diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 71a574f718..9a87685517 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -2386,37 +2386,6 @@ if test "$vhost_net" = ""; then
   test "$vhost_kernel" = "yes" && vhost_net=yes
 fi
 
-##########################################
-# MinGW / Mingw-w64 localtime_r/gmtime_r check
-
-if test "$mingw32" = "yes"; then
-    # Some versions of MinGW / Mingw-w64 lack localtime_r
-    # and gmtime_r entirely.
-    #
-    # Some versions of Mingw-w64 define a macro for
-    # localtime_r/gmtime_r.
-    #
-    # Some versions of Mingw-w64 will define functions
-    # for localtime_r/gmtime_r, but only if you have
-    # _POSIX_THREAD_SAFE_FUNCTIONS defined. For fun
-    # though, unistd.h and pthread.h both define
-    # that for you.
-    #
-    # So this #undef localtime_r and #include <unistd.h>
-    # are not in fact redundant.
-cat > $TMPC << EOF
-#include <unistd.h>
-#include <time.h>
-#undef localtime_r
-int main(void) { localtime_r(NULL, NULL); return 0; }
-EOF
-    if compile_prog "" "" ; then
-        localtime_r="yes"
-    else
-        localtime_r="no"
-    fi
-fi
-
 ##########################################
 # pkg-config probe
 
@@ -6610,9 +6579,6 @@ if [ "$bsd" = "yes" ] ; then
   echo "CONFIG_BSD=y" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
 
-if test "$localtime_r" = "yes" ; then
-  echo "CONFIG_LOCALTIME_R=y" >> $config_host_mak
-fi
 if test "$qom_cast_debug" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_QOM_CAST_DEBUG=y" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
diff --git a/include/sysemu/os-win32.h b/include/sysemu/os-win32.h
index d8978e28c0..5346d51e89 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/os-win32.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/os-win32.h
@@ -48,12 +48,12 @@
 #define siglongjmp(env, val) longjmp(env, val)
 
 /* Missing POSIX functions. Don't use MinGW-w64 macros. */
-#ifndef CONFIG_LOCALTIME_R
+#ifndef _POSIX_THREAD_SAFE_FUNCTIONS
 #undef gmtime_r
 struct tm *gmtime_r(const time_t *timep, struct tm *result);
 #undef localtime_r
 struct tm *localtime_r(const time_t *timep, struct tm *result);
-#endif /* CONFIG_LOCALTIME_R */
+#endif /* _POSIX_THREAD_SAFE_FUNCTIONS */
 
 static inline void os_setup_signal_handling(void) {}
 static inline void os_daemonize(void) {}
diff --git a/util/oslib-win32.c b/util/oslib-win32.c
index 051afb217b..e99debfb8d 100644
--- a/util/oslib-win32.c
+++ b/util/oslib-win32.c
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ void qemu_anon_ram_free(void *ptr, size_t size)
     }
 }
 
-#ifndef CONFIG_LOCALTIME_R
+#ifndef _POSIX_THREAD_SAFE_FUNCTIONS
 /* FIXME: add proper locking */
 struct tm *gmtime_r(const time_t *timep, struct tm *result)
 {
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ struct tm *localtime_r(const time_t *timep, struct tm *result)
     }
     return p;
 }
-#endif /* CONFIG_LOCALTIME_R */
+#endif /* _POSIX_THREAD_SAFE_FUNCTIONS */
 
 static int socket_error(void)
 {