diff --git a/src/lock.h b/src/lock.h
index 1e71305e..85d32a5c 100644
--- a/src/lock.h
+++ b/src/lock.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 typedef pthread_mutex_t Lock;
 typedef pthread_cond_t WaitCondition;
 typedef pthread_t ThreadHandle;
+typedef void*(*start_fn)(void*);
 
 #  define lock_init(x) pthread_mutex_init(&(x), NULL)
 #  define lock_grab(x) pthread_mutex_lock(&(x))
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ typedef pthread_t ThreadHandle;
 #  define cond_signal(x) pthread_cond_signal(&(x))
 #  define cond_wait(x,y) pthread_cond_wait(&(x),&(y))
 #  define cond_timedwait(x,y,z) pthread_cond_timedwait(&(x),&(y),z)
-#  define thread_create(x,f,id) !pthread_create(&(x),NULL,f,&(id))
+#  define thread_create(x,f,id) !pthread_create(&(x),NULL,(start_fn)f,&(id))
 #  define thread_join(x) pthread_join(x, NULL)
 
 #else
@@ -67,7 +68,7 @@ typedef HANDLE ThreadHandle;
 #  define cond_signal(x) SetEvent(x)
 #  define cond_wait(x,y) { lock_release(y); WaitForSingleObject(x, INFINITE); lock_grab(y); }
 #  define cond_timedwait(x,y,z) { lock_release(y); WaitForSingleObject(x,z); lock_grab(y); }
-#  define thread_create(x,f,id) (x = CreateThread(NULL,0,f,&(id),0,NULL), x != NULL)
+#  define thread_create(x,f,id) (x = CreateThread(NULL,0,(LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE)f,&(id),0,NULL), x != NULL)
 #  define thread_join(x) { WaitForSingleObject(x, INFINITE); CloseHandle(x); }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/thread.cpp b/src/thread.cpp
index 31c5961d..5c23aa50 100644
--- a/src/thread.cpp
+++ b/src/thread.cpp
@@ -36,13 +36,7 @@ namespace { extern "C" {
  // and last thread are special. First one is the main search thread while the
  // last one mimics a timer, they run in main_loop() and timer_loop().
 
-#if defined(_WIN32) || defined(_WIN64)
-  DWORD WINAPI start_routine(LPVOID thread) {
-#else
-  void* start_routine(void* thread) {
-#endif
-
-    Thread* th = (Thread*)thread;
+  long start_routine(Thread* th) {
 
     if (th->threadID == 0)
         th->main_loop();
@@ -299,7 +293,7 @@ bool ThreadsManager::available_slave_exists(int master) const {
 template <bool Fake>
 Value ThreadsManager::split(Position& pos, Stack* ss, Value alpha, Value beta,
                             Value bestValue, Move* bestMove, Depth depth,
-                            Move threatMove, int moveCount, MovePicker *mp, int nodeType) {
+                            Move threatMove, int moveCount, MovePicker* mp, int nodeType) {
   assert(pos.pos_is_ok());
   assert(bestValue > -VALUE_INFINITE);
   assert(bestValue <= alpha);