diff --git a/include/maxscale/thread.h b/include/maxscale/thread.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 99b7a94f1..000000000
--- a/include/maxscale/thread.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,72 +0,0 @@
-#pragma once
-/*
- * Copyright (c) 2016 MariaDB Corporation Ab
- *
- * Use of this software is governed by the Business Source License included
- * in the LICENSE.TXT file and at www.mariadb.com/bsl11.
- *
- * Change Date: 2022-01-01
- *
- * On the date above, in accordance with the Business Source License, use
- * of this software will be governed by version 2 or later of the General
- * Public License.
- */
-
-/**
- * @file thread.h       The gateway threading interface
- *
- * An encapsulation of the threading used by the gateway. This is designed to
- * isolate the majority of the gateway code from the pthread library, enabling
- * the gateway to be ported to a different threading package with the minimum
- * of changes.
- */
-
-#include <maxscale/cdefs.h>
-
-MXS_BEGIN_DECLS
-
-/**
- * Thread type and thread identifier function macros
- */
-#include <pthread.h>
-
-typedef pthread_t THREAD;
-
-/**
- * Obtain a handle to the calling thread
- *
- * @return The thread handle of the calling thread.
- */
-static inline THREAD thread_self()
-{
-    return pthread_self();
-}
-
-/**
- * Start a secondary thread
- *
- * @param thd         Pointer to the THREAD object
- * @param entry       The entry point to call
- * @param arg         The argument to pass the thread entry point
- * @param stack_size  The stack size of the thread. If 0, the default
- *                    size will be used.
- *
- * @return            The thread handle or NULL if an error occurred
- */
-extern THREAD *thread_start(THREAD *thd, void (*entry)(void *), void *arg, size_t stack_size);
-
-/**
- * Wait for a running thread to complete.
- *
- * @param thd   The thread handle
- */
-extern void thread_wait(THREAD thd);
-
-/**
- * Put the calling thread to sleep for a number of milliseconds
- *
- * @param ms  Number of milliseconds to sleep
- */
-extern void thread_millisleep(int ms);
-
-MXS_END_DECLS
diff --git a/server/core/CMakeLists.txt b/server/core/CMakeLists.txt
index 44713b0a7..79f64e4a9 100644
--- a/server/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/server/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ add_library(maxscale-common SHARED
   spinlock.cc
   ssl.cc
   statistics.cc
-  thread.cc
   users.cc
   utils.cc
   worker.cc
diff --git a/server/core/thread.cc b/server/core/thread.cc
deleted file mode 100644
index 9c56b673e..000000000
--- a/server/core/thread.cc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,70 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright (c) 2016 MariaDB Corporation Ab
- *
- * Use of this software is governed by the Business Source License included
- * in the LICENSE.TXT file and at www.mariadb.com/bsl11.
- *
- * Change Date: 2022-01-01
- *
- * On the date above, in accordance with the Business Source License, use
- * of this software will be governed by version 2 or later of the General
- * Public License.
- */
-
-#include <maxscale/thread.h>
-#include <maxscale/log_manager.h>
-
-THREAD *thread_start(THREAD *thd, void (*entry)(void *), void *arg, size_t stack_size)
-{
-    THREAD* rv = NULL;
-
-    pthread_attr_t attr;
-    int error = pthread_attr_init(&attr);
-
-    if (error == 0)
-    {
-        if (stack_size != 0)
-        {
-            error = pthread_attr_setstacksize(&attr, stack_size);
-        }
-
-        if (error == 0)
-        {
-            error = pthread_create(thd, &attr, (void *(*)(void *))entry, arg);
-
-            if (error == 0)
-            {
-                rv = thd;
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                MXS_ERROR("Could not start thread: %s", mxs_strerror(error));
-            }
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            MXS_ERROR("Could not set thread stack size to %lu: %s", stack_size, mxs_strerror(error));
-        }
-    }
-    else
-    {
-        MXS_ERROR("Could not initialize thread attributes: %s", mxs_strerror(error));
-    }
-
-    return rv;
-}
-
-void thread_wait(THREAD thd)
-{
-    void *rval;
-
-    pthread_join((pthread_t)thd, &rval);
-}
-
-void thread_millisleep(int ms)
-{
-    struct timespec req;
-    req.tv_sec = ms / 1000;
-    req.tv_nsec = (ms % 1000) * 1000000;
-    nanosleep(&req, NULL);
-}