diff --git a/libguac/include/thread.h b/libguac/include/thread.h
index b0372e5a..ae537b1f 100644
--- a/libguac/include/thread.h
+++ b/libguac/include/thread.h
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ typedef uintptr_t guac_thread_t;
 
 #endif
 
-void guac_thread_create(guac_thread_t* thread, void*(*function)(void*), void* data);
+int guac_thread_create(guac_thread_t* thread, void*(*function)(void*), void* data);
 void guac_thread_join(guac_thread_t thread);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/libguac/src/client.c b/libguac/src/client.c
index c11ebd05..47ed4636 100644
--- a/libguac/src/client.c
+++ b/libguac/src/client.c
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <dlfcn.h>
-#include <pthread.h>
 
+#include "thread.h"
 #include "log.h"
 #include "guacio.h"
 #include "protocol.h"
@@ -363,21 +363,21 @@ void* __guac_client_input_thread(void* data) {
 
 int guac_start_client(guac_client* client) {
 
-    pthread_t input_thread, output_thread;
+    guac_thread_t input_thread, output_thread;
 
-    if (pthread_create(&output_thread, NULL, __guac_client_output_thread, (void*) client)) {
+    if (guac_thread_create(&output_thread, __guac_client_output_thread, (void*) client)) {
         return -1;
     }
 
-    if (pthread_create(&input_thread, NULL, __guac_client_input_thread, (void*) client)) {
+    if (guac_thread_create(&input_thread, __guac_client_input_thread, (void*) client)) {
         guac_client_stop(client);
-        pthread_join(output_thread, NULL);
+        guac_thread_join(output_thread);
         return -1;
     }
 
     /* Wait for I/O threads */
-    pthread_join(input_thread, NULL);
-    pthread_join(output_thread, NULL);
+    guac_thread_join(input_thread);
+    guac_thread_join(output_thread);
 
     /* Done */
     return 0;
diff --git a/libguac/src/thread.c b/libguac/src/thread.c
index c22dc3a4..a449cd52 100644
--- a/libguac/src/thread.c
+++ b/libguac/src/thread.c
@@ -44,9 +44,9 @@
 #include <process.h>
 #endif
 
-void guac_thread_create(guac_thread_t* thread, void*(*function)(void*), void* data) {
+int guac_thread_create(guac_thread_t* thread, void*(*function)(void*), void* data) {
 #ifdef HAVE_LIBPTHREAD
-    pthread_create(thread, NULL, function, data);
+    return pthread_create(thread, NULL, function, data);
 #elif defined(__MINGW32__)
     *thread = _beginthreadex(NULL, 0,
             function, data, 0 /* Create running */, NULL);