diff --git a/lib/libthr/thread/thr_create.c b/lib/libthr/thread/thr_create.c
index 334dc12a1901..30334211f1c5 100644
--- a/lib/libthr/thread/thr_create.c
+++ b/lib/libthr/thread/thr_create.c
@@ -154,17 +154,15 @@ _pthread_create(pthread_t * thread, const pthread_attr_t * attr,
 	new_thread->cleanup = NULL;
 	new_thread->flags = 0;
 
-	/*
-	 * Protect the scheduling queues.
-	 */
-	GIANT_LOCK(curthread);
-
 	/*
 	 * Initialise the unique id which GDB uses to
 	 * track threads.
 	 */
 	new_thread->uniqueid = next_uniqueid++;
 
+	THREAD_LIST_LOCK;
+	_thread_critical_enter(new_thread);
+
 	/*
 	 * Check if the garbage collector thread
 	 * needs to be started.
@@ -174,6 +172,8 @@ _pthread_create(pthread_t * thread, const pthread_attr_t * attr,
 	/* Add the thread to the linked list of all threads: */
 	TAILQ_INSERT_HEAD(&_thread_list, new_thread, tle);
 
+	THREAD_LIST_UNLOCK;
+
 	/*
 	 * Create the thread.
 	 *
@@ -190,11 +190,11 @@ _pthread_create(pthread_t * thread, const pthread_attr_t * attr,
 		PANIC("thr_create");
 	}
 
-	GIANT_UNLOCK(curthread);
-
 	/* Return a pointer to the thread structure: */
 	(*thread) = new_thread;
 
+	_thread_critical_exit(new_thread);
+
 	/*
 	 * Start a garbage collector thread
 	 * if necessary.
diff --git a/lib/libthr/thread/thr_find_thread.c b/lib/libthr/thread/thr_find_thread.c
index 1b34f2fe9645..bd51b8fa0bc3 100644
--- a/lib/libthr/thread/thr_find_thread.c
+++ b/lib/libthr/thread/thr_find_thread.c
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ _find_thread(pthread_t pthread)
 	if (pthread == NULL || pthread->magic != PTHREAD_MAGIC)
 		return(EINVAL);
 
-	GIANT_LOCK(curthread);
+	THREAD_LIST_LOCK;
 
 	/* Search for the specified thread: */
 	TAILQ_FOREACH(pthread1, &_thread_list, tle) {
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ _find_thread(pthread_t pthread)
 			break;
 	}
 
-	GIANT_UNLOCK(curthread);
+	THREAD_LIST_UNLOCK;
 
 	/* Return zero if the thread exists: */
 	return ((pthread1 != NULL) ? 0:ESRCH);