diff --git a/adb/commandline.cpp b/adb/commandline.cpp
index 3477246d5..ed09028e2 100644
--- a/adb/commandline.cpp
+++ b/adb/commandline.cpp
@@ -403,7 +403,6 @@ static void *stdin_read_thread(void *x)
 }
 
 static int interactive_shell() {
-    adb_thread_t thr;
     int fdi;
 
     std::string error;
@@ -424,7 +423,8 @@ static int interactive_shell() {
     fds[1] = fdi;
 
     stdin_raw_init(fdi);
-    adb_thread_create(&thr, stdin_read_thread, fds);
+
+    adb_thread_create(stdin_read_thread, fds);
     read_and_dump(fd);
     stdin_raw_restore(fdi);
     return 0;
diff --git a/adb/services.cpp b/adb/services.cpp
index 7e477291d..e53a28c2d 100644
--- a/adb/services.cpp
+++ b/adb/services.cpp
@@ -210,8 +210,7 @@ static int create_service_thread(void (*func)(int, void *), void *cookie)
     sti->cookie = cookie;
     sti->fd = s[1];
 
-    adb_thread_t t;
-    if (adb_thread_create(&t, service_bootstrap_func, sti)) {
+    if (!adb_thread_create(service_bootstrap_func, sti)) {
         free(sti);
         adb_close(s[0]);
         adb_close(s[1]);
@@ -401,8 +400,7 @@ static int create_subproc_thread(const char *name, bool pty = false) {
     sti->cookie = (void*) (uintptr_t) pid;
     sti->fd = ret_fd;
 
-    adb_thread_t t;
-    if (adb_thread_create(&t, service_bootstrap_func, sti)) {
+    if (!adb_thread_create(service_bootstrap_func, sti)) {
         free(sti);
         adb_close(ret_fd);
         fprintf(stderr, "cannot create service thread\n");
diff --git a/adb/sysdeps.h b/adb/sysdeps.h
index 59e5b0b3d..95d0e2015 100644
--- a/adb/sysdeps.h
+++ b/adb/sysdeps.h
@@ -79,19 +79,13 @@ static __inline__ void  adb_mutex_unlock( adb_mutex_t*  lock )
     LeaveCriticalSection( lock );
 }
 
-typedef struct { unsigned  tid; }  adb_thread_t;
-
 typedef  void*  (*adb_thread_func_t)(void*  arg);
 
 typedef  void (*win_thread_func_t)(void*  arg);
 
-static __inline__ int  adb_thread_create( adb_thread_t  *thread, adb_thread_func_t  func, void*  arg)
-{
-    thread->tid = _beginthread( (win_thread_func_t)func, 0, arg );
-    if (thread->tid == (unsigned)-1L) {
-        return -1;
-    }
-    return 0;
+static __inline__ bool adb_thread_create(adb_thread_func_t func, void* arg) {
+    unsigned tid = _beginthread( (win_thread_func_t)func, 0, arg );
+    return (tid != (unsigned)-1L);
 }
 
 static __inline__  unsigned long adb_thread_id()
@@ -429,18 +423,16 @@ static __inline__ int  adb_socket_accept(int  serverfd, struct sockaddr*  addr,
 #define  unix_write  adb_write
 #define  unix_close  adb_close
 
-typedef  pthread_t                 adb_thread_t;
-
 typedef void*  (*adb_thread_func_t)( void*  arg );
 
-static __inline__ int  adb_thread_create( adb_thread_t  *pthread, adb_thread_func_t  start, void*  arg )
-{
-    pthread_attr_t   attr;
+static __inline__ bool adb_thread_create(adb_thread_func_t start, void* arg) {
+    pthread_attr_t attr;
+    pthread_attr_init(&attr);
+    pthread_attr_setdetachstate(&attr, PTHREAD_CREATE_DETACHED);
 
-    pthread_attr_init (&attr);
-    pthread_attr_setdetachstate (&attr, PTHREAD_CREATE_DETACHED);
-
-    return pthread_create( pthread, &attr, start, arg );
+    pthread_t thread;
+    errno = pthread_create(&thread, &attr, start, arg);
+    return (errno == 0);
 }
 
 static __inline__  int  adb_socket_setbufsize( int   fd, int  bufsize )
diff --git a/adb/transport.cpp b/adb/transport.cpp
index e168b8621..bb5be6b42 100644
--- a/adb/transport.cpp
+++ b/adb/transport.cpp
@@ -530,8 +530,6 @@ transport_write_action(int  fd, struct tmsg*  m)
 static void transport_registration_func(int _fd, unsigned ev, void *data)
 {
     tmsg m;
-    adb_thread_t output_thread_ptr;
-    adb_thread_t input_thread_ptr;
     int s[2];
     atransport *t;
 
@@ -600,11 +598,11 @@ static void transport_registration_func(int _fd, unsigned ev, void *data)
 
         fdevent_set(&(t->transport_fde), FDE_READ);
 
-        if(adb_thread_create(&input_thread_ptr, input_thread, t)){
+        if (!adb_thread_create(input_thread, t)) {
             fatal_errno("cannot create input thread");
         }
 
-        if(adb_thread_create(&output_thread_ptr, output_thread, t)){
+        if (!adb_thread_create(output_thread, t)) {
             fatal_errno("cannot create output thread");
         }
     }
diff --git a/adb/transport_local.cpp b/adb/transport_local.cpp
index b1deffd0c..5f7449d22 100644
--- a/adb/transport_local.cpp
+++ b/adb/transport_local.cpp
@@ -234,9 +234,8 @@ static const char _ok_resp[]    = "ok";
     if (fd < 0) {
         /* This could be an older version of the emulator, that doesn't
          * implement adb QEMUD service. Fall back to the old TCP way. */
-        adb_thread_t thr;
         D("adb service is not available. Falling back to TCP socket.\n");
-        adb_thread_create(&thr, server_socket_thread, arg);
+        adb_thread_create(server_socket_thread, arg);
         return 0;
     }
 
@@ -279,7 +278,6 @@ static const char _ok_resp[]    = "ok";
 
 void local_init(int port)
 {
-    adb_thread_t thr;
     void* (*func)(void *);
 
     if(HOST) {
@@ -304,9 +302,8 @@ void local_init(int port)
 
     D("transport: local %s init\n", HOST ? "client" : "server");
 
-    if(adb_thread_create(&thr, func, (void *) (uintptr_t) port)) {
-        fatal_errno("cannot create local socket %s thread",
-                    HOST ? "client" : "server");
+    if (!adb_thread_create(func, (void *) (uintptr_t) port)) {
+        fatal_errno("cannot create local socket %s thread", HOST ? "client" : "server");
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/adb/usb_linux.cpp b/adb/usb_linux.cpp
index 999eb118b..b61bf711b 100644
--- a/adb/usb_linux.cpp
+++ b/adb/usb_linux.cpp
@@ -668,7 +668,6 @@ static void sigalrm_handler(int signo)
 
 void usb_init()
 {
-    adb_thread_t tid;
     struct sigaction    actions;
 
     memset(&actions, 0, sizeof(actions));
@@ -677,7 +676,7 @@ void usb_init()
     actions.sa_handler = sigalrm_handler;
     sigaction(SIGALRM,& actions, NULL);
 
-    if(adb_thread_create(&tid, device_poll_thread, NULL)){
+    if (!adb_thread_create(device_poll_thread, nullptr)) {
         fatal_errno("cannot create input thread");
     }
 }
diff --git a/adb/usb_linux_client.cpp b/adb/usb_linux_client.cpp
index 18289e2ff..f337ccd17 100644
--- a/adb/usb_linux_client.cpp
+++ b/adb/usb_linux_client.cpp
@@ -264,8 +264,7 @@ static void usb_adb_init()
     }
 
     D("[ usb_init - starting thread ]\n");
-    adb_thread_t tid;
-    if(adb_thread_create(&tid, usb_adb_open_thread, h)){
+    if (!adb_thread_create(usb_adb_open_thread, h)) {
         fatal_errno("cannot create usb thread");
     }
 }
@@ -483,8 +482,7 @@ static void usb_ffs_init()
     adb_mutex_init(&h->lock, 0);
 
     D("[ usb_init - starting thread ]\n");
-    adb_thread_t tid;
-    if (adb_thread_create(&tid, usb_ffs_open_thread, h)){
+    if (!adb_thread_create(usb_ffs_open_thread, h)) {
         fatal_errno("[ cannot create usb thread ]\n");
     }
 }
diff --git a/adb/usb_osx.cpp b/adb/usb_osx.cpp
index a795ce38e..0d0b3ad63 100644
--- a/adb/usb_osx.cpp
+++ b/adb/usb_osx.cpp
@@ -398,22 +398,20 @@ void* RunLoopThread(void* unused)
     IONotificationPortDestroy(notificationPort);
 
     DBG("RunLoopThread done\n");
-    return NULL;    
+    return NULL;
 }
 
 
 static int initialized = 0;
-void usb_init()
-{
+void usb_init() {
     if (!initialized)
     {
-        adb_thread_t    tid;
-
         adb_mutex_init(&start_lock, NULL);
         adb_cond_init(&start_cond, NULL);
 
-        if(adb_thread_create(&tid, RunLoopThread, NULL))
+        if (!adb_thread_create(RunLoopThread, nullptr)) {
             fatal_errno("cannot create input thread");
+        }
 
         // Wait for initialization to finish
         adb_mutex_lock(&start_lock);
diff --git a/adb/usb_windows.cpp b/adb/usb_windows.cpp
index d2bd58cdf..1d6ec8cd8 100644
--- a/adb/usb_windows.cpp
+++ b/adb/usb_windows.cpp
@@ -181,9 +181,7 @@ void* device_poll_thread(void* unused) {
 }
 
 void usb_init() {
-  adb_thread_t tid;
-
-  if(adb_thread_create(&tid, device_poll_thread, NULL)) {
+  if (!adb_thread_create(device_poll_thread, nullptr)) {
     fatal_errno("cannot create input thread");
   }
 }