diff --git a/lib/isc/win32/thread.c b/lib/isc/win32/thread.c
index 5c80ff9e5f..be0515ebf6 100644
--- a/lib/isc/win32/thread.c
+++ b/lib/isc/win32/thread.c
@@ -5,16 +5,16 @@ isc_result_t
 isc_thread_create(isc_threadfunc_t start, isc_threadarg_t arg, 
 		  isc_thread_t *threadp)
 {
-	HANDLE h;
-	DWORD id;
+	isc_thread_t thread;
+	unsigned int id;
 
-	h = CreateThread(NULL, 0, start, arg, 0, &id);
-	if (h == NULL) {
+	thread = (isc_thread_t)_beginthreadex(NULL, 0, start, arg, 0, &id);
+	if (thread == NULL) {
 		/* XXX */
 		return (ISC_R_UNEXPECTED);
 	}
 
-	*threadp = h;
+	*threadp = thread;
 
 	return (ISC_R_SUCCESS);
 }
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ isc_thread_join(isc_thread_t thread, isc_threadresult_t *rp) {
 		/* XXX */
 		return (ISC_R_UNEXPECTED);
 	}
+	(void)CloseHandle(thread);
 
 	return (ISC_R_SUCCESS);
 }