diff --git a/src/main/java/teetime/framework/AbstractRunnableStage.java b/src/main/java/teetime/framework/AbstractRunnableStage.java
index 96906facb7a1bf0eebb35e376493dd6c4a135ebe..0b26490fbd0ce76deef9dda945606eda9f76277f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/teetime/framework/AbstractRunnableStage.java
+++ b/src/main/java/teetime/framework/AbstractRunnableStage.java
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
 abstract class AbstractRunnableStage implements Runnable {
 
-	protected final Stage stage;
+	private final Stage stage;
 	@SuppressWarnings("PMD.LoggerIsNotStaticFinal")
 	protected final Logger logger;
 
@@ -35,13 +35,13 @@ abstract class AbstractRunnableStage implements Runnable {
 		final Stage stage = this.stage;
 
 		try {
-			beforeStageExecution();
+			beforeStageExecution(stage);
 
 			do {
-				executeStage();
+				executeStage(stage);
 			} while (!stage.shouldBeTerminated());
 
-			afterStageExecution();
+			afterStageExecution(stage);
 
 		} catch (Error e) {
 			this.logger.error("Terminating thread due to the following exception: ", e);
@@ -54,9 +54,9 @@ abstract class AbstractRunnableStage implements Runnable {
 		this.logger.debug("Finished runnable stage. (" + stage.getId() + ")");
 	}
 
-	protected abstract void beforeStageExecution();
+	protected abstract void beforeStageExecution(Stage stage);
 
-	protected abstract void executeStage();
+	protected abstract void executeStage(Stage stage);
 
-	protected abstract void afterStageExecution();
+	protected abstract void afterStageExecution(Stage stage);
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/teetime/framework/RunnableConsumerStage.java b/src/main/java/teetime/framework/RunnableConsumerStage.java
index 035ddfc679d8584f32bfc7533fc167ec79039b82..3fc6a173d79b21d0ca75f7e0d4b03bbdf0390854 100644
--- a/src/main/java/teetime/framework/RunnableConsumerStage.java
+++ b/src/main/java/teetime/framework/RunnableConsumerStage.java
@@ -43,12 +43,11 @@ final class RunnableConsumerStage extends AbstractRunnableStage {
 	}
 
 	@Override
-	protected void beforeStageExecution() {
+	protected void beforeStageExecution(final Stage stage) {
 		logger.trace("ENTRY beforeStageExecution");
-		final Stage stage = this.stage;
 
 		do {
-			checkforSignals();
+			checkforSignals(stage);
 			Thread.yield();
 		} while (!stage.isStarted());
 
@@ -56,16 +55,16 @@ final class RunnableConsumerStage extends AbstractRunnableStage {
 	}
 
 	@Override
-	protected void executeStage() {
+	protected void executeStage(final Stage stage) {
 		try {
-			this.stage.executeWithPorts();
+			stage.executeWithPorts();
 		} catch (NotEnoughInputException e) {
-			checkforSignals(); // check for termination
-			executeIdleStrategy();
+			checkforSignals(stage); // check for termination
+			executeIdleStrategy(stage);
 		}
 	}
 
-	private void executeIdleStrategy() {
+	private void executeIdleStrategy(final Stage stage) {
 		if (stage.shouldBeTerminated()) {
 			return;
 		}
@@ -77,8 +76,7 @@ final class RunnableConsumerStage extends AbstractRunnableStage {
 	}
 
 	@SuppressWarnings("PMD.DataflowAnomalyAnalysis")
-	private void checkforSignals() {
-		final Stage stage = this.stage;
+	private void checkforSignals(final Stage stage) {
 		for (InputPort<?> inputPort : inputPorts) {
 			final IPipe pipe = inputPort.getPipe();
 			if (pipe instanceof AbstractInterThreadPipe) { // TODO: is this needed?
@@ -92,7 +90,7 @@ final class RunnableConsumerStage extends AbstractRunnableStage {
 	}
 
 	@Override
-	protected void afterStageExecution() {
+	protected void afterStageExecution(final Stage stage) {
 		// do nothing
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/teetime/framework/RunnableProducerStage.java b/src/main/java/teetime/framework/RunnableProducerStage.java
index fe82c9705d5a4981db6f0bf6acc195cd9748330a..5cb6a047f928876c769874f0c6cfcc75d5d2bfc0 100644
--- a/src/main/java/teetime/framework/RunnableProducerStage.java
+++ b/src/main/java/teetime/framework/RunnableProducerStage.java
@@ -25,20 +25,20 @@ public final class RunnableProducerStage extends AbstractRunnableStage {
 	}
 
 	@Override
-	protected void beforeStageExecution() {
+	protected void beforeStageExecution(final Stage stage) {
 		final StartingSignal startingSignal = new StartingSignal();
-		this.stage.onSignal(startingSignal, null);
+		stage.onSignal(startingSignal, null);
 	}
 
 	@Override
-	protected void executeStage() {
-		this.stage.executeWithPorts();
+	protected void executeStage(final Stage stage) {
+		stage.executeWithPorts();
 	}
 
 	@Override
-	protected void afterStageExecution() {
+	protected void afterStageExecution(final Stage stage) {
 		final TerminatingSignal terminatingSignal = new TerminatingSignal();
-		this.stage.onSignal(terminatingSignal, null);
+		stage.onSignal(terminatingSignal, null);
 	}
 
 }