task_tcb_s));
-      tcb->cmn.pid        = i;
-      tcb->cmn.task_state = TSTATE_TASK_RUNNING;
+      tcb->pid        = i;
+      tcb->task_state = TSTATE_TASK_RUNNING;
 
       /* Set the entry point.  This is only for debug purposes.  NOTE: that
        * the start_t entry point is not saved.  That is acceptable, however,
@@ -378,14 +378,14 @@ static void idle_task_initialize(void)
 #ifdef CONFIG_SMP
       if (i > 0)
         {
-          tcb->cmn.start      = nx_idle_trampoline;
-          tcb->cmn.entry.main = (main_t)nx_idle_trampoline;
+          tcb->start      = nx_idle_trampoline;
+          tcb->entry.main = (main_t)nx_idle_trampoline;
         }
       else
 #endif
         {
-          tcb->cmn.start      = nx_start;
-          tcb->cmn.entry.main = (main_t)nx_start;
+          tcb->start      = nx_start;
+          tcb->entry.main = (main_t)nx_start;
         }
 
       /* Set the task flags to indicate that this is a kernel thread and, if
@@ -393,8 +393,8 @@ static void idle_task_initialize(void)
        */
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_SMP
-      tcb->cmn.flags = (TCB_FLAG_TTYPE_KERNEL | TCB_FLAG_CPU_LOCKED);
-      tcb->cmn.cpu   = i;
+      tcb->flags = (TCB_FLAG_TTYPE_KERNEL | TCB_FLAG_CPU_LOCKED);
+      tcb->cpu   = i;
 
       /* Set the affinity mask to allow the thread to run on all CPUs.  No,
        * this IDLE thread can only run on its assigned CPU.  That is
@@ -404,19 +404,19 @@ static void idle_task_initialize(void)
        * the IDLE task.
        */
 
-      tcb->cmn.affinity =
+      tcb->affinity =
         (cpu_set_t)(CONFIG_SMP_DEFAULT_CPUSET & SCHED_ALL_CPUS);
 #else
-      tcb->cmn.flags = TCB_FLAG_TTYPE_KERNEL;
+      tcb->flags = TCB_FLAG_TTYPE_KERNEL;
 #endif
 
 #if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0
       /* Set the IDLE task name */
 
 #  ifdef CONFIG_SMP
-      snprintf(tcb->cmn.name, CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE, "CPU%d IDLE", i);
+      snprintf(tcb->name, CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE, "CPU%d IDLE", i);
 #  else
-      strlcpy(tcb->cmn.name, g_idlename, CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE);
+      strlcpy(tcb->name, g_idlename, CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE);
 #  endif
 
       /* Configure the task name in the argument list.  The IDLE task does
@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@ static void idle_task_initialize(void)
        * stack and there is no support that yet.
        */
 
-      g_idleargv[i][0] = tcb->cmn.name;
+      g_idleargv[i][0] = tcb->name;
 #else
       g_idleargv[i][0] = (FAR char *)g_idlename;
 #endif /* CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE */
@@ -437,15 +437,15 @@ static void idle_task_initialize(void)
        */
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_SMP
-      tasklist = TLIST_HEAD(&tcb->cmn, i);
+      tasklist = TLIST_HEAD(tcb, i);
 #else
-      tasklist = TLIST_HEAD(&tcb->cmn);
+      tasklist = TLIST_HEAD(tcb);
 #endif
       dq_addfirst((FAR dq_entry_t *)tcb, tasklist);
 
       /* Mark the idle task as the running task */
 
-      g_running_tasks[i] = &tcb->cmn;
+      g_running_tasks[i] = tcb;
     }
 }
 
@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ static void idle_task_initialize(void)
 
 static void idle_group_initialize(void)
 {
-  FAR struct task_tcb_s *tcb;
+  FAR struct tcb_s *tcb;
   int hashndx;
   int i;
 
@@ -470,16 +470,17 @@ static void idle_group_initialize(void)
       tcb = &g_idletcb[i];
 
       hashndx = PIDHASH(i);
-      nxsched_pidhash()[hashndx] = &tcb->cmn;
+      nxsched_pidhash()[hashndx] = tcb;
 
       /* Allocate the IDLE group */
 
-      DEBUGVERIFY(group_initialize(tcb, tcb->cmn.flags));
-      tcb->cmn.group->tg_info->ta_argv = &g_idleargv[i][0];
+      DEBUGVERIFY(
+        group_initialize((FAR struct task_tcb_s *)tcb, tcb->flags));
+      tcb->group->tg_info->ta_argv = &g_idleargv[i][0];
 
       /* Initialize the task join */
 
-      nxtask_joininit(&tcb->cmn);
+      nxtask_joininit(tcb);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_SMP
       /* Create a stack for all CPU IDLE threads (except CPU0 which already
@@ -488,26 +489,24 @@ static void idle_group_initialize(void)
 
       if (i > 0)
         {
-          DEBUGVERIFY(up_cpu_idlestack(i, &tcb->cmn,
-                CONFIG_IDLETHREAD_STACKSIZE));
+          DEBUGVERIFY(up_cpu_idlestack(i, tcb, CONFIG_IDLETHREAD_STACKSIZE));
         }
 #endif
 
       /* Initialize the processor-specific portion of the TCB */
 
-      up_initial_state(&tcb->cmn);
+      up_initial_state(tcb);
 
       /* Initialize the thread local storage */
 
-      tls_init_info(&tcb->cmn);
+      tls_init_info(tcb);
 
       /* Complete initialization of the IDLE group.  Suppress retention
        * of child status in the IDLE group.
        */
 
-      group_postinitialize(tcb);
-      tcb->cmn.group->tg_flags = GROUP_FLAG_NOCLDWAIT |
-                                 GROUP_FLAG_PRIVILEGED;
+      group_postinitialize((FAR struct task_tcb_s *)tcb);
+      tcb->group->tg_flags = GROUP_FLAG_NOCLDWAIT | GROUP_FLAG_PRIVILEGED;
     }
 }
 
@@ -727,7 +726,7 @@ void nx_start(void)
 
   /* Announce that the CPU0 IDLE task has started */
 
-  sched_note_start(&g_idletcb[0].cmn);
+  sched_note_start(&g_idletcb[0]);
 
   /* Initialize stdio for the IDLE task of each CPU */
 
@@ -737,7 +736,8 @@ void nx_start(void)
         {
           /* Clone stdout, stderr, stdin from the CPU0 IDLE task. */
 
-          DEBUGVERIFY(group_setuptaskfiles(&g_idletcb[i], NULL, true));
+          DEBUGVERIFY(group_setuptaskfiles(
+            (FAR struct task_tcb_s *)&g_idletcb[i], NULL, true));
         }
       else
         {
diff --git a/sched/task/task_create.c b/sched/task/task_create.c
index f934078a374c9..f7b7073495102 100644
--- a/sched/task/task_create.c
+++ b/sched/task/task_create.c
@@ -76,13 +76,14 @@ int nxthread_create(FAR const char *name, uint8_t ttype, int priority,
                     FAR void *stack_addr, int stack_size, main_t entry,
                     FAR char * const argv[], FAR char * const envp[])
 {
-  FAR struct task_tcb_s *tcb;
+  FAR struct tcb_s *tcb;
   pid_t pid;
   int ret;
 
   /* Allocate a TCB for the new task. */
 
-  tcb = kmm_zalloc(sizeof(struct task_tcb_s));
+  tcb = kmm_zalloc(ttype == TCB_FLAG_TTYPE_KERNEL ? sizeof(struct tcb_s) :
+                                               sizeof(struct task_tcb_s));
   if (!tcb)
     {
       serr("ERROR: Failed to allocate TCB\n");
@@ -91,12 +92,12 @@ int nxthread_create(FAR const char *name, uint8_t ttype, int priority,
 
   /* Setup the task type */
 
-  tcb->cmn.flags = ttype | TCB_FLAG_FREE_TCB;
+  tcb->flags = ttype | TCB_FLAG_FREE_TCB;
 
   /* Initialize the task */
 
-  ret = nxtask_init(tcb, name, priority, stack_addr, stack_size,
-                    entry, argv, envp, NULL);
+  ret = nxtask_init((FAR struct task_tcb_s *)tcb, name, priority,
+                    stack_addr, stack_size, entry, argv, envp, NULL);
   if (ret < OK)
     {
       kmm_free(tcb);
@@ -105,11 +106,11 @@ int nxthread_create(FAR const char *name, uint8_t ttype, int priority,
 
   /* Get the assigned pid before we start the task */
 
-  pid = tcb->cmn.pid;
+  pid = tcb->pid;
 
   /* Activate the task */
 
-  nxtask_activate(&tcb->cmn);
+  nxtask_activate(tcb);
 
   return pid;
 }
diff --git a/sched/task/task_setup.c b/sched/task/task_setup.c
index 61a8b615643b1..5255f216c9fb8 100644
--- a/sched/task/task_setup.c
+++ b/sched/task/task_setup.c
@@ -514,6 +514,7 @@ static void nxtask_setup_name(FAR struct task_tcb_s *tcb,
  *
  * Input Parameters:
  *   tcb  - Address of the new task's TCB
+ *   name - Name of the new task
  *   argv - A pointer to an array of input parameters. The array should be
  *          terminated with a NULL argv[] value. If no parameters are
  *          required, argv may be NULL.
@@ -527,6 +528,7 @@ static int nxtask_setup_stackargs(FAR struct task_tcb_s *tcb,
                                   FAR const char *name,
                                   FAR char * const argv[])
 {
+  const uint8_t ttype = tcb->cmn.flags & TCB_FLAG_TTYPE_MASK;
   FAR char **stackargv;
   FAR char *str;
   size_t strtablen;
@@ -630,8 +632,11 @@ static int nxtask_setup_stackargs(FAR struct task_tcb_s *tcb,
 
   stackargv[argc + 1] = NULL;
 
-  tcb->cmn.group->tg_info->ta_argc = argc;
-  tcb->cmn.group->tg_info->ta_argv = stackargv;
+  if (ttype != TCB_FLAG_TTYPE_KERNEL)
+    {
+      tcb->cmn.group->tg_info->ta_argc = argc;
+      tcb->cmn.group->tg_info->ta_argv = stackargv;
+    }
 
   return OK;
 }
diff --git a/sched/task/task_start.c b/sched/task/task_start.c
index 8d6bf9e909a91..a3d6e2e66fa75 100644
--- a/sched/task/task_start.c
+++ b/sched/task/task_start.c
@@ -66,17 +66,18 @@
 void nxtask_start(void)
 {
   FAR struct tcb_s *tcb = this_task();
+  uint8_t ttype = tcb->flags & TCB_FLAG_TTYPE_MASK;
 #ifdef CONFIG_SCHED_STARTHOOK
   FAR struct task_tcb_s *ttcb = (FAR struct task_tcb_s *)tcb;
 #endif
   int exitcode = EXIT_FAILURE;
+  FAR char **argv;
   int argc;
 
-  DEBUGASSERT((tcb->flags & TCB_FLAG_TTYPE_MASK) != \
-              TCB_FLAG_TTYPE_PTHREAD);
+  DEBUGASSERT(ttype != TCB_FLAG_TTYPE_PTHREAD);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_SIG_DEFAULT
-  if ((tcb->flags & TCB_FLAG_TTYPE_MASK) != TCB_FLAG_TTYPE_KERNEL)
+  if (ttype != TCB_FLAG_TTYPE_KERNEL)
     {
       /* Set up default signal actions for NON-kernel thread */
 
@@ -87,33 +88,32 @@ void nxtask_start(void)
   /* Execute the start hook if one has been registered */
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_SCHED_STARTHOOK
-  if (ttcb->starthook != NULL)
+  if (ttype != TCB_FLAG_TTYPE_KERNEL && ttcb->starthook != NULL)
     {
       ttcb->starthook(ttcb->starthookarg);
     }
 #endif
 
-  /* Add program name */
+  /* Take args from stack, as group is shared for kthreads */
 
-  argc = tcb->group->tg_info->ta_argc + 1;
+  argv = nxsched_get_stackargs(tcb);
+  for (argc = 0; argv && argv[argc]; argc++);
 
   /* Call the 'main' entry point passing argc and argv.  In the kernel build
    * this has to be handled differently if we are starting a user-space task;
    * we have to switch to user-mode before calling the task.
    */
 
-  if ((tcb->flags & TCB_FLAG_TTYPE_MASK) == TCB_FLAG_TTYPE_KERNEL)
+  if (ttype == TCB_FLAG_TTYPE_KERNEL)
     {
-      exitcode = tcb->entry.main(argc, tcb->group->tg_info->ta_argv);
+      exitcode = tcb->entry.main(argc, argv);
     }
   else
     {
 #ifdef CONFIG_BUILD_FLAT
-      nxtask_startup(tcb->entry.main, argc,
-                     tcb->group->tg_info->ta_argv);
+      nxtask_startup(tcb->entry.main, argc, argv);
 #else
-      up_task_start(tcb->entry.main, argc,
-                    tcb->group->tg_info->ta_argv);
+      up_task_start(tcb->entry.main, argc, argv);
 #endif
     }