diff --git a/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/VTConfig.inc b/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/VTConfig.inc
index 73274edc0..5384f960d 100644
--- a/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/VTConfig.inc
+++ b/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/VTConfig.inc
@@ -36,3 +36,8 @@
 {.$define EnableAccessible}
 {$define UseExternalDragManager}
 {$define UseDelphiCompat}
+
+//under linux the performance is poor with threading enabled
+{$ifdef Windows}
+  {$define EnableThreadSupport}
+{$endif}
diff --git a/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/VirtualTrees.pas b/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/VirtualTrees.pas
index 98483fdec..ecff02137 100644
--- a/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/VirtualTrees.pas
+++ b/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/VirtualTrees.pas
@@ -11730,8 +11730,9 @@ begin
   {$ifdef UseLocalMemoryManager}
     FNodeMemoryManager := TVTNodeMemoryManager.Create;
   {$endif UseLocalMemoryManager}
-
+  {$ifdef EnableThreadSupport}
   AddThreadReference;
+  {$endif}
 end;
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -11740,7 +11741,9 @@ destructor TBaseVirtualTree.Destroy;
 
 begin
   Exclude(FOptions.FMiscOptions, toReadOnly);
+  {$ifdef EnableThreadSupport}
   ReleaseThreadReference(Self);
+  {$endif}
   StopWheelPanning;
   CancelEditNode;
 
@@ -13350,7 +13353,7 @@ var
 
 begin
   DoStateChange([tsStopValidation], [tsUseCache]);
-
+  {$ifdef EnableThreadSupport}
   // Check the worker thread existance. It might already be gone (usually on destruction of the last tree).
   if Assigned(WorkerThread) then
   begin
@@ -13377,6 +13380,7 @@ begin
     else // Remove any pending validation.
       WorkerThread.RemoveTree(Self);
   end;
+  {$endif}
 end;
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -23800,12 +23804,14 @@ begin
   InterruptValidation;
 
   FStartIndex := 0;
+  {$ifdef EnableThreadSupport}
   if tsValidationNeeded in FStates then
   begin
     // Tell the thread this tree needs actually something to do.
     WorkerThread.AddTree(Self);
     WorkEvent.SetEvent;
   end;
+  {$endif}
 end;
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/demos/mininal/Main.lfm b/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/demos/mininal/Main.lfm
index c821e0910..8ebcf663d 100644
--- a/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/demos/mininal/Main.lfm
+++ b/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/demos/mininal/Main.lfm
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 object MainForm: TMainForm
-  Left = 353
+  Left = 437
   Height = 481
-  Top = 172
+  Top = 278
   Width = 425
   HorzScrollBar.Page = 424
   VertScrollBar.Page = 480
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ object MainForm: TMainForm
     Left = 12
     Height = 14
     Top = 12
-    Width = 117
+    Width = 152
     Caption = 'Last operation duration:'
     Color = clNone
     ParentColor = False
diff --git a/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/demos/mininal/Main.lrs b/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/demos/mininal/Main.lrs
index 79ba46ff3..196030928 100644
--- a/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/demos/mininal/Main.lrs
+++ b/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/demos/mininal/Main.lrs
@@ -1,15 +1,13 @@
-{ This is an automatically generated lazarus resource file }
-
 LazarusResources.Add('TMainForm','FORMDATA',[
-  'TPF0'#9'TMainForm'#8'MainForm'#4'Left'#3'a'#1#6'Height'#3#225#1#3'Top'#3#172
-  +#0#5'Width'#3#169#1#18'HorzScrollBar.Page'#3#168#1#18'VertScrollBar.Page'#3
+  'TPF0'#9'TMainForm'#8'MainForm'#4'Left'#3#181#1#6'Height'#3#225#1#3'Top'#3#22
+  +#1#5'Width'#3#169#1#18'HorzScrollBar.Page'#3#168#1#18'VertScrollBar.Page'#3
   +#224#1#13'ActiveControl'#7#3'VST'#7'Caption'#6#28'Simple Virtual Treeview de'
   +'mo'#11'Font.Height'#2#245#9'Font.Name'#6#13'MS Sans Serif'#8'OnCreate'#7#10
   +'FormCreate'#0#6'TLabel'#6'Label1'#4'Left'#2#12#6'Height'#2#14#3'Top'#2#12#5
-  +'Width'#2'u'#7'Caption'#6#24'Last operation duration:'#5'Color'#7#6'clNone'
-  +#11'ParentColor'#8#0#0#18'TVirtualStringTree'#3'VST'#4'Left'#2#8#6'Height'#3
-  +'>'#1#3'Top'#2'$'#5'Width'#3#141#1#7'Anchors'#11#5'akTop'#6'akLeft'#7'akRigh'
-  +'t'#8'akBottom'#0#11'BorderStyle'#7#8'bsSingle'#18'Colors.BorderColor'#7#12
+  +'Width'#3#152#0#7'Caption'#6#24'Last operation duration:'#5'Color'#7#6'clNon'
+  +'e'#11'ParentColor'#8#0#0#18'TVirtualStringTree'#3'VST'#4'Left'#2#8#6'Height'
+  +#3'>'#1#3'Top'#2'$'#5'Width'#3#141#1#7'Anchors'#11#5'akTop'#6'akLeft'#7'akRi'
+  +'ght'#8'akBottom'#0#11'BorderStyle'#7#8'bsSingle'#18'Colors.BorderColor'#7#12
   +'clWindowText'#15'Colors.HotColor'#7#7'clBlack'#5'Ctl3D'#9#20'Header.AutoSiz'
   +'eIndex'#2#255#18'Header.Font.Height'#2#245#16'Header.Font.Name'#6#13'MS San'
   +'s Serif'#17'Header.MainColumn'#2#255#14'Header.Options'#11#14'hoColumnResiz'
diff --git a/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/demos/mininal/Main.pas b/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/demos/mininal/Main.pas
index a0699274b..0d72352b9 100644
--- a/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/demos/mininal/Main.pas
+++ b/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/demos/mininal/Main.pas
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 unit Main;
 
 {$MODE Delphi}
-{$define DEBUG}
+{.$define DEBUG}
 
 // Demonstration project for TVirtualStringTree to generally show how to get started.
 // Written by Mike Lischke.
diff --git a/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/demos/mininal/minimal_lcl.lpi b/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/demos/mininal/minimal_lcl.lpi
index c4f7cf33d..6c8bdcb12 100644
--- a/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/demos/mininal/minimal_lcl.lpi
+++ b/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/demos/mininal/minimal_lcl.lpi
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?xml version="1.0"?>
 <CONFIG>
   <ProjectOptions>
-    <PathDelim Value="\"/>
+    <PathDelim Value="/"/>
     <Version Value="5"/>
     <General>
       <Flags>
@@ -26,16 +26,13 @@
         <LaunchingApplication PathPlusParams="/usr/X11R6/bin/xterm -T 'Lazarus Run Output' -e $(LazarusDir)/tools/runwait.sh $(TargetCmdLine)"/>
       </local>
     </RunParams>
-    <RequiredPackages Count="3">
+    <RequiredPackages Count="2">
       <Item1>
         <PackageName Value="virtualtreeview_package"/>
       </Item1>
       <Item2>
-        <PackageName Value="miscutils_package"/>
-      </Item2>
-      <Item3>
         <PackageName Value="LCL"/>
-      </Item3>
+      </Item2>
     </RequiredPackages>
     <Units Count="4">
       <Unit0>
@@ -59,7 +56,7 @@
         <UnitName Value="Main"/>
       </Unit2>
       <Unit3>
-        <Filename Value="..\..\units\gtk\mmsystem.pas"/>
+        <Filename Value="../../units/gtk/mmsystem.pas"/>
         <IsPartOfProject Value="True"/>
         <UnitName Value="mmsystem"/>
       </Unit3>
@@ -67,7 +64,6 @@
   </ProjectOptions>
   <CompilerOptions>
     <Version Value="5"/>
-    <PathDelim Value="\"/>
     <CodeGeneration>
       <Generate Value="Faster"/>
     </CodeGeneration>
diff --git a/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/demos/mininal/minimal_lcl.lpr b/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/demos/mininal/minimal_lcl.lpr
index 507099338..9b31f8c92 100644
--- a/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/demos/mininal/minimal_lcl.lpr
+++ b/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/demos/mininal/minimal_lcl.lpr
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ uses
   {$ENDIF}{$ENDIF}
   Interfaces, // this includes the LCL widgetset
   Forms
-  { add your units here }, Main, miscutils_package, virtualtreeview_package,
+  { add your units here }, Main, virtualtreeview_package,
   mmsystem;
 
 begin
diff --git a/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/demos/objects/mvcdemo.lpi b/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/demos/objects/mvcdemo.lpi
index 3eac47e8b..f6ba1e087 100644
--- a/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/demos/objects/mvcdemo.lpi
+++ b/components/virtualtreeview-unstable/demos/objects/mvcdemo.lpi
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?xml version="1.0"?>
 <CONFIG>
   <ProjectOptions>
-    <PathDelim Value="\"/>
+    <PathDelim Value="/"/>
     <Version Value="5"/>
     <General>
       <Flags>
@@ -65,7 +65,6 @@
   </ProjectOptions>
   <CompilerOptions>
     <Version Value="5"/>
-    <PathDelim Value="\"/>
     <CodeGeneration>
       <Generate Value="Faster"/>
     </CodeGeneration>