diff --git a/acconfig.h b/acconfig.h
index 28fd2841d6..e87336e48b 100644
--- a/acconfig.h
+++ b/acconfig.h
@@ -17,8 +17,5 @@
  ***/
 @TOP@
 
-/* Define if threads need PTHREAD_SCOPE_SYSTEM */
-#undef NEED_PTHREAD_SCOPE_SYSTEM
-
 /* Define to 1 if you have the uname library function. */
 #undef HAVE_UNAME
diff --git a/config.h.in b/config.h.in
index 12c116f492..b6dc6d6a5a 100644
--- a/config.h.in
+++ b/config.h.in
@@ -17,9 +17,6 @@
  *** it does not get installed.
  ***/
 
-/* Define if threads need PTHREAD_SCOPE_SYSTEM */
-#undef NEED_PTHREAD_SCOPE_SYSTEM
-
 /* Define to 1 if you have the uname library function. */
 #undef HAVE_UNAME
 
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 1657f57faa..4dbc0c81c6 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -15216,25 +15216,6 @@ fi
 done
 
 
-#
-# Additional OS-specific issues related to pthreads.
-#
-case "$host" in
-	*-freebsd*)
-		case $host in
-		*-freebsd5.[012]|*-freebsd5.[012].*);;
-		*-freebsd5.[3456789]|*-freebsd5.[3456789].*)
-			$as_echo "#define NEED_PTHREAD_SCOPE_SYSTEM 1" >>confdefs.h
-
-			;;
-		*-freebsd6.*)
-			$as_echo "#define NEED_PTHREAD_SCOPE_SYSTEM 1" >>confdefs.h
-
-			;;
-		esac
-		;;
-esac
-
 # Look for functions relating to thread naming
 for ac_func in pthread_setname_np pthread_set_name_np
 do :
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index a627195e0a..e4654d5807 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -701,23 +701,6 @@ AC_CHECK_HEADERS([sched.h])
 AC_SEARCH_LIBS([sched_yield],[rt])
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS([sched_yield pthread_yield pthread_yield_np])
 
-#
-# Additional OS-specific issues related to pthreads.
-#
-case "$host" in
-	*-freebsd*)
-		case $host in
-		*-freebsd5.[[012]]|*-freebsd5.[[012]].*);;
-		*-freebsd5.[[3456789]]|*-freebsd5.[[3456789]].*)
-			AC_DEFINE(NEED_PTHREAD_SCOPE_SYSTEM)
-			;;
-		*-freebsd6.*)
-			AC_DEFINE(NEED_PTHREAD_SCOPE_SYSTEM)
-			;;
-		esac
-		;;
-esac
-
 # Look for functions relating to thread naming
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS([pthread_setname_np pthread_set_name_np])
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS([pthread_np.h], [], [], [#include <pthread.h>])
diff --git a/lib/isc/pthreads/thread.c b/lib/isc/pthreads/thread.c
index 5f82475ed5..ba7ae52daa 100644
--- a/lib/isc/pthreads/thread.c
+++ b/lib/isc/pthreads/thread.c
@@ -51,12 +51,6 @@ isc_thread_create(isc_threadfunc_t func, isc_threadarg_t arg,
 	}
 #endif
 
-#if defined(PTHREAD_SCOPE_SYSTEM) && defined(NEED_PTHREAD_SCOPE_SYSTEM)
-	ret = pthread_attr_setscope(&attr, PTHREAD_SCOPE_SYSTEM);
-	if (ret != 0)
-		return (ISC_R_UNEXPECTED);
-#endif
-
 	ret = pthread_create(thread, &attr, func, arg);
 	if (ret != 0)
 		return (ISC_R_UNEXPECTED);