diff --git a/yasmin/include/yasmin/blackboard/blackboard.hpp b/yasmin/include/yasmin/blackboard/blackboard.hpp
index 68487de..8e3c6c8 100644
--- a/yasmin/include/yasmin/blackboard/blackboard.hpp
+++ b/yasmin/include/yasmin/blackboard/blackboard.hpp
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #define YASMIN_BLACKBOARD_HPP
 
 #include <map>
+#include <mutex>
 #include <string>
 
 #include "yasmin/blackboard/blackboard_value.hpp"
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ namespace blackboard {
 class Blackboard {
 
 private:
+  std::recursive_mutex mutex;
   std::map<std::string, BlackboardValueInterface *> values;
 
 public:
@@ -35,17 +37,10 @@ class Blackboard {
   Blackboard(const Blackboard &other);
   ~Blackboard();
 
-  template <class T> void set(std::string name, T value) {
-    if (!this->contains(name)) {
-      BlackboardValue<T> *b_value = new BlackboardValue<T>(value);
-      this->values.insert({name, b_value});
+  template <class T> T get(std::string name) {
 
-    } else {
-      ((BlackboardValue<T> *)this->values.at(name))->set(value);
-    }
-  }
+    std::lock_guard<std::recursive_mutex> lk(this->mutex);
 
-  template <class T> T get(std::string name) {
     if (!this->contains(name)) {
       throw "Element " + name + " does not exist in the blackboard";
     }
@@ -54,8 +49,22 @@ class Blackboard {
     return b_value->get();
   }
 
-  bool contains(std::string name);
+  template <class T> void set(std::string name, T value) {
 
+    std::lock_guard<std::recursive_mutex> lk(this->mutex);
+
+    if (!this->contains(name)) {
+      BlackboardValue<T> *b_value = new BlackboardValue<T>(value);
+      this->values.insert({name, b_value});
+
+    } else {
+      ((BlackboardValue<T> *)this->values.at(name))->set(value);
+    }
+  }
+
+  void remove(std::string name);
+  bool contains(std::string name);
+  int size();
   std::string to_string();
 };
 
diff --git a/yasmin/src/yasmin/blackboard/blackboard.cpp b/yasmin/src/yasmin/blackboard/blackboard.cpp
index 0c96af2..5f1a894 100644
--- a/yasmin/src/yasmin/blackboard/blackboard.cpp
+++ b/yasmin/src/yasmin/blackboard/blackboard.cpp
@@ -34,12 +34,26 @@ Blackboard::~Blackboard() {
   }
 }
 
+void Blackboard::remove(std::string name) {
+  std::lock_guard<std::recursive_mutex> lk(this->mutex);
+  delete this->values.at(name);
+  this->values.erase(name);
+}
+
 bool Blackboard::contains(std::string name) {
+  std::lock_guard<std::recursive_mutex> lk(this->mutex);
   return (this->values.find(name) != this->values.end());
 }
 
+int Blackboard::size() {
+  std::lock_guard<std::recursive_mutex> lk(this->mutex);
+  return this->values.size();
+}
+
 std::string Blackboard::to_string() {
 
+  std::lock_guard<std::recursive_mutex> lk(this->mutex);
+
   std::string result = "Blackboard\n";
 
   for (const auto &ele : this->values) {
diff --git a/yasmin/tests/python/test_blackboard.py b/yasmin/tests/python/test_blackboard.py
index f99cacb..028f139 100644
--- a/yasmin/tests/python/test_blackboard.py
+++ b/yasmin/tests/python/test_blackboard.py
@@ -21,22 +21,21 @@
 class TestBlackboard(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):
-
         self.blackboard = Blackboard()
 
     def test_blackboard_get(self):
-        self.blackboard.__setitem__("foo", "foo")
-        self.assertEqual("foo", self.blackboard.__getitem__("foo"))
+        self.blackboard["foo"] = "foo"
+        self.assertEqual("foo", self.blackboard["foo"])
 
     def test_blackboard_delete(self):
-        self.blackboard.__setitem__("foo", "foo")
-        self.blackboard.__delitem__("foo")
-        self.assertFalse(self.blackboard.__contains__("foo"))
+        self.blackboard["foo"] = "foo"
+        del self.blackboard["foo"]
+        self.assertFalse("foo" in self.blackboard)
 
     def test_blackboard_contains(self):
-        self.blackboard.__setitem__("foo", "foo")
-        self.assertTrue(self.blackboard.__contains__("foo"))
+        self.blackboard["foo"] = "foo"
+        self.assertTrue("foo" in self.blackboard)
 
     def test_blackboard_len(self):
-        self.blackboard.__setitem__("foo", "foo")
-        self.assertEqual(1, self.blackboard.__len__())
+        self.blackboard["foo"] = "foo"
+        self.assertEqual(1, len(self.blackboard))
diff --git a/yasmin/yasmin/blackboard.py b/yasmin/yasmin/blackboard.py
index b58743b..63d9caa 100644
--- a/yasmin/yasmin/blackboard.py
+++ b/yasmin/yasmin/blackboard.py
@@ -14,28 +14,38 @@
 # along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 
-from typing import Any
+from typing import Any, Dict
+from threading import Lock
 
 
 class Blackboard(object):
-    def __init__(self, init=None) -> None:
+
+    def __init__(self, init: Dict[str, Any] = None) -> None:
+        self.__lock = Lock()
+        self._data = {}
         if init is not None:
-            self.__dict__.update(init)
+            self._data.update(init)
 
     def __getitem__(self, key) -> Any:
-        return self.__dict__[key]
+        with self.__lock:
+            return self._data[key]
 
     def __setitem__(self, key, value) -> None:
-        self.__dict__[key] = value
+        with self.__lock:
+            self._data[key] = value
 
     def __delitem__(self, key) -> None:
-        del self.__dict__[key]
+        with self.__lock:
+            del self._data[key]
 
     def __contains__(self, key) -> bool:
-        return key in self.__dict__
+        with self.__lock:
+            return key in self._data
 
     def __len__(self) -> int:
-        return len(self.__dict__)
+        with self.__lock:
+            return len(self._data)
 
     def __repr__(self) -> str:
-        return repr(self.__dict__)
+        with self.__lock:
+            return repr(self._data)
diff --git a/yasmin_ros/tests/python/test_yasmin_ros.py b/yasmin_ros/tests/python/test_yasmin_ros.py
index e324772..91e43ab 100644
--- a/yasmin_ros/tests/python/test_yasmin_ros.py
+++ b/yasmin_ros/tests/python/test_yasmin_ros.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 from threading import Thread
 
 from yasmin_ros import ActionState, ServiceState, MonitorState
-from yasmin_ros.basic_outcomes import SUCCEED, CANCEL, ABORT
+from yasmin_ros.basic_outcomes import SUCCEED, CANCEL, ABORT, TIMEOUT
 
 from example_interfaces.action import Fibonacci
 from example_interfaces.srv import AddTwoInts
@@ -195,4 +195,4 @@ def monitor_handler(blackboard, msg):
         state = MonitorState(String, "test1", [SUCCEED],
                              monitor_handler=monitor_handler,
                              timeout=2)
-        self.assertEqual(CANCEL, state())
+        self.assertEqual(TIMEOUT, state())