diff --git a/tests/include/test/threading_helpers.h b/tests/include/test/threading_helpers.h
index 3c4d44126a..9b7ced519b 100644
--- a/tests/include/test/threading_helpers.h
+++ b/tests/include/test/threading_helpers.h
@@ -15,6 +15,66 @@
 
 #if defined MBEDTLS_THREADING_C
 
+#include "mbedtls/private_access.h"
+#include "mbedtls/build_info.h"
+
+/* Most fields of publicly available structs are private and are wrapped with
+ * MBEDTLS_PRIVATE macro. This define allows tests to access the private fields
+ * directly (without using the MBEDTLS_PRIVATE wrapper). */
+#define MBEDTLS_ALLOW_PRIVATE_ACCESS
+
+#define MBEDTLS_ERR_THREADING_THREAD_ERROR                 -0x001F
+
+#if defined(MBEDTLS_THREADING_PTHREAD)
+#include <pthread.h>
+
+typedef struct mbedtls_test_thread_t {
+    pthread_t MBEDTLS_PRIVATE(thread);
+} mbedtls_test_thread_t;
+
+#endif /* MBEDTLS_THREADING_PTHREAD */
+
+#if defined(MBEDTLS_THREADING_ALT)
+/* You should define the mbedtls_test_thread_t type in your header */
+#include "threading_alt.h"
+
+/**
+ * \brief                   Set your alternate threading implementation
+ *                          function pointers fgr test threads. If used,
+ *                          this function must be called once in the main thread
+ *                          before any other MbedTLS function is called.
+ *
+ * \note                    These functions are part of the testing API only and
+ *                          thus not considered part of the public API of
+ *                          MbedTLS and thus may change without notice.
+ *
+ * \param thread_create     The thread create function implementation
+ * \param thread_join       The thread join function implementation
+
+ */
+void mbedtls_test_thread_set_alt(int (*thread_create)(mbedtls_test_thread_t *thread,
+                                                      void *(*thread_func)(
+                                                          void *),
+                                                      void *thread_data),
+                                 int (*thread_join)(mbedtls_test_thread_t *thread));
+
+#endif /* MBEDTLS_THREADING_ALT*/
+
+/**
+ * \brief                   The function pointers for thread create and thread
+ *                          join.
+ *
+ * \note                    These functions are part of the testing API only and
+ *                          thus not considered part of the public API of
+ *                          MbedTLS and thus may change without notice.
+ *
+ * \note                    All these functions are expected to work or
+ *                          the result will be undefined.
+ */
+extern int (*mbedtls_test_thread_create)(mbedtls_test_thread_t *thread,
+                                         void *(*thread_func)(void *), void *thread_data);
+extern int (*mbedtls_test_thread_join)(mbedtls_test_thread_t *thread);
+
 #if defined(MBEDTLS_THREADING_PTHREAD) && defined(MBEDTLS_TEST_HOOKS)
 #define MBEDTLS_TEST_MUTEX_USAGE
 #endif
@@ -42,4 +102,3 @@ void mbedtls_test_mutex_usage_check(void);
 #endif /* MBEDTLS_THREADING_C */
 
 #endif /* THREADING_HELPERS_H */
-
diff --git a/tests/src/threading_helpers.c b/tests/src/threading_helpers.c
index 38059343d8..5a871e102d 100644
--- a/tests/src/threading_helpers.c
+++ b/tests/src/threading_helpers.c
@@ -9,6 +9,71 @@
 #include <test/threading_helpers.h>
 #include <test/macros.h>
 
+#include "mbedtls/threading.h"
+
+#if defined(MBEDTLS_THREADING_C)
+
+#if defined(MBEDTLS_THREADING_PTHREAD)
+
+static int threading_thread_create_pthread(mbedtls_test_thread_t *thread, void *(*thread_func)(
+                                               void *), void *thread_data)
+{
+    if (thread == NULL || thread_func == NULL) {
+        return MBEDTLS_ERR_THREADING_BAD_INPUT_DATA;
+    }
+
+    if (pthread_create(&thread->thread, NULL, thread_func, thread_data)) {
+        return MBEDTLS_ERR_THREADING_THREAD_ERROR;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static int threading_thread_join_pthread(mbedtls_test_thread_t *thread)
+{
+    if (thread == NULL) {
+        return MBEDTLS_ERR_THREADING_BAD_INPUT_DATA;
+    }
+
+    if (pthread_join(thread->thread, NULL) != 0) {
+        return MBEDTLS_ERR_THREADING_THREAD_ERROR;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+int (*mbedtls_test_thread_create)(mbedtls_test_thread_t *thread, void *(*thread_func)(void *),
+                                  void *thread_data) = threading_thread_create_pthread;
+int (*mbedtls_test_thread_join)(mbedtls_test_thread_t *thread) = threading_thread_join_pthread;
+
+#endif /* MBEDTLS_THREADING_PTHREAD */
+
+#if defined(MBEDTLS_THREADING_ALT)
+
+static int threading_thread_create_fail(mbedtls_test_thread_t *thread,
+                                        void *(*thread_func)(void *),
+                                        void *thread_data)
+{
+    (void) thread;
+    (void) thread_func;
+    (void) thread_data;
+
+    return MBEDTLS_ERR_THREADING_BAD_INPUT_DATA;
+}
+
+static int threading_thread_join_fail(mbedtls_test_thread_t *thread)
+{
+    (void) thread;
+
+    return MBEDTLS_ERR_THREADING_BAD_INPUT_DATA;
+}
+
+int (*mbedtls_test_thread_create)(mbedtls_test_thread_t *thread, void *(*thread_func)(void *),
+                                  void *thread_data) = threading_thread_create_fail;
+int (*mbedtls_test_thread_join)(mbedtls_test_thread_t *thread) = threading_thread_join_fail;
+
+#endif /* MBEDTLS_THREADING_ALT */
+
 #if defined(MBEDTLS_TEST_MUTEX_USAGE)
 
 #include "mbedtls/threading.h"
@@ -258,3 +323,5 @@ void mbedtls_test_mutex_usage_end(void)
 }
 
 #endif /* MBEDTLS_TEST_MUTEX_USAGE */
+
+#endif /* MBEDTLS_THREADING_C */