diff --git a/csu/libc-start.c b/csu/libc-start.c
index 5d9c3675fa..23ded05333 100644
--- a/csu/libc-start.c
+++ b/csu/libc-start.c
@@ -43,12 +43,6 @@ uintptr_t __pointer_chk_guard_local
 # endif
 #endif
 
-#ifdef HAVE_PTR_NTHREADS
-/* We need atomic operations.  */
-# include <atomic.h>
-#endif
-
-
 #ifndef SHARED
 # include <link.h>
 # include <dl-irel.h>
@@ -309,30 +303,23 @@ LIBC_START_MAIN (int (*main) (int, char **, char ** MAIN_AUXVEC_DECL),
     }
   else
     {
-      /* Remove the thread-local data.  */
+      /* The main is terminating via unwinding, either via
+	 pthread_exit or pthread_cancel.  Call into the thread
+	 library, to call deallocate thread-local data.  This may
+	 terminate the thread if it is not the last thread.  */
 # ifdef SHARED
-      PTHFCT_CALL (ptr__nptl_deallocate_tsd, ());
+      PTHFCT_CALL (ptr__nptl_main_thread_exited, ());
 # else
-      extern void __nptl_deallocate_tsd (void) __attribute ((weak));
-      __nptl_deallocate_tsd ();
+      /* The function is only invoked on pthread_exit or
+	 pthread_cancel, which means we necessarily have a definition
+	 for it, and no null pointer check is needed here.  */
+      extern void __nptl_main_thread_exited (void)
+	__attribute__ ((weak)) attribute_hidden;
+      __nptl_main_thread_exited ();
 # endif
 
-      /* One less thread.  Decrement the counter.  If it is zero we
-	 terminate the entire process.  */
+      /* Exit status for cancellation.  */
       result = 0;
-# ifdef SHARED
-      unsigned int *ptr = __libc_pthread_functions.ptr_nthreads;
-#  ifdef PTR_DEMANGLE
-      PTR_DEMANGLE (ptr);
-#  endif
-# else
-      extern unsigned int __nptl_nthreads __attribute ((weak));
-      unsigned int *const ptr = &__nptl_nthreads;
-# endif
-
-      if (! atomic_decrement_and_test (ptr))
-	/* Not much left to do but to exit the thread, not the process.  */
-	__exit_thread ();
     }
 #else
   /* Nothing fancy, just call the function.  */
diff --git a/nptl/nptl-init.c b/nptl/nptl-init.c
index b5895fabf3..757397fcb0 100644
--- a/nptl/nptl-init.c
+++ b/nptl/nptl-init.c
@@ -132,9 +132,8 @@ static const struct pthread_functions pthread_functions =
     .ptr___pthread_setspecific = __pthread_setspecific,
     .ptr__pthread_cleanup_push_defer = __pthread_cleanup_push_defer,
     .ptr__pthread_cleanup_pop_restore = __pthread_cleanup_pop_restore,
-    .ptr_nthreads = &__nptl_nthreads,
     .ptr___pthread_unwind = &__pthread_unwind,
-    .ptr__nptl_deallocate_tsd = __nptl_deallocate_tsd,
+    .ptr__nptl_main_thread_exited = &__nptl_main_thread_exited,
 # ifdef SIGSETXID
     .ptr__nptl_setxid = __nptl_setxid,
 # endif
diff --git a/nptl/pthreadP.h b/nptl/pthreadP.h
index 626bd4b096..7277567c58 100644
--- a/nptl/pthreadP.h
+++ b/nptl/pthreadP.h
@@ -590,7 +590,11 @@ extern void _pthread_cleanup_push_defer (struct _pthread_cleanup_buffer *buffer,
 extern void _pthread_cleanup_pop_restore (struct _pthread_cleanup_buffer *buffer,
 					  int execute);
 
-extern void __nptl_deallocate_tsd (void) attribute_hidden;
+/* Called from __libc_start_main in csu/libc-start.c (via the nptl
+   function pointer interface) if the main thread is terminating via
+   pthread_exit or pthread_cancel (and not via a regular return from
+   main).  */
+void __nptl_main_thread_exited (void) attribute_hidden;
 
 extern void __nptl_setxid_error (struct xid_command *cmdp, int error)
   attribute_hidden;
diff --git a/nptl/pthread_create.c b/nptl/pthread_create.c
index 2bd2b10727..04d1c6453e 100644
--- a/nptl/pthread_create.c
+++ b/nptl/pthread_create.c
@@ -245,8 +245,7 @@ __find_in_stack_list (struct pthread *pd)
 
 
 /* Deallocate POSIX thread-local-storage.  */
-void
-attribute_hidden
+static void
 __nptl_deallocate_tsd (void)
 {
   struct pthread *self = THREAD_SELF;
@@ -337,6 +336,15 @@ __nptl_deallocate_tsd (void)
     }
 }
 
+void
+__nptl_main_thread_exited (void)
+{
+  __nptl_deallocate_tsd ();
+
+  if (! atomic_decrement_and_test (&__nptl_nthreads))
+    /* Exit the thread, but not the process.  */
+    __exit_thread ();
+}
 
 /* Deallocate a thread's stack after optionally making sure the thread
    descriptor is still valid.  */
diff --git a/nptl/pthread_exit.c b/nptl/pthread_exit.c
index abc9019334..a6d56751b0 100644
--- a/nptl/pthread_exit.c
+++ b/nptl/pthread_exit.c
@@ -29,6 +29,6 @@ __pthread_exit (void *value)
 }
 weak_alias (__pthread_exit, pthread_exit)
 
-/* After a thread terminates, __libc_start_main decrements
-   __nptl_nthreads defined in pthread_create.c.  */
+/* Exiting from main via pthread_exit needs a definition of
+   __nptl_main_thread_exited.  */
 PTHREAD_STATIC_FN_REQUIRE (__pthread_create)
diff --git a/sysdeps/nptl/pthread-functions.h b/sysdeps/nptl/pthread-functions.h
index cd5e94d1a6..d95a636220 100644
--- a/sysdeps/nptl/pthread-functions.h
+++ b/sysdeps/nptl/pthread-functions.h
@@ -88,11 +88,9 @@ struct pthread_functions
 					   void (*) (void *), void *);
   void (*ptr__pthread_cleanup_pop_restore) (struct _pthread_cleanup_buffer *,
 					    int);
-#define HAVE_PTR_NTHREADS
-  unsigned int *ptr_nthreads;
   void (*ptr___pthread_unwind) (__pthread_unwind_buf_t *)
        __attribute ((noreturn)) __cleanup_fct_attribute;
-  void (*ptr__nptl_deallocate_tsd) (void);
+  void (*ptr__nptl_main_thread_exited) (void);
   int (*ptr__nptl_setxid) (struct xid_command *);
   void (*ptr_set_robust) (struct pthread *);
 };
