Index: src/java/javax/jdo/JDOHelper.java
===================================================================
--- src/java/javax/jdo/JDOHelper.java	(revision 488371)
+++ src/java/javax/jdo/JDOHelper.java	(working copy)
@@ -86,6 +86,27 @@
             }
         );
 
+    /** The singleton instance of JDOHelper.
+     * @since 2.1
+     */
+    private static JDOHelper instance = new JDOHelper();
+
+    /**
+     * Return the singleton instance of JDOHelper. This instance is 
+     * thread-safe.
+     * @since 2.1
+     * @return the thread-safe singleton JDOHelper
+     */
+    public static JDOHelper getInstance() {
+        return instance;
+    }
+
+    /** Some applications might prefer to use instance
+     * methods instead of static methods.
+     * @since 2.1
+     */
+    public JDOHelper() {}
+
    /** The stateless instance used for handling non-binary-compatible
     *  implementations of getPersistenceManager.
     */
Index: test/java/javax/jdo/JDOHelperTest.java
===================================================================
--- test/java/javax/jdo/JDOHelperTest.java	(revision 488371)
+++ test/java/javax/jdo/JDOHelperTest.java	(working copy)
@@ -45,6 +45,64 @@
         BatchTestRunner.run(JDOHelperTest.class);
     }
 
+    /** The purpose of this test is simply to call some of the
+     * methods on a constructed instance of JDOHelper and verify that
+     * they do not throw exceptions. It is not a functional test.
+     * @since 2.1
+     */
+    public void testConstructor() {
+        JDOHelper helper = new JDOHelper();
+        assertNull("getObjectId(null) returned non-null", 
+                helper.getObjectId(null));
+        assertNull("getPersistenceManager(null) returned non-null", 
+                helper.getPersistenceManager(null));
+        assertNull("getTransactionalObjectId(null) returned non-null", 
+                helper.getTransactionalObjectId(null));
+        assertNull("getVersion(null) returned non-null", 
+                helper.getVersion(null));
+        assertFalse("isDeleted(null) returned non-null", 
+                helper.isDeleted(null));
+        assertFalse("isDetached(null) returned non-null", 
+                helper.isDetached(null));
+        assertFalse("isDirty(null) returned non-null", 
+                helper.isDirty(null));
+        assertFalse("isNew(null) returned non-null", 
+                helper.isNew(null));
+        assertFalse("isPersistent(null) returned non-null", 
+                helper.isPersistent(null));
+        assertFalse("isTransactional(null) returned non-null", 
+                helper.isTransactional(null));
+    }
+
+    /** The purpose of this test is simply to call some of the
+     * methods on the static instance of JDOHelper and verify that
+     * they do not throw exceptions. It is not a functional test.
+     * @since 2.1
+     */
+    public void testGetInstance() {
+        JDOHelper helper = JDOHelper.getInstance();
+        assertNull("getObjectId(null) returned non-null", 
+                helper.getObjectId(null));
+        assertNull("getPersistenceManager(null) returned non-null", 
+                helper.getPersistenceManager(null));
+        assertNull("getTransactionalObjectId(null) returned non-null", 
+                helper.getTransactionalObjectId(null));
+        assertNull("getVersion(null) returned non-null", 
+                helper.getVersion(null));
+        assertFalse("isDeleted(null) returned non-null", 
+                helper.isDeleted(null));
+        assertFalse("isDetached(null) returned non-null", 
+                helper.isDetached(null));
+        assertFalse("isDirty(null) returned non-null", 
+                helper.isDirty(null));
+        assertFalse("isNew(null) returned non-null", 
+                helper.isNew(null));
+        assertFalse("isPersistent(null) returned non-null", 
+                helper.isPersistent(null));
+        assertFalse("isTransactional(null) returned non-null", 
+                helper.isTransactional(null));
+    }
+
     /** */
     public void testGetPM() {
         PCPoint p = new PCPoint(1, new Integer(1));