diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 05cf0988e1..2f74f2599d 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ else
 DOCS=
 endif
 
-LIBS+=$(PTHREADLIBS)
 LIBS+=$(CLOCKLIBS)
 
 ifdef CONFIG_SOLARIS
diff --git a/Makefile.target b/Makefile.target
index c32367f7a3..47343bb5ba 100644
--- a/Makefile.target
+++ b/Makefile.target
@@ -202,7 +202,6 @@ signal.o: CFLAGS += $(HELPER_CFLAGS)
 ARLIBS=../libqemu_user.a libqemu.a
 endif #CONFIG_LINUX_USER
 
-LIBS+= $(PTHREADLIBS)
 LIBS+= $(CLOCKLIBS)
 
 #########################################################
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 249229363e..aadc1d2820 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1144,7 +1144,6 @@ fi
 ##########################################
 # pthread probe
 PTHREADLIBS_LIST="-lpthread -lpthreadGC2"
-PTHREADLIBS=""
 
 if test "$pthread" = yes; then
   pthread=no
@@ -1155,7 +1154,7 @@ EOF
   for pthread_lib in $PTHREADLIBS_LIST; do
     if compile_prog "" "$pthread_lib" ; then
       pthread=yes
-      PTHREADLIBS="$pthread_lib"
+      LIBS="$pthread_lib $LIBS"
       break
     fi
   done
@@ -1750,7 +1749,6 @@ echo "ARLIBS_BEGIN=$arlibs_begin" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "ARLIBS_END=$arlibs_end" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "LIBS=$LIBS" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "EXESUF=$EXESUF" >> $config_host_mak
-echo "PTHREADLIBS=$PTHREADLIBS" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "CLOCKLIBS=$CLOCKLIBS" >> $config_host_mak
 
 echo "/* Automatically generated by configure - do not modify */" > $config_host_h