diff --git a/storage/maria/ma_checkpoint.c b/storage/maria/ma_checkpoint.c
index de8a9610..2bbbfb0 100644
--- a/storage/maria/ma_checkpoint.c
+++ b/storage/maria/ma_checkpoint.c
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ static mysql_mutex_t LOCK_checkpoint;
 static mysql_cond_t  COND_checkpoint;
 /** @brief control structure for checkpoint background thread */
 static MA_SERVICE_THREAD_CONTROL checkpoint_control=
-  {THREAD_DEAD, FALSE, &LOCK_checkpoint, &COND_checkpoint};
+  {0, FALSE, FALSE, &LOCK_checkpoint, &COND_checkpoint};
 /* is ulong like pagecache->blocks_changed */
 static ulong pages_to_flush_before_next_checkpoint;
 static PAGECACHE_FILE *dfiles, /**< data files to flush in background */
@@ -326,7 +326,6 @@ static int really_execute_checkpoint(void)
 
 int ma_checkpoint_init(ulong interval)
 {
-  pthread_t th;
   int res= 0;
   DBUG_ENTER("ma_checkpoint_init");
   if (ma_service_thread_control_init(&checkpoint_control))
@@ -335,11 +334,12 @@ int ma_checkpoint_init(ulong interval)
   {
     compile_time_assert(sizeof(void *) >= sizeof(ulong));
     if (!(res= mysql_thread_create(key_thread_checkpoint,
-                                   &th, NULL, ma_checkpoint_background,
+                                   &checkpoint_control.thread, NULL,
+                                   ma_checkpoint_background,
                                    (void *)interval)))
     {
       /* thread lives, will have to be killed */
-      checkpoint_control.status= THREAD_RUNNING;
+      checkpoint_control.alive= TRUE;
     }
   }
   DBUG_RETURN(res);
@@ -721,7 +721,6 @@ pthread_handler_t ma_checkpoint_background(void *arg)
     DBUG_EXECUTE_IF("maria_checkpoint_indirect", level= CHECKPOINT_INDIRECT;);
     ma_checkpoint_execute(level, FALSE);
   }
-  my_service_thread_signal_end(&checkpoint_control);
   my_thread_end();
   return 0;
 }
diff --git a/storage/maria/ma_loghandler.c b/storage/maria/ma_loghandler.c
index 2538dee..295487a 100644
--- a/storage/maria/ma_loghandler.c
+++ b/storage/maria/ma_loghandler.c
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ static mysql_mutex_t LOCK_soft_sync;
 static mysql_cond_t  COND_soft_sync;
 /** @brief control structure for checkpoint background thread */
 static MA_SERVICE_THREAD_CONTROL soft_sync_control=
-  {THREAD_DEAD, FALSE, &LOCK_soft_sync, &COND_soft_sync};
+  {0, FALSE, FALSE, &LOCK_soft_sync, &COND_soft_sync};
 
 
 /* transaction log file descriptor */
@@ -8819,7 +8819,6 @@ ma_soft_sync_background( void *arg __attribute__((unused)))
       if (my_service_thread_sleep(&soft_sync_control, sleep))
         break;
     }
-    my_service_thread_signal_end(&soft_sync_control);
     my_thread_end();
     DBUG_RETURN(0);
   }
@@ -8832,7 +8831,6 @@ ma_soft_sync_background( void *arg __attribute__((unused)))
 
 int translog_soft_sync_start(void)
 {
-  pthread_t th;
   int res= 0;
   uint32 min, max;
   DBUG_ENTER("translog_soft_sync_start");
@@ -8848,8 +8846,9 @@ int translog_soft_sync_start(void)
 
   if (!(res= ma_service_thread_control_init(&soft_sync_control)))
     if (!(res= mysql_thread_create(key_thread_soft_sync,
-                                   &th, NULL, ma_soft_sync_background, NULL)))
-      soft_sync_control.status= THREAD_RUNNING;
+                                   &soft_sync_control.thread, NULL,
+                                   ma_soft_sync_background, NULL)))
+      soft_sync_control.alive= TRUE;
   DBUG_RETURN(res);
 }
 
diff --git a/storage/maria/ma_servicethread.c b/storage/maria/ma_servicethread.c
index e5c949a..8ecb2d6 100644
--- a/storage/maria/ma_servicethread.c
+++ b/storage/maria/ma_servicethread.c
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ int ma_service_thread_control_init(MA_SERVICE_THREAD_CONTROL *control)
   DBUG_ENTER("ma_service_thread_control_init");
   DBUG_PRINT("init", ("control 0x%lx", (ulong) control));
   control->inited= TRUE;
-  control->status= THREAD_DEAD; /* not yet born == dead */
+  control->alive= FALSE;
   res= (mysql_mutex_init(key_SERVICE_THREAD_CONTROL_lock,
                          control->LOCK_control, MY_MUTEX_INIT_SLOW) ||
         mysql_cond_init(key_SERVICE_THREAD_CONTROL_cond,
@@ -60,20 +60,17 @@ void ma_service_thread_control_end(MA_SERVICE_THREAD_CONTROL *control)
   DBUG_PRINT("init", ("control 0x%lx", (ulong) control));
   DBUG_ASSERT(control->inited);
   mysql_mutex_lock(control->LOCK_control);
-  if (control->status != THREAD_DEAD) /* thread was started OK */
+  if (control->alive)
   {
     DBUG_PRINT("info",("killing Maria background thread"));
-    control->status= THREAD_DYING; /* kill it */
-    do /* and wait for it to be dead */
-    {
-      /* wake it up if it was in a sleep */
-      mysql_cond_broadcast(control->COND_control);
-      DBUG_PRINT("info",("waiting for Maria background thread to die"));
-      mysql_cond_wait(control->COND_control, control->LOCK_control);
-    }
-    while (control->status != THREAD_DEAD);
+    control->alive= FALSE; /* kill it */
+    mysql_cond_broadcast(control->COND_control);
+    mysql_mutex_unlock(control->LOCK_control);
+    DBUG_PRINT("info", ("waiting for Maria background thread to die"));
+    pthread_join(control->thread, NULL);
   }
-  mysql_mutex_unlock(control->LOCK_control);
+  else
+    mysql_mutex_unlock(control->LOCK_control);
   mysql_mutex_destroy(control->LOCK_control);
   mysql_cond_destroy(control->COND_control);
   control->inited= FALSE;
@@ -100,7 +97,7 @@ my_bool my_service_thread_sleep(MA_SERVICE_THREAD_CONTROL *control,
   DBUG_ENTER("my_service_thread_sleep");
   DBUG_PRINT("init", ("control 0x%lx", (ulong) control));
   mysql_mutex_lock(control->LOCK_control);
-  if (control->status == THREAD_DYING)
+  if (!control->alive)
   {
     mysql_mutex_unlock(control->LOCK_control);
     DBUG_RETURN(TRUE);
@@ -119,34 +116,8 @@ my_bool my_service_thread_sleep(MA_SERVICE_THREAD_CONTROL *control,
                            control->LOCK_control, &abstime);
   }
 #endif
-  if (control->status == THREAD_DYING)
+  if (!control->alive)
     res= TRUE;
   mysql_mutex_unlock(control->LOCK_control);
   DBUG_RETURN(res);
 }
-
-
-/**
-  inform about thread exiting
-
-  @param control        control block
-*/
-
-void my_service_thread_signal_end(MA_SERVICE_THREAD_CONTROL *control)
-{
-  DBUG_ENTER("my_service_thread_signal_end");
-  DBUG_PRINT("init", ("control 0x%lx", (ulong) control));
-  mysql_mutex_lock(control->LOCK_control);
-  control->status = THREAD_DEAD; /* indicate that we are dead */
-  /*
-    wake up ma_service_thread_control_end which may be waiting for
-    our death
-  */
-  mysql_cond_broadcast(control->COND_control);
-  /*
-    broadcast was inside unlock because ma_service_thread_control_end
-    destroys mutex
-  */
-  mysql_mutex_unlock(control->LOCK_control);
-  DBUG_VOID_RETURN;
-}
diff --git a/storage/maria/ma_servicethread.h b/storage/maria/ma_servicethread.h
index ed578d9..e62cf91 100644
--- a/storage/maria/ma_servicethread.h
+++ b/storage/maria/ma_servicethread.h
@@ -16,12 +16,11 @@
 
 #include <my_pthread.h>
 
-enum ma_service_thread_state {THREAD_RUNNING, THREAD_DYING, THREAD_DEAD};
-
 typedef struct st_ma_service_thread_control
 {
-  /** 'kill' flag for the background thread */
-  enum ma_service_thread_state status;
+  pthread_t thread;
+  /** 'alive' flag for the background thread */
+  my_bool alive;
   /** if thread module was inited or not */
   my_bool inited;
   /** for killing the background thread */