diff --git a/base-hw/src/base/console.cc b/base-hw/src/base/console.cc
index ddb863675..5b0c53f89 100644
--- a/base-hw/src/base/console.cc
+++ b/base-hw/src/base/console.cc
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@
 #include <base/printf.h>
 #include <drivers/serial_log.h>
 
-/* base-hw includes */
-#include "singleton.h"
+/* base includes */
+#include <unmanaged_singleton.h>
 
 namespace Genode
 {
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ using namespace Genode;
  */
 static Platform_console * platform_console()
 {
-	return unsynchronized_singleton<Platform_console>();
+	return unmanaged_singleton<Platform_console>();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/base-hw/src/base/placement_new.h b/base-hw/src/base/placement_new.h
index 147dbbb1c..64cc33d06 100644
--- a/base-hw/src/base/placement_new.h
+++ b/base-hw/src/base/placement_new.h
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@
 #ifndef _PLACEMENT_NEW_H_
 #define _PLACEMENT_NEW_H_
 
-/**
- * Placement new operator
- */
-inline void *operator new(Genode::size_t, void *at) { return at; }
+/* base includes */
+#include <unmanaged_singleton.h>
+
+/* FIXME: remove this header as soon as the Placeable template is public */
 
 #endif /* _PLACEMENT_NEW_H_ */
diff --git a/base-hw/src/base/singleton.h b/base-hw/src/base/singleton.h
deleted file mode 100644
index ad5c4a90a..000000000
--- a/base-hw/src/base/singleton.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,56 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * \brief  Helper for creating singleton objects
- * \author Norman Feske
- * \date   2013-05-14
- *
- * Before enabling the MMU on ARM, the 'cmpxchg' implementation is not always
- * guaranteed to work. For example, on the Raspberry Pi, the 'ldrex' as used by
- * 'cmpxchg' causes the machine to reboot. After enabling the MMU, everything
- * is fine. Hence, we need to avoid executing 'cmpxchg' prior this point.
- * Unfortunately, 'cmpxchg' is implicitly called each time when creating a
- * singleton object via a local-static object pattern. In this case, the
- * compiler generates code that calls the '__cxa_guard_acquire' function of the
- * C++ runtime, which, in turn, relies 'cmpxchg' for synchronization.
- *
- * The utility provided herein is an alternative way to create single object
- * instances without implicitly calling 'cmpxchg'. Because object creation is
- * not synchronized via a spin lock, it must not be used in scenarios where
- * multiple threads may contend.
- */
-
-/*
- * Copyright (C) 2013 Genode Labs GmbH
- *
- * This file is part of the Genode OS framework, which is distributed
- * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2.
- */
-
-#ifndef _SINGLETON_H_
-#define _SINGLETON_H_
-
-/* Genode includes */
-#include <base/stdint.h>
-
-/* base-hw includes */
-#include <placement_new.h>
-
-template <typename T, int ALIGN = 2, typename... Args>
-static inline T *unsynchronized_singleton(Args... args)
-{
-	/*
-	 * Each instantiation of the function template with a different type 'T'
-	 * yields a dedicated instance of the local static variables, thereby
-	 * creating the living space for the singleton objects.
-	 */
-	static bool initialized;
-	static int inst[sizeof(T)/sizeof(int) + 1] __attribute__((aligned(ALIGN)));
-
-	/* execute constructor on first call */
-	if (!initialized) {
-		initialized = true;
-		new (&inst) T(args...);
-	}
-	return reinterpret_cast<T *>(inst);
-}
-
-#endif /* _SINGLETON_H_ */
diff --git a/base-hw/src/core/kernel/kernel.cc b/base-hw/src/core/kernel/kernel.cc
index 5b5b8e2fb..10bbe5203 100644
--- a/base-hw/src/core/kernel/kernel.cc
+++ b/base-hw/src/core/kernel/kernel.cc
@@ -31,8 +31,10 @@
 #include <timer.h>
 #include <pic.h>
 
+/* base includes */
+#include <unmanaged_singleton.h>
+
 /* base-hw includes */
-#include <singleton.h>
 #include <kernel/perf_counter.h>
 
 using namespace Kernel;
@@ -47,7 +49,7 @@ namespace Kernel
 	/**
 	 * Return interrupt-controller singleton
 	 */
-	Pic * pic() { return unsynchronized_singleton<Pic>(); }
+	Pic * pic() { return unmanaged_singleton<Pic>(); }
 
 	/* import Genode types */
 	typedef Genode::umword_t       umword_t;
@@ -64,15 +66,15 @@ namespace Kernel
 	 */
 	static void idle_main() { while (1) ; }
 
-	Pd_ids * pd_ids() { return unsynchronized_singleton<Pd_ids>(); }
-	Thread_ids * thread_ids() { return unsynchronized_singleton<Thread_ids>(); }
-	Signal_context_ids * signal_context_ids() { return unsynchronized_singleton<Signal_context_ids>(); }
-	Signal_receiver_ids * signal_receiver_ids() { return unsynchronized_singleton<Signal_receiver_ids>(); }
+	Pd_ids * pd_ids() { return unmanaged_singleton<Pd_ids>(); }
+	Thread_ids * thread_ids() { return unmanaged_singleton<Thread_ids>(); }
+	Signal_context_ids * signal_context_ids() { return unmanaged_singleton<Signal_context_ids>(); }
+	Signal_receiver_ids * signal_receiver_ids() { return unmanaged_singleton<Signal_receiver_ids>(); }
 
-	Pd_pool * pd_pool() { return unsynchronized_singleton<Pd_pool>(); }
-	Thread_pool * thread_pool() { return unsynchronized_singleton<Thread_pool>(); }
-	Signal_context_pool * signal_context_pool() { return unsynchronized_singleton<Signal_context_pool>(); }
-	Signal_receiver_pool * signal_receiver_pool() { return unsynchronized_singleton<Signal_receiver_pool>(); }
+	Pd_pool * pd_pool() { return unmanaged_singleton<Pd_pool>(); }
+	Thread_pool * thread_pool() { return unmanaged_singleton<Thread_pool>(); }
+	Signal_context_pool * signal_context_pool() { return unmanaged_singleton<Signal_context_pool>(); }
+	Signal_receiver_pool * signal_receiver_pool() { return unmanaged_singleton<Signal_receiver_pool>(); }
 
 	/**
 	 * Access to static kernel timer
@@ -92,9 +94,8 @@ namespace Kernel
 	static Pd * core()
 	{
 		constexpr int tlb_align = 1 << Core_tlb::ALIGNM_LOG2;
-
-		Core_tlb *core_tlb = unsynchronized_singleton<Core_tlb, tlb_align>();
-		Pd       *pd       = unsynchronized_singleton<Pd>(core_tlb, nullptr);
+		Core_tlb *core_tlb = unmanaged_singleton<Core_tlb, tlb_align>();
+		Pd       *pd       = unmanaged_singleton<Pd>(core_tlb, nullptr);
 		return pd;
 	}
 
@@ -262,8 +263,8 @@ Kernel::Mode_transition_control * Kernel::mtc()
 			sp = (addr_t)&_kernel_stack_high;
 			core()->admit(this);
 		}
-	} * const k = unsynchronized_singleton<Kernel_context>();
+	} * const k = unmanaged_singleton<Kernel_context>();
 
 	/* initialize mode transition page */
-	return unsynchronized_singleton<Mode_transition_control>(k);
+	return unmanaged_singleton<Mode_transition_control>(k);
 }
diff --git a/base-hw/src/core/kernel/object.h b/base-hw/src/core/kernel/object.h
index 407d4bdf2..2f391087e 100644
--- a/base-hw/src/core/kernel/object.h
+++ b/base-hw/src/core/kernel/object.h
@@ -21,9 +21,6 @@
 /* core includes */
 #include <assert.h>
 
-/* base-hw includes */
-#include <singleton.h>
-
 namespace Kernel
 {
 	template <typename T> class Avl_tree : public Genode::Avl_tree<T> { };
diff --git a/base-hw/src/core/kernel/vm.cc b/base-hw/src/core/kernel/vm.cc
index b9a495c89..1cc85ea4a 100644
--- a/base-hw/src/core/kernel/vm.cc
+++ b/base-hw/src/core/kernel/vm.cc
@@ -16,6 +16,6 @@
 
 namespace Kernel
 {
-	Vm_ids * vm_ids() { return unsynchronized_singleton<Vm_ids>(); }
-	Vm_pool * vm_pool() { return unsynchronized_singleton<Vm_pool>(); }
+	Vm_ids * vm_ids() { return unmanaged_singleton<Vm_ids>(); }
+	Vm_pool * vm_pool() { return unmanaged_singleton<Vm_pool>(); }
 }
diff --git a/base-hw/src/core/target.inc b/base-hw/src/core/target.inc
index ad6551119..0675373c2 100644
--- a/base-hw/src/core/target.inc
+++ b/base-hw/src/core/target.inc
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ INC_DIR += $(REP_DIR)/src/core \
            $(BASE_DIR)/src/core/include \
            $(BASE_DIR)/include \
            $(BASE_DIR)/src/platform \
-           $(BASE_DIR)/src/base/thread
+           $(BASE_DIR)/src/base/thread \
+           $(BASE_DIR)/src/base/include
 
 # add C++ sources
 SRC_CC += console.cc \