diff --git a/glib/gbitlock.c b/glib/gbitlock.c
index a9f7a5ea2..a7d335cc1 100644
--- a/glib/gbitlock.c
+++ b/glib/gbitlock.c
@@ -36,17 +36,10 @@
 #endif
 
 #ifndef HAVE_FUTEX
+static GStaticMutex g_futex_mutex = G_STATIC_MUTEX_INIT;
 static GSList *g_futex_address_list = NULL;
-static GMutex *g_futex_mutex = NULL;
 #endif
 
-void
-_g_futex_thread_init (void) {
-#ifndef HAVE_FUTEX
-  g_futex_mutex = g_mutex_new ();
-#endif
-}
-
 #ifdef HAVE_FUTEX
 /*
  * We have headers for futex(2) on the build machine.  This does not
@@ -131,7 +124,7 @@ static void
 g_futex_wait (const volatile gint *address,
               gint                 value)
 {
-  g_mutex_lock (g_futex_mutex);
+  g_static_mutex_lock (&g_futex_mutex);
   if G_LIKELY (g_atomic_int_get (address) == value)
     {
       WaitAddress *waiter;
@@ -147,7 +140,7 @@ g_futex_wait (const volatile gint *address,
         }
 
       waiter->ref_count++;
-      g_cond_wait (waiter->wait_queue, g_futex_mutex);
+      g_cond_wait (waiter->wait_queue, g_static_mutex_get_mutex (&g_futex_mutex));
 
       if (!--waiter->ref_count)
         {
@@ -157,7 +150,7 @@ g_futex_wait (const volatile gint *address,
           g_slice_free (WaitAddress, waiter);
         }
     }
-  g_mutex_unlock (g_futex_mutex);
+  g_static_mutex_unlock (&g_futex_mutex);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -171,10 +164,10 @@ g_futex_wake (const volatile gint *address)
    *   2) need to -stay- locked until the end to ensure a wake()
    *      in another thread doesn't cause 'waiter' to stop existing
    */
-  g_mutex_lock (g_futex_mutex);
+  g_static_mutex_lock (&g_futex_mutex);
   if ((waiter = g_futex_find_address (address)))
     g_cond_signal (waiter->wait_queue);
-  g_mutex_unlock (g_futex_mutex);
+  g_static_mutex_unlock (&g_futex_mutex);
 }
 #endif
 
diff --git a/glib/gthread.c b/glib/gthread.c
index bc993892d..6edec630d 100644
--- a/glib/gthread.c
+++ b/glib/gthread.c
@@ -963,7 +963,6 @@ g_thread_init_glib (void)
   _g_rand_thread_init ();
   _g_main_thread_init ();
   _g_utils_thread_init ();
-  _g_futex_thread_init ();
 }
 
 /* The following sections implement: GOnce, GStaticMutex, GStaticRecMutex,
diff --git a/glib/gthreadprivate.h b/glib/gthreadprivate.h
index e7f0ce4f7..8ee465b31 100644
--- a/glib/gthreadprivate.h
+++ b/glib/gthreadprivate.h
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ G_GNUC_INTERNAL void _g_rand_thread_init (void);
 G_GNUC_INTERNAL void _g_main_thread_init (void);
 G_GNUC_INTERNAL void _g_atomic_thread_init (void);
 G_GNUC_INTERNAL void _g_utils_thread_init (void);
-G_GNUC_INTERNAL void _g_futex_thread_init (void);
 G_GNUC_INTERNAL void _g_thread_impl_init  (void);
 
 G_END_DECLS
diff --git a/gthread/tests/1bit-mutex.c b/gthread/tests/1bit-mutex.c
index 0bfce91f0..c5377564a 100644
--- a/gthread/tests/1bit-mutex.c
+++ b/gthread/tests/1bit-mutex.c
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@
   #define g_pointer_bit_lock    _emufutex_g_pointer_bit_lock
   #define g_pointer_bit_trylock _emufutex_g_pointer_bit_trylock
   #define g_pointer_bit_unlock  _emufutex_g_pointer_bit_unlock
-  #define _g_futex_thread_init  _emufutex_g_futex_thread_init
 
   #define G_BIT_LOCK_FORCE_FUTEX_EMULATION
 
@@ -121,13 +120,12 @@ testcase (gconstpointer data)
   g_thread_init (NULL);
 
 #ifdef TEST_EMULATED_FUTEX
-  _g_futex_thread_init ();
   #define SUFFIX "-emufutex"
 
   /* ensure that we are using the emulated futex by checking
-   * (at compile-time) for the existance of 'g_futex_mutex'
+   * (at compile-time) for the existance of 'g_futex_address_list'
    */
-  g_assert (g_futex_mutex != NULL);
+  g_assert (g_futex_address_list == NULL);
 #else
   #define SUFFIX ""
 #endif