diff --git a/source/include/acpiosxf.h b/source/include/acpiosxf.h
index d3fb8074e..4b9d3c33c 100644
--- a/source/include/acpiosxf.h
+++ b/source/include/acpiosxf.h
@@ -233,8 +233,11 @@ AcpiOsSignalSemaphore (
 
 
 /*
- * Mutex primitives
+ * Mutex primitives. May be configured to use semaphores instead via
+ * ACPI_MUTEX_TYPE (see platform/acenv.h)
  */
+#if (ACPI_MUTEX_TYPE != ACPI_BINARY_SEMAPHORE)
+
 ACPI_STATUS
 AcpiOsCreateMutex (
     ACPI_MUTEX              *OutHandle);
@@ -251,13 +254,7 @@ AcpiOsAcquireMutex (
 void
 AcpiOsReleaseMutex (
     ACPI_MUTEX              Handle);
-
-/* Temporary macros for Mutex* interfaces, map to existing semaphore xfaces */
-
-#define AcpiOsCreateMutex(OutHandle)        AcpiOsCreateSemaphore (1, 1, OutHandle)
-#define AcpiOsDeleteMutex(Handle)           (void) AcpiOsDeleteSemaphore (Handle)
-#define AcpiOsAcquireMutex(Handle,Time)     AcpiOsWaitSemaphore (Handle, 1, Time)
-#define AcpiOsReleaseMutex(Handle)          (void) AcpiOsSignalSemaphore (Handle, 1)
+#endif
 
 
 /*
diff --git a/source/include/actypes.h b/source/include/actypes.h
index 3cd6e1e3e..d02555709 100644
--- a/source/include/actypes.h
+++ b/source/include/actypes.h
@@ -282,27 +282,19 @@ typedef UINT32                          ACPI_PHYSICAL_ADDRESS;
 
 /*******************************************************************************
  *
- * OS-dependent and compiler-dependent types
+ * OS-dependent types
  *
  * If the defaults below are not appropriate for the host system, they can
- * be defined in the compiler-specific or OS-specific header, and this will
- * take precedence.
+ * be defined in the OS-specific header, and this will take precedence.
  *
  ******************************************************************************/
 
-
 /* Value returned by AcpiOsGetThreadId */
 
 #ifndef ACPI_THREAD_ID
 #define ACPI_THREAD_ID                  ACPI_SIZE
 #endif
 
-/* Object returned from AcpiOsCreateLock */
-
-#ifndef ACPI_SPINLOCK
-#define ACPI_SPINLOCK                   void *
-#endif
-
 /* Flags for AcpiOsAcquireLock/AcpiOsReleaseLock */
 
 #ifndef ACPI_CPU_FLAGS
@@ -319,6 +311,45 @@ typedef UINT32                          ACPI_PHYSICAL_ADDRESS;
 #endif
 #endif
 
+/*
+ * Synchronization objects - Mutexes, Semaphores, and SpinLocks
+ */
+#if (ACPI_MUTEX_TYPE == ACPI_BINARY_SEMAPHORE)
+/*
+ * These macros are used if the host OS does not support a mutex object.
+ * Map the OSL Mutex interfaces to binary semaphores.
+ */
+#define ACPI_MUTEX                      ACPI_SEMAPHORE
+#define AcpiOsCreateMutex(OutHandle)    AcpiOsCreateSemaphore (1, 1, OutHandle)
+#define AcpiOsDeleteMutex(Handle)       (void) AcpiOsDeleteSemaphore (Handle)
+#define AcpiOsAcquireMutex(Handle,Time) AcpiOsWaitSemaphore (Handle, 1, Time)
+#define AcpiOsReleaseMutex(Handle)      (void) AcpiOsSignalSemaphore (Handle, 1)
+#endif
+
+/* Configurable types for synchronization objects */
+
+#ifndef ACPI_SPINLOCK
+#define ACPI_SPINLOCK                   void *
+#endif
+
+#ifndef ACPI_SEMAPHORE
+#define ACPI_SEMAPHORE                  void *
+#endif
+
+#ifndef ACPI_MUTEX
+#define ACPI_MUTEX                      void *
+#endif
+
+
+/*******************************************************************************
+ *
+ * Compiler-dependent types
+ *
+ * If the defaults below are not appropriate for the host compiler, they can
+ * be defined in the compiler-specific header, and this will take precedence.
+ *
+ ******************************************************************************/
+
 /* Use C99 uintptr_t for pointer casting if available, "void *" otherwise */
 
 #ifndef ACPI_UINTPTR_T
@@ -444,12 +475,6 @@ typedef struct uint32_struct
 } UINT32_STRUCT;
 
 
-/* Synchronization objects */
-
-#define ACPI_MUTEX                      void *
-#define ACPI_SEMAPHORE                  void *
-
-
 /*
  * Acpi integer width. In ACPI version 1, integers are 32 bits. In ACPI
  * version 2, integers are 64 bits. Note that this pertains to the ACPI integer
diff --git a/source/include/platform/acenv.h b/source/include/platform/acenv.h
index 3121a7bbf..31c8cd9f2 100644
--- a/source/include/platform/acenv.h
+++ b/source/include/platform/acenv.h
@@ -117,13 +117,27 @@
 #define __ACENV_H__
 
 
-/*
+/* Types for ACPI_MUTEX_TYPE */
+
+#define ACPI_BINARY_SEMAPHORE       0
+#define ACPI_OSL_MUTEX              1
+
+/* Types for DEBUGGER_THREADING */
+
+#define DEBUGGER_SINGLE_THREADED    0
+#define DEBUGGER_MULTI_THREADED     1
+
+
+/******************************************************************************
+ *
  * Configuration for ACPI tools and utilities
- */
+ *
+ *****************************************************************************/
+
 #ifdef ACPI_LIBRARY
 /*
  * Note: The non-debug version of the AcpiLibrary does not contain any
- * debug support, for minimimal size. The debug version uses ACPI_FULL_DEBUG
+ * debug support, for minimal size. The debug version uses ACPI_FULL_DEBUG
  */
 #define ACPI_USE_LOCAL_CACHE
 #endif
@@ -245,6 +259,19 @@
 /*! [End] no source code translation !*/
 
 
+/******************************************************************************
+ *
+ * Miscellaneous configuration
+ *
+ *****************************************************************************/
+
+/*
+ * Are mutexes supported by the host? default is no, use binary semaphores.
+ */
+#ifndef ACPI_MUTEX_TYPE
+#define ACPI_MUTEX_TYPE             ACPI_BINARY_SEMAPHORE
+#endif
+
 /*
  * Debugger threading model
  * Use single threaded if the entire subsystem is contained in an application
@@ -253,9 +280,6 @@
  * By default the model is single threaded if ACPI_APPLICATION is set,
  * multi-threaded if ACPI_APPLICATION is not set.
  */
-#define DEBUGGER_SINGLE_THREADED    0
-#define DEBUGGER_MULTI_THREADED     1
-
 #ifndef DEBUGGER_THREADING
 #ifdef ACPI_APPLICATION
 #define DEBUGGER_THREADING          DEBUGGER_SINGLE_THREADED
diff --git a/source/include/platform/aclinux.h b/source/include/platform/aclinux.h
index 2c30239d9..201955d7c 100644
--- a/source/include/platform/aclinux.h
+++ b/source/include/platform/aclinux.h
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@
 
 #define ACPI_USE_SYSTEM_CLIBRARY
 #define ACPI_USE_DO_WHILE_0
+#define ACPI_MUTEX_TYPE             ACPI_OSL_MUTEX
 
 #ifdef __KERNEL__