diff --git a/src/system/kernel/thread.cpp b/src/system/kernel/thread.cpp
index 43e69d3350..e6567a1347 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/thread.cpp
+++ b/src/system/kernel/thread.cpp
@@ -2465,10 +2465,7 @@ status_t
 wait_for_thread_etc(thread_id id, uint32 flags, bigtime_t timeout,
 	status_t *_returnCode)
 {
-	job_control_entry* freeDeath = NULL;
-	status_t status = B_OK;
-
-	if (id < B_OK)
+	if (id < 0)
 		return B_BAD_THREAD_ID;
 
 	// get the thread, queue our death entry, and fetch the semaphore we have to
@@ -2480,16 +2477,14 @@ wait_for_thread_etc(thread_id id, uint32 flags, bigtime_t timeout,
 	if (thread != NULL) {
 		// remember the semaphore we have to wait on and place our death entry
 		exitSem = thread->exit.sem;
-		list_add_link_to_head(&thread->exit.waiters, &death);
+		if (exitSem >= 0)
+			list_add_link_to_head(&thread->exit.waiters, &death);
 
 		thread->UnlockAndReleaseReference();
-			// Note: We mustn't dereference the pointer afterwards, only check
-			// it.
-	}
 
-	thread_death_entry* threadDeathEntry = NULL;
-
-	if (thread == NULL) {
+		if (exitSem < 0)
+			return B_BAD_THREAD_ID;
+	} else {
 		// we couldn't find this thread -- maybe it's already gone, and we'll
 		// find its death entry in our team
 		Team* team = thread_get_current_thread()->team;
@@ -2498,47 +2493,43 @@ wait_for_thread_etc(thread_id id, uint32 flags, bigtime_t timeout,
 		// check the child death entries first (i.e. main threads of child
 		// teams)
 		bool deleteEntry;
-		freeDeath = team_get_death_entry(team, id, &deleteEntry);
+		job_control_entry* freeDeath
+			= team_get_death_entry(team, id, &deleteEntry);
 		if (freeDeath != NULL) {
 			death.status = freeDeath->status;
-			if (!deleteEntry)
-				freeDeath = NULL;
+			if (deleteEntry)
+				delete freeDeath;
 		} else {
 			// check the thread death entries of the team (non-main threads)
+			thread_death_entry* threadDeathEntry = NULL;
 			while ((threadDeathEntry = (thread_death_entry*)list_get_next_item(
 					&team->dead_threads, threadDeathEntry)) != NULL) {
 				if (threadDeathEntry->thread == id) {
 					list_remove_item(&team->dead_threads, threadDeathEntry);
 					team->dead_threads_count--;
 					death.status = threadDeathEntry->status;
+					free(threadDeathEntry);
 					break;
 				}
 			}
 
 			if (threadDeathEntry == NULL)
-				status = B_BAD_THREAD_ID;
+				return B_BAD_THREAD_ID;
 		}
-	}
 
-	if (thread == NULL && status == B_OK) {
 		// we found the thread's death entry in our team
 		if (_returnCode)
 			*_returnCode = death.status;
 
-		delete freeDeath;
-		free(threadDeathEntry);
 		return B_OK;
 	}
 
 	// we need to wait for the death of the thread
 
-	if (exitSem < 0)
-		return B_BAD_THREAD_ID;
-
 	resume_thread(id);
 		// make sure we don't wait forever on a suspended thread
 
-	status = acquire_sem_etc(exitSem, 1, flags, timeout);
+	status_t status = acquire_sem_etc(exitSem, 1, flags, timeout);
 
 	if (status == B_OK) {
 		// this should never happen as the thread deletes the semaphore on exit
@@ -2546,9 +2537,6 @@ wait_for_thread_etc(thread_id id, uint32 flags, bigtime_t timeout,
 	} else if (status == B_BAD_SEM_ID) {
 		// this is the way the thread normally exits
 		status = B_OK;
-
-		if (_returnCode)
-			*_returnCode = death.status;
 	} else {
 		// We were probably interrupted or the timeout occurred; we need to
 		// remove our death entry now.
@@ -2563,12 +2551,12 @@ wait_for_thread_etc(thread_id id, uint32 flags, bigtime_t timeout,
 			// middle of the cleanup.
 			acquire_sem(exitSem);
 			status = B_OK;
-
-			if (_returnCode != NULL)
-				*_returnCode = death.status;
 		}
 	}
 
+	if (status == B_OK && _returnCode != NULL)
+		*_returnCode = death.status;
+
 	return status;
 }