diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 5f7d0d886..d65cfeb2b 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ endif()
 
 option(USE_PKCS11_HELPER_LIBRARY "Build mbed TLS with the pkcs11-helper library." OFF)
 option(ENABLE_ZLIB_SUPPORT "Build mbed TLS with zlib library." OFF)
+option(ENABLE_PTHREAD "Build mbed TLS with pthread" OFF)
 
 option(ENABLE_PROGRAMS "Build mbed TLS programs." ON)
 
@@ -174,6 +175,7 @@ else()
 endif()
 
 include_directories(include/)
+include_directories(${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/include/)
 
 if(ENABLE_ZLIB_SUPPORT)
     find_package(ZLIB)
@@ -183,6 +185,17 @@ if(ENABLE_ZLIB_SUPPORT)
     endif(ZLIB_FOUND)
 endif(ENABLE_ZLIB_SUPPORT)
 
+if(ENABLE_PTHREAD)
+    if(WIN32)
+        find_package(pthreads_windows REQUIRED)
+        include_directories(${PThreads4W_INCLUDE_DIR})
+    else()
+        set(CMAKE_THREAD_PREFER_PTHREAD ON)
+        find_package(Threads REQUIRED)
+    endif()
+    set(LINK_WITH_PTHREAD ON)
+endif()
+
 add_subdirectory(library)
 add_subdirectory(include)
 
diff --git a/include/CMakeLists.txt b/include/CMakeLists.txt
index c2f2bd4e6..e110cd50c 100644
--- a/include/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/include/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
 option(INSTALL_MBEDTLS_HEADERS "Install mbed TLS headers." ON)
 
+configure_file(mbedtls/config_threading.h.in mbedtls/config_threading.h)
+
 if(INSTALL_MBEDTLS_HEADERS)
 
     file(GLOB headers "mbedtls/*.h")
 
+    set(headers ${headers} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/mbedtls/config_threading.h)
+
     install(FILES ${headers}
         DESTINATION include/mbedtls
         PERMISSIONS OWNER_READ OWNER_WRITE GROUP_READ WORLD_READ)
diff --git a/include/mbedtls/config.h b/include/mbedtls/config.h
index 5df962ef6..f205bf599 100644
--- a/include/mbedtls/config.h
+++ b/include/mbedtls/config.h
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@
  *  This file is part of mbed TLS (https://tls.mbed.org)
  */
 
+#include "mbedtls/config_threading.h"
+
 #ifndef MBEDTLS_CONFIG_H
 #define MBEDTLS_CONFIG_H
 
diff --git a/include/mbedtls/config_threading.h.in b/include/mbedtls/config_threading.h.in
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f6286ed9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/mbedtls/config_threading.h.in
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#cmakedefine ENABLE_PTHREAD
+
+#ifdef ENABLE_PTHREAD
+#define MBEDTLS_THREADING_C
+#define MBEDTLS_THREADING_PTHREAD
+#endif
diff --git a/library/CMakeLists.txt b/library/CMakeLists.txt
index 9330cff9b..54a815ee7 100644
--- a/library/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/library/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -128,7 +128,11 @@ if(ENABLE_ZLIB_SUPPORT)
 endif(ENABLE_ZLIB_SUPPORT)
 
 if(LINK_WITH_PTHREAD)
-    set(libs ${libs} pthread)
+    if(WIN32)
+        set(libs ${libs} ${PThreads4W_LIBRARY})
+    else()
+        set(libs ${libs} pthread)
+    endif()
 endif()
 
 if (NOT USE_STATIC_MBEDTLS_LIBRARY AND NOT USE_SHARED_MBEDTLS_LIBRARY)
