diff --git a/extras/test/shared_ptr_mt_test.cpp b/extras/test/shared_ptr_mt_test.cpp
index 50a9f51..8a50425 100644
--- a/extras/test/shared_ptr_mt_test.cpp
+++ b/extras/test/shared_ptr_mt_test.cpp
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ int main()
 
     clock_t t = clock();
 
-    pthread_t a[ m ];
+    boost::detail::lw_thread_t a[ m ];
 
     for( int i = 0; i < m; ++i )
     {
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ int main()
 
     for( int j = 0; j < m; ++j )
     {
-        pthread_join( a[j], 0 );
+        boost::detail::lw_thread_join( a[j] );
     }
 
     t = clock() - t;
diff --git a/extras/test/sp_atomic_mt2_test.cpp b/extras/test/sp_atomic_mt2_test.cpp
index 6a2e44e..750b0b2 100644
--- a/extras/test/sp_atomic_mt2_test.cpp
+++ b/extras/test/sp_atomic_mt2_test.cpp
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ int main( int ac, char const * av[] )
 
     clock_t t = clock();
 
-    std::vector<pthread_t> a( m );
+    std::vector<boost::detail::lw_thread_t> a( m );
 
     for( int i = 0; i < m; ++i )
     {
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ int main( int ac, char const * av[] )
 
     for( int j = 0; j < m; ++j )
     {
-        pthread_join( a[ j ], 0 );
+        boost::detail::lw_thread_join( a[ j ] );
     }
 
     t = clock() - t;
diff --git a/extras/test/sp_atomic_mt_test.cpp b/extras/test/sp_atomic_mt_test.cpp
index 0f0bf68..32c76c5 100644
--- a/extras/test/sp_atomic_mt_test.cpp
+++ b/extras/test/sp_atomic_mt_test.cpp
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ int main()
 
     clock_t t = clock();
 
-    pthread_t a[ mr+mw ];
+    boost::detail::lw_thread_t a[ mr+mw ];
 
     for( int i = 0; i < mr; ++i )
     {
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ int main()
 
     for( int j = 0; j < mr+mw; ++j )
     {
-        pthread_join( a[ j ], 0 );
+        boost::detail::lw_thread_join( a[ j ] );
     }
 
     t = clock() - t;
diff --git a/extras/test/weak_ptr_mt_test.cpp b/extras/test/weak_ptr_mt_test.cpp
index 04439e6..5b11ff9 100644
--- a/extras/test/weak_ptr_mt_test.cpp
+++ b/extras/test/weak_ptr_mt_test.cpp
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ int main()
 
     clock_t t = clock();
 
-    pthread_t a[ m ];
+    boost::detail::lw_thread_t a[ m ];
 
     for( int i = 0; i < m; ++i )
     {
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ int main()
 
     for( int j = 0; j < m; ++j )
     {
-        pthread_join( a[j], 0 );
+        boost::detail::lw_thread_join( a[j] );
     }
 
     t = clock() - t;
diff --git a/include/boost/detail/lightweight_thread.hpp b/include/boost/detail/lightweight_thread.hpp
index 2145815..c2930d5 100644
--- a/include/boost/detail/lightweight_thread.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/detail/lightweight_thread.hpp
@@ -10,30 +10,59 @@
 //  boost/detail/lightweight_thread.hpp
 //
 //  Copyright (c) 2002 Peter Dimov and Multi Media Ltd.
-//  Copyright (c) 2008 Peter Dimov
+//  Copyright (c) 2008, 2018 Peter Dimov
 //
 //  Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0.
 //  See accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at
 //  http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt
+//
+//
+//  typedef /*...*/ lw_thread_t; // as pthread_t
+//  template<class F> int lw_thread_create( lw_thread_t & th, F f );
+//  void lw_thread_join( lw_thread_t th );
+
 
 #include <boost/config.hpp>
 #include <memory>
 #include <cerrno>
 
-// pthread_create, pthread_join
-
 #if defined( BOOST_HAS_PTHREADS )
 
 #include <pthread.h>
 
-#else
+namespace boost
+{
+namespace detail
+{
+
+typedef ::pthread_t lw_thread_t;
+
+inline int lw_thread_create_( lw_thread_t* thread, const pthread_attr_t* attr, void* (*start_routine)( void* ), void* arg )
+{
+    return ::pthread_create( thread, attr, start_routine, arg );
+}
+
+inline void lw_thread_join( lw_thread_t th )
+{
+    ::pthread_join( th, 0 );
+}
+
+} // namespace detail
+} // namespace boost
+
+#else // defined( BOOST_HAS_PTHREADS )
 
 #include <windows.h>
 #include <process.h>
 
-typedef HANDLE pthread_t;
+namespace boost
+{
+namespace detail
+{
 
-int pthread_create( pthread_t * thread, void const *, unsigned (__stdcall * start_routine) (void*), void* arg )
+typedef HANDLE lw_thread_t;
+
+inline int lw_thread_create_( lw_thread_t * thread, void const *, unsigned (__stdcall * start_routine) (void*), void* arg )
 {
     HANDLE h = (HANDLE)_beginthreadex( 0, 0, start_routine, arg, 0, 0 );
 
@@ -48,20 +77,20 @@ int pthread_create( pthread_t * thread, void const *, unsigned (__stdcall * star
     }
 }
 
-int pthread_join( pthread_t thread, void ** /*value_ptr*/ )
+inline void lw_thread_join( lw_thread_t thread )
 {
     ::WaitForSingleObject( thread, INFINITE );
     ::CloseHandle( thread );
-    return 0;
 }
 
-#endif
+} // namespace detail
+} // namespace boost
+
+#endif // defined( BOOST_HAS_PTHREADS )
 
-// template<class F> int lw_thread_create( pthread_t & pt, F f );
 
 namespace boost
 {
-
 namespace detail
 {
 
@@ -131,7 +160,7 @@ private:
     F f_;
 };
 
-template<class F> int lw_thread_create( pthread_t & pt, F f )
+template<class F> int lw_thread_create( lw_thread_t & th, F f )
 {
 #if defined(BOOST_NO_CXX11_SMART_PTR)
 
@@ -143,7 +172,7 @@ template<class F> int lw_thread_create( pthread_t & pt, F f )
 
 #endif
 
-    int r = pthread_create( &pt, 0, lw_thread_routine, p.get() );
+    int r = lw_thread_create_( &th, 0, lw_thread_routine, p.get() );
 
     if( r == 0 )
     {
diff --git a/test/lw_thread_test.cpp b/test/lw_thread_test.cpp
index 1da8ed5..1fe2274 100644
--- a/test/lw_thread_test.cpp
+++ b/test/lw_thread_test.cpp
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ void f()
 int main()
 {
     int const N = 4;
-    pthread_t th[ N ] = {};
+    boost::detail::lw_thread_t th[ N ] = {};
 
     for( int i = 0; i < N; ++i )
     {
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ int main()
 
     for( int i = 0; i < N; ++i )
     {
-        pthread_join( th[ i ], 0 );
+        boost::detail::lw_thread_join( th[ i ] );
     }
 
     BOOST_TEST_EQ( count, N );