diff --git a/include/SDL_thread.h b/include/SDL_thread.h
index 7a779d5c9..cb5301174 100644
--- a/include/SDL_thread.h
+++ b/include/SDL_thread.h
@@ -93,11 +93,18 @@ typedef int (SDLCALL * SDL_ThreadFunction) (void *data);
 #define SDL_PASSED_BEGINTHREAD_ENDTHREAD
 #include <process.h> /* _beginthreadex() and _endthreadex() */
 
-typedef uintptr_t(__cdecl * pfnSDL_CurrentBeginThread)
+typedef uintptr_t (__cdecl * pfnSDL_CurrentBeginThread)
                    (void *, unsigned, unsigned (__stdcall *func)(void *),
                     void * /*arg*/, unsigned, unsigned * /* threadID */);
 typedef void (__cdecl * pfnSDL_CurrentEndThread) (unsigned code);
 
+#ifndef SDL_beginthread
+#define SDL_beginthread _beginthreadex
+#endif
+#ifndef SDL_endthread
+#define SDL_endthread _endthreadex
+#endif
+
 /**
  *  Create a thread.
  */
@@ -118,12 +125,12 @@ SDL_CreateThreadWithStackSize(int (SDLCALL * fn) (void *),
  */
 #if defined(SDL_CreateThread) && SDL_DYNAMIC_API
 #undef SDL_CreateThread
-#define SDL_CreateThread(fn, name, data) SDL_CreateThread_REAL(fn, name, data, (pfnSDL_CurrentBeginThread)_beginthreadex, (pfnSDL_CurrentEndThread)_endthreadex)
+#define SDL_CreateThread(fn, name, data) SDL_CreateThread_REAL(fn, name, data, (pfnSDL_CurrentBeginThread)SDL_beginthread, (pfnSDL_CurrentEndThread)SDL_endthread)
 #undef SDL_CreateThreadWithStackSize
-#define SDL_CreateThreadWithStackSize(fn, name, stacksize, data) SDL_CreateThreadWithStackSize_REAL(fn, name, stacksize, data, (pfnSDL_CurrentBeginThread)_beginthreadex, (pfnSDL_CurrentEndThread)_endthreadex)
+#define SDL_CreateThreadWithStackSize(fn, name, stacksize, data) SDL_CreateThreadWithStackSize_REAL(fn, name, stacksize, data, (pfnSDL_CurrentBeginThread)SDL_beginthread, (pfnSDL_CurrentEndThread)SDL_endthread)
 #else
-#define SDL_CreateThread(fn, name, data) SDL_CreateThread(fn, name, data, (pfnSDL_CurrentBeginThread)_beginthreadex, (pfnSDL_CurrentEndThread)_endthreadex)
-#define SDL_CreateThreadWithStackSize(fn, name, stacksize, data) SDL_CreateThreadWithStackSize(fn, name, data, (pfnSDL_CurrentBeginThread)_beginthreadex, (pfnSDL_CurrentEndThread)_endthreadex)
+#define SDL_CreateThread(fn, name, data) SDL_CreateThread(fn, name, data, (pfnSDL_CurrentBeginThread)SDL_beginthread, (pfnSDL_CurrentEndThread)SDL_endthread)
+#define SDL_CreateThreadWithStackSize(fn, name, stacksize, data) SDL_CreateThreadWithStackSize(fn, name, data, (pfnSDL_CurrentBeginThread)_beginthreadex, (pfnSDL_CurrentEndThread)SDL_endthread)
 #endif
 
 #elif defined(__OS2__)
@@ -132,13 +139,23 @@ SDL_CreateThreadWithStackSize(int (SDLCALL * fn) (void *),
  * into a dll with Watcom's runtime statically linked.
  */
 #define SDL_PASSED_BEGINTHREAD_ENDTHREAD
+
 #ifndef __EMX__
 #include <process.h>
 #else
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #endif
+
 typedef int (*pfnSDL_CurrentBeginThread)(void (*func)(void *), void *, unsigned, void * /*arg*/);
 typedef void (*pfnSDL_CurrentEndThread)(void);
+
+#ifndef SDL_beginthread
+#define SDL_beginthread _beginthread
+#endif
+#ifndef SDL_endthread
+#define SDL_endthread _endthread
+#endif
+
 extern DECLSPEC SDL_Thread *SDLCALL
 SDL_CreateThread(SDL_ThreadFunction fn, const char *name, void *data,
                  pfnSDL_CurrentBeginThread pfnBeginThread,
@@ -147,14 +164,15 @@ extern DECLSPEC SDL_Thread *SDLCALL
 SDL_CreateThreadWithStackSize(SDL_ThreadFunction fn, const char *name, const size_t stacksize, void *data,
                  pfnSDL_CurrentBeginThread pfnBeginThread,
                  pfnSDL_CurrentEndThread pfnEndThread);
+
 #if defined(SDL_CreateThread) && SDL_DYNAMIC_API
 #undef SDL_CreateThread
-#define SDL_CreateThread(fn, name, data) SDL_CreateThread_REAL(fn, name, data, (pfnSDL_CurrentBeginThread)_beginthread, (pfnSDL_CurrentEndThread)_endthread)
+#define SDL_CreateThread(fn, name, data) SDL_CreateThread_REAL(fn, name, data, (pfnSDL_CurrentBeginThread)SDL_beginthread, (pfnSDL_CurrentEndThread)SDL_endthread)
 #undef SDL_CreateThreadWithStackSize
-#define SDL_CreateThreadWithStackSize(fn, name, stacksize, data) SDL_CreateThreadWithStackSize_REAL(fn, name, data, (pfnSDL_CurrentBeginThread)_beginthread, (pfnSDL_CurrentEndThread)_endthread)
+#define SDL_CreateThreadWithStackSize(fn, name, stacksize, data) SDL_CreateThreadWithStackSize_REAL(fn, name, data, (pfnSDL_CurrentBeginThread)SDL_beginthread, (pfnSDL_CurrentEndThread)SDL_endthread)
 #else
-#define SDL_CreateThread(fn, name, data) SDL_CreateThread(fn, name, data, (pfnSDL_CurrentBeginThread)_beginthread, (pfnSDL_CurrentEndThread)_endthread)
-#define SDL_CreateThreadWithStackSize(fn, name, stacksize, data) SDL_CreateThreadWithStackSize(fn, name, stacksize, data, (pfnSDL_CurrentBeginThread)_beginthread, (pfnSDL_CurrentEndThread)_endthread)
+#define SDL_CreateThread(fn, name, data) SDL_CreateThread(fn, name, data, (pfnSDL_CurrentBeginThread)SDL_beginthread, (pfnSDL_CurrentEndThread)SDL_endthread)
+#define SDL_CreateThreadWithStackSize(fn, name, stacksize, data) SDL_CreateThreadWithStackSize(fn, name, stacksize, data, (pfnSDL_CurrentBeginThread)SDL_beginthread, (pfnSDL_CurrentEndThread)SDL_endthread)
 #endif
 
 #else