diff --git a/bochs/bochs.h b/bochs/bochs.h
index 06ac95cb9..be850559a 100644
--- a/bochs/bochs.h
+++ b/bochs/bochs.h
@@ -631,10 +631,11 @@ BX_CPP_INLINE Bit64u bx_bswap64(Bit64u val64)
 
 // multithreading support
 #ifdef WIN32
-#define BX_THREAD_ID(id) DWORD (id)
+#define BX_THREAD_VAR(name) HANDLE (name)
 #define BX_THREAD_FUNC(name,arg) DWORD WINAPI name(LPVOID arg)
 #define BX_THREAD_EXIT return 0
-#define BX_THREAD_CREATE(name,arg,id) CreateThread(NULL, 0, name, arg, 0, &(id))
+#define BX_THREAD_CREATE(name,arg,var) do { var = CreateThread(NULL, 0, name, arg, 0, NULL); } while (0)
+#define BX_THREAD_KILL(var) TerminateThread(var, 0)
 #define BX_LOCK(mutex) EnterCriticalSection(&(mutex))
 #define BX_UNLOCK(mutex) LeaveCriticalSection(&(mutex))
 #define BX_MUTEX(mutex) CRITICAL_SECTION (mutex)
@@ -642,11 +643,12 @@ BX_CPP_INLINE Bit64u bx_bswap64(Bit64u val64)
 #define BX_FINI_MUTEX(mutex) DeleteCriticalSection(&(mutex))
 #define BX_MSLEEP(val) Sleep(val)
 #else
-#define BX_THREAD_ID(id) pthread_t (id)
+#define BX_THREAD_VAR(name) pthread_t (name)
 #define BX_THREAD_FUNC(name,arg) void name(void* arg)
 #define BX_THREAD_EXIT pthread_exit(NULL)
-#define BX_THREAD_CREATE(name,arg,id) \
-    pthread_create(&(id), NULL, (void *(*)(void *))&(name), arg)
+#define BX_THREAD_CREATE(name,arg,var) \
+    pthread_create(&(var), NULL, (void *(*)(void *))&(name), arg)
+#define BX_THREAD_KILL(var) pthread_cancel(var); pthread_join(var, NULL)
 #define BX_LOCK(mutex) pthread_mutex_lock(&(mutex));
 #define BX_UNLOCK(mutex) pthread_mutex_unlock(&(mutex));
 #define BX_MUTEX(mutex) pthread_mutex_t (mutex)
diff --git a/bochs/gui/rfb.cc b/bochs/gui/rfb.cc
index fdfe90329..feff2ea9c 100644
--- a/bochs/gui/rfb.cc
+++ b/bochs/gui/rfb.cc
@@ -1254,9 +1254,9 @@ end_of_thread:
 
 void rfbStartThread()
 {
-  BX_THREAD_ID(threadID);
+  BX_THREAD_VAR(thread_var);
 
-  BX_THREAD_CREATE(rfbServerThreadInit, NULL, threadID);
+  BX_THREAD_CREATE(rfbServerThreadInit, NULL, thread_var);
 }
 
 void HandleRfbClient(SOCKET sClient)
diff --git a/bochs/gui/vncsrv.cc b/bochs/gui/vncsrv.cc
index 3fae29e73..2a8340633 100644
--- a/bochs/gui/vncsrv.cc
+++ b/bochs/gui/vncsrv.cc
@@ -1131,9 +1131,9 @@ BX_THREAD_FUNC(vncServerThreadInit, indata)
 
 void vncStartThread()
 {
-  BX_THREAD_ID(threadID);
+  BX_THREAD_VAR(thread_var);
 
-  BX_THREAD_CREATE(vncServerThreadInit, NULL, threadID);
+  BX_THREAD_CREATE(vncServerThreadInit, NULL, thread_var);
 }
 
 void DrawBitmap(int x, int y, int width, int height, char *bmap,
diff --git a/bochs/iodev/display/voodoo.cc b/bochs/iodev/display/voodoo.cc
index 5b1d5fdf2..664859647 100644
--- a/bochs/iodev/display/voodoo.cc
+++ b/bochs/iodev/display/voodoo.cc
@@ -163,14 +163,12 @@ void CDECL libvoodoo_LTX_plugin_fini(void)
 BX_THREAD_FUNC(cmdfifo_thread, indata)
 {
   UNUSED(indata);
-  cmdfifo_control = 1;
-  while (cmdfifo_control > 0) {
-    while ((cmdfifo_control > 0) && (v->fbi.cmdfifo[0].depth == 0)) {
+  while (1) {
+    while (!v->fbi.cmdfifo[0].enable || (v->fbi.cmdfifo[0].depth == 0)) {
       BX_MSLEEP(1);
     }
     cmdfifo_process();
   }
-  cmdfifo_control = -1;
   BX_THREAD_EXIT;
 }
 
@@ -186,11 +184,8 @@ bx_voodoo_c::bx_voodoo_c()
 
 bx_voodoo_c::~bx_voodoo_c()
 {
-  if (cmdfifo_control > 0) {
-    cmdfifo_control = 0;
-    while (cmdfifo_control >= 0) {
-      BX_MSLEEP(1);
-    }
+  if (BX_VOODOO_THIS s.model == VOODOO_2) {
+    BX_THREAD_KILL(cmdfifo_thread_var);
     BX_FINI_MUTEX(cmdfifo_mutex);
   }
   if (v != NULL) {
@@ -249,7 +244,7 @@ void bx_voodoo_c::init(void)
 
   if (BX_VOODOO_THIS s.model == VOODOO_2) {
     BX_INIT_MUTEX(cmdfifo_mutex);
-    BX_THREAD_CREATE(cmdfifo_thread, this, cmdfifo_threadID);
+    BX_THREAD_CREATE(cmdfifo_thread, this, cmdfifo_thread_var);
   }
 
   BX_INFO(("3dfx Voodoo Graphics adapter (model=%s) initialized",
diff --git a/bochs/iodev/display/voodoo_func.h b/bochs/iodev/display/voodoo_func.h
index a1850e196..f4d6a4f39 100644
--- a/bochs/iodev/display/voodoo_func.h
+++ b/bochs/iodev/display/voodoo_func.h
@@ -61,8 +61,7 @@ Bit32u voodoo_last_msg = 255;
 #define MODIFY_PIXEL(VV)
 
 /* cmdfifo thread (Voodoo2) */
-BX_THREAD_ID(cmdfifo_threadID);
-int cmdfifo_control = 0;
+BX_THREAD_VAR(cmdfifo_thread_var);
 BX_MUTEX(cmdfifo_mutex);
 
 /* fast dither lookup */
@@ -2523,7 +2522,7 @@ Bit32u cmdfifo_r(void)
 {
   Bit32u data;
 
-  while ((cmdfifo_control > 0) && (v->fbi.cmdfifo[0].depth == 0)) {
+  while (v->fbi.cmdfifo[0].depth == 0) {
     BX_MSLEEP(1);
   }
   BX_LOCK(cmdfifo_mutex);
diff --git a/bochs/iodev/sound/soundlow.cc b/bochs/iodev/sound/soundlow.cc
index 3716658eb..e75a6665f 100644
--- a/bochs/iodev/sound/soundlow.cc
+++ b/bochs/iodev/sound/soundlow.cc
@@ -485,18 +485,18 @@ Bit32u bx_soundlow_waveout_c::resampler_common(audio_buffer_t *inbuffer, float *
 
 void bx_soundlow_waveout_c::start_resampler_thread()
 {
-  BX_THREAD_ID(threadID);
+  BX_THREAD_VAR(thread_var);
 
   BX_INIT_MUTEX(resampler_mutex);
-  BX_THREAD_CREATE(resampler_thread, this, threadID);
+  BX_THREAD_CREATE(resampler_thread, this, thread_var);
 }
 
 void bx_soundlow_waveout_c::start_mixer_thread()
 {
-  BX_THREAD_ID(threadID);
+  BX_THREAD_VAR(thread_var);
 
   BX_INIT_MUTEX(mixer_mutex);
-  BX_THREAD_CREATE(mixer_thread, this, threadID);
+  BX_THREAD_CREATE(mixer_thread, this, thread_var);
 }
 
 // bx_soundlow_wavein_c class implementation