diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index ad056466ad..68dfcb03d0 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -114,6 +114,11 @@ if(MBEDTLS_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE)
 
 endif()
 
+# We now potentially need to link all executables against PThreads, if available
+set(CMAKE_THREAD_PREFER_PTHREAD TRUE)
+set(THREADS_PREFER_PTHREAD_FLAG TRUE)
+find_package(Threads)
+
 # If this is the root project add longer list of available CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE values
 if(CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR STREQUAL CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR)
     set(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE ${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE}
diff --git a/library/CMakeLists.txt b/library/CMakeLists.txt
index 5c297e0a1f..49803416dd 100644
--- a/library/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/library/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ if(HAIKU)
 endif(HAIKU)
 
 if(LINK_WITH_PTHREAD)
-    set(libs ${libs} pthread)
+    set(libs ${libs} ${CMAKE_THREAD_LIBS_INIT})
 endif()
 
 if(LINK_WITH_TRUSTED_STORAGE)
diff --git a/programs/aes/CMakeLists.txt b/programs/aes/CMakeLists.txt
index 81741020f5..ccb8db564f 100644
--- a/programs/aes/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/programs/aes/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-set(CMAKE_THREAD_PREFER_PTHREAD TRUE)
-set(THREADS_PREFER_PTHREAD_FLAG TRUE)
-find_package(Threads)
-
 set(executables
     crypt_and_hash
 )
diff --git a/programs/cipher/CMakeLists.txt b/programs/cipher/CMakeLists.txt
index b497e8a48d..e925524f68 100644
--- a/programs/cipher/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/programs/cipher/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-set(CMAKE_THREAD_PREFER_PTHREAD TRUE)
-set(THREADS_PREFER_PTHREAD_FLAG TRUE)
-find_package(Threads)
-
 set(executables
     cipher_aead_demo
 )
diff --git a/programs/fuzz/CMakeLists.txt b/programs/fuzz/CMakeLists.txt
index 97b8fd2ebc..c389029bca 100644
--- a/programs/fuzz/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/programs/fuzz/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-set(CMAKE_THREAD_PREFER_PTHREAD TRUE)
-set(THREADS_PREFER_PTHREAD_FLAG TRUE)
-find_package(Threads)
-
 set(libs
     ${mbedtls_target}
     ${CMAKE_THREAD_LIBS_INIT}
diff --git a/programs/hash/CMakeLists.txt b/programs/hash/CMakeLists.txt
index 504a4052f0..fcacf3ba4f 100644
--- a/programs/hash/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/programs/hash/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-set(CMAKE_THREAD_PREFER_PTHREAD TRUE)
-set(THREADS_PREFER_PTHREAD_FLAG TRUE)
-find_package(Threads)
-
 set(executables
     generic_sum
     hello
diff --git a/programs/pkey/CMakeLists.txt b/programs/pkey/CMakeLists.txt
index 2f55c61224..cd0387a882 100644
--- a/programs/pkey/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/programs/pkey/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-set(CMAKE_THREAD_PREFER_PTHREAD TRUE)
-set(THREADS_PREFER_PTHREAD_FLAG TRUE)
-find_package(Threads)
-
 set(executables_mbedtls
     dh_client
     dh_server
diff --git a/programs/psa/CMakeLists.txt b/programs/psa/CMakeLists.txt
index dd1b1a2a8c..a8e4b0e372 100644
--- a/programs/psa/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/programs/psa/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-set(CMAKE_THREAD_PREFER_PTHREAD TRUE)
-set(THREADS_PREFER_PTHREAD_FLAG TRUE)
-find_package(Threads)
-
 set(executables
     aead_demo
     crypto_examples
diff --git a/programs/random/CMakeLists.txt b/programs/random/CMakeLists.txt
index c1184d1186..5940395354 100644
--- a/programs/random/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/programs/random/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-set(CMAKE_THREAD_PREFER_PTHREAD TRUE)
-set(THREADS_PREFER_PTHREAD_FLAG TRUE)
-find_package(Threads)
-
 set(executables
     gen_entropy
     gen_random_ctr_drbg
diff --git a/programs/ssl/CMakeLists.txt b/programs/ssl/CMakeLists.txt
index 8047b9f157..ec2c86fb4a 100644
--- a/programs/ssl/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/programs/ssl/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
-set(THREADS_USE_PTHREADS_WIN32 true)
-set(CMAKE_THREAD_PREFER_PTHREAD TRUE)
-set(THREADS_PREFER_PTHREAD_FLAG TRUE)
 find_package(Threads)
 
 set(libs
diff --git a/programs/test/CMakeLists.txt b/programs/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 3709276f54..f91f786b9e 100644
--- a/programs/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/programs/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-set(CMAKE_THREAD_PREFER_PTHREAD TRUE)
-set(THREADS_PREFER_PTHREAD_FLAG TRUE)
-find_package(Threads)
-
 set(libs
     ${mbedtls_target}
 )
diff --git a/programs/test/cmake_subproject/CMakeLists.txt b/programs/test/cmake_subproject/CMakeLists.txt
index 2f8ab2a3af..78bd5e792d 100644
--- a/programs/test/cmake_subproject/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/programs/test/cmake_subproject/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,9 +1,5 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.5.1)
 
-set(CMAKE_THREAD_PREFER_PTHREAD TRUE)
-set(THREADS_PREFER_PTHREAD_FLAG TRUE)
-find_package(Threads)
-
 # Test the target renaming support by adding a prefix to the targets built
 set(MBEDTLS_TARGET_PREFIX subproject_test_)
 
diff --git a/programs/util/CMakeLists.txt b/programs/util/CMakeLists.txt
index 6a8659e9b4..cb6bc3d2d2 100644
--- a/programs/util/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/programs/util/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-set(CMAKE_THREAD_PREFER_PTHREAD TRUE)
-set(THREADS_PREFER_PTHREAD_FLAG TRUE)
-find_package(Threads)
-
 set(libs
     ${mbedcrypto_target}
 )
diff --git a/programs/x509/CMakeLists.txt b/programs/x509/CMakeLists.txt
index e41b4069ef..43437f070b 100644
--- a/programs/x509/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/programs/x509/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-set(CMAKE_THREAD_PREFER_PTHREAD TRUE)
-set(THREADS_PREFER_PTHREAD_FLAG TRUE)
-find_package(Threads)
-
 set(libs
     ${mbedx509_target}
 )
diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index cb54ea4086..70f5bc9299 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-set(CMAKE_THREAD_PREFER_PTHREAD TRUE)
-set(THREADS_PREFER_PTHREAD_FLAG TRUE)
-find_package(Threads)
-
 set(libs
     ${mbedtls_target}
     ${CMAKE_THREAD_LIBS_INIT}