Abstract: An embodiment of a method of virtualizing a process identifier begins with creation of a child process from a parent process. The parent process creates the child process by making a system call. If the parent process executes before the child process begins to execute, at a kernel level and without interruption the parent process maps a free virtual process identifier to a kernel process identifier for the child process. If the child process executes before the parent process begins to execute, at the kernel level and without interruption the child process determines the kernel process identifier. The child process then maps the free virtual process identifier to the kernel process identifier.