diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 97e8385b66..2c6dad8a75 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -141,6 +141,10 @@ include shared.mak
 #
 # Define NO_PTHREADS if you do not have or do not want to use Pthreads.
 #
+# Define THREAD_BARRIER_PTHREAD if your system has pthread_barrier_t. Barrier
+# support is optional and is only helpful when building with SANITIZE=leak, as
+# it is used to eliminate some races in the leak-checker.
+#
 # Define NO_PREAD if you have a problem with pread() system call (e.g.
 # cygwin1.dll before v1.5.22).
 #
@@ -2079,6 +2083,9 @@ ifdef NO_PTHREADS
 else
 	BASIC_CFLAGS += $(PTHREAD_CFLAGS)
 	EXTLIBS += $(PTHREAD_LIBS)
+	ifdef THREAD_BARRIER_PTHREAD
+		BASIC_CFLAGS += -DTHREAD_BARRIER_PTHREAD
+	endif
 endif
 
 ifdef HAVE_PATHS_H
diff --git a/ci/lib.sh b/ci/lib.sh
index 8885ee3c3f..6a1267fbcb 100755
--- a/ci/lib.sh
+++ b/ci/lib.sh
@@ -385,6 +385,7 @@ linux-musl)
 	;;
 linux-leaks|linux-reftable-leaks)
 	export SANITIZE=leak
+	export THREAD_BARRIER_PTHREAD=1
 	;;
 linux-asan-ubsan)
 	export SANITIZE=address,undefined
diff --git a/thread-utils.h b/thread-utils.h
index 4961487ed9..3df5be9916 100644
--- a/thread-utils.h
+++ b/thread-utils.h
@@ -53,5 +53,22 @@ int dummy_pthread_init(void *);
 int online_cpus(void);
 int init_recursive_mutex(pthread_mutex_t*);
 
+#ifdef THREAD_BARRIER_PTHREAD
+#define maybe_thread_barrier_t pthread_barrier_t
+#define maybe_thread_barrier_init pthread_barrier_init
+#define maybe_thread_barrier_wait pthread_barrier_wait
+#define maybe_thread_barrier_destroy pthread_barrier_destroy
+#else
+#define maybe_thread_barrier_t int
+static inline int maybe_thread_barrier_init(maybe_thread_barrier_t *b UNUSED,
+					    void *attr UNUSED,
+					    unsigned nr UNUSED)
+{
+	errno = ENOSYS;
+	return -1;
+}
+#define maybe_thread_barrier_wait(barrier)
+#define maybe_thread_barrier_destroy(barrier)
+#endif
 
 #endif /* THREAD_COMPAT_H */