diff --git a/dlls/ntdll/ntdll_misc.h b/dlls/ntdll/ntdll_misc.h
index c9c79fb6496..80bca0ca3d0 100644
--- a/dlls/ntdll/ntdll_misc.h
+++ b/dlls/ntdll/ntdll_misc.h
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ extern void signal_init_thread( TEB *teb ) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
 extern void signal_init_process(void) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
 extern void signal_start_thread( LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE entry, void *arg, BOOL suspend ) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
 extern void signal_start_process( LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE entry, BOOL suspend ) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
+extern void DECLSPEC_NORETURN signal_exit_thread( int status ) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
+extern void DECLSPEC_NORETURN signal_exit_process( int status ) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
 extern void version_init( const WCHAR *appname ) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
 extern void debug_init(void) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
 extern HANDLE thread_init(void) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
@@ -86,7 +88,6 @@ extern void server_init_process(void) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
 extern void server_init_process_done(void) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
 extern size_t server_init_thread( void *entry_point, BOOL *suspend ) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
 extern void DECLSPEC_NORETURN abort_thread( int status ) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
-extern void DECLSPEC_NORETURN terminate_thread( int status ) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
 extern void DECLSPEC_NORETURN exit_thread( int status ) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
 extern sigset_t server_block_set DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
 extern unsigned int server_call_unlocked( void *req_ptr ) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
diff --git a/dlls/ntdll/signal_arm.c b/dlls/ntdll/signal_arm.c
index 64ff1e010e4..dcb45646408 100644
--- a/dlls/ntdll/signal_arm.c
+++ b/dlls/ntdll/signal_arm.c
@@ -1233,7 +1233,7 @@ static void call_thread_entry_point( LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE entry, void *arg )
     __TRY
     {
         TRACE_(relay)( "\1Starting thread proc %p (arg=%p)\n", entry, arg );
-        exit_thread( entry( arg ));
+        RtlExitUserThread( entry( arg ));
     }
     __EXCEPT(unhandled_exception_filter)
     {
@@ -1302,19 +1302,19 @@ void signal_start_process( LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE entry, BOOL suspend )
 }
 
 /***********************************************************************
- *           RtlExitUserThread  (NTDLL.@)
+ *           signal_exit_thread
  */
-void WINAPI RtlExitUserThread( ULONG status )
+void signal_exit_thread( int status )
 {
     exit_thread( status );
 }
 
 /***********************************************************************
- *           abort_thread
+ *           signal_exit_process
  */
-void abort_thread( int status )
+void signal_exit_process( int status )
 {
-    terminate_thread( status );
+    exit( status );
 }
 
 /**********************************************************************
diff --git a/dlls/ntdll/signal_arm64.c b/dlls/ntdll/signal_arm64.c
index 6905ab4362a..a04fe93a575 100644
--- a/dlls/ntdll/signal_arm64.c
+++ b/dlls/ntdll/signal_arm64.c
@@ -965,7 +965,7 @@ static void WINAPI call_thread_entry_point( LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE entry, void *
     __TRY
     {
         TRACE_(relay)( "\1Starting thread proc %p (arg=%p)\n", entry, arg );
-        exit_thread( entry( arg ));
+        RtlExitUserThread( entry( arg ));
     }
     __EXCEPT(unhandled_exception_filter)
     {
@@ -1034,19 +1034,19 @@ void signal_start_process( LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE entry, BOOL suspend )
 }
 
 /***********************************************************************
- *           RtlExitUserThread  (NTDLL.@)
+ *           signal_exit_thread
  */
-void WINAPI RtlExitUserThread( ULONG status )
+void signal_exit_thread( int status )
 {
     exit_thread( status );
 }
 
 /***********************************************************************
- *           abort_thread
+ *           signal_exit_process
  */
-void abort_thread( int status )
+void signal_exit_process( int status )
 {
-    terminate_thread( status );
+    exit( status );
 }
 
 /**********************************************************************
diff --git a/dlls/ntdll/signal_i386.c b/dlls/ntdll/signal_i386.c
index 351b67c8916..4be573edd17 100644
--- a/dlls/ntdll/signal_i386.c
+++ b/dlls/ntdll/signal_i386.c
@@ -2989,21 +2989,21 @@ void signal_start_process( LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE entry, BOOL suspend )
 
 
 /***********************************************************************
- *           RtlExitUserThread  (NTDLL.@)
+ *           signal_exit_thread
  */
-void WINAPI RtlExitUserThread( ULONG status )
+void signal_exit_thread( int status )
 {
     if (!x86_thread_data()->exit_frame) exit_thread( status );
     call_thread_exit_func( status, exit_thread, x86_thread_data()->exit_frame );
 }
 
 /***********************************************************************
- *           abort_thread
+ *           signal_exit_process
  */
-void abort_thread( int status )
+void signal_exit_process( int status )
 {
-    if (!x86_thread_data()->exit_frame) terminate_thread( status );
-    call_thread_exit_func( status, terminate_thread, x86_thread_data()->exit_frame );
+    if (!x86_thread_data()->exit_frame) exit( status );
+    call_thread_exit_func( status, exit, x86_thread_data()->exit_frame );
 }
 
 /**********************************************************************
diff --git a/dlls/ntdll/signal_powerpc.c b/dlls/ntdll/signal_powerpc.c
index 234fdc4d478..3182a13d370 100644
--- a/dlls/ntdll/signal_powerpc.c
+++ b/dlls/ntdll/signal_powerpc.c
@@ -1143,7 +1143,7 @@ static void WINAPI call_thread_entry_point( LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE entry, void *
     __TRY
     {
         TRACE_(relay)( "\1Starting thread proc %p (arg=%p)\n", entry, arg );
-        exit_thread( entry( arg ));
+        RtlExitUserThread( entry( arg ));
     }
     __EXCEPT(unhandled_exception_filter)
     {
@@ -1212,19 +1212,19 @@ void signal_start_process( LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE entry, BOOL suspend )
 }
 
 /***********************************************************************
- *           RtlExitUserThread  (NTDLL.@)
+ *           signal_exit_thread
  */
-void WINAPI RtlExitUserThread( ULONG status )
+void signal_exit_thread( int status )
 {
     exit_thread( status );
 }
 
 /***********************************************************************
- *           abort_thread
+ *           signal_exit_process
  */
-void abort_thread( int status )
+void signal_exit_process( int status )
 {
-    terminate_thread( status );
+    exit( status );
 }
 
 /**********************************************************************
diff --git a/dlls/ntdll/signal_x86_64.c b/dlls/ntdll/signal_x86_64.c
index c955c4c573a..1f7664051ab 100644
--- a/dlls/ntdll/signal_x86_64.c
+++ b/dlls/ntdll/signal_x86_64.c
@@ -4160,21 +4160,21 @@ void signal_start_process( LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE entry, BOOL suspend )
 
 
 /***********************************************************************
- *           RtlExitUserThread  (NTDLL.@)
+ *           signal_exit_thread
  */
-void WINAPI RtlExitUserThread( ULONG status )
+void signal_exit_thread( int status )
 {
     if (!amd64_thread_data()->exit_frame) exit_thread( status );
     call_thread_exit_func( status, exit_thread, amd64_thread_data()->exit_frame );
 }
 
 /***********************************************************************
- *           abort_thread
+ *           signal_exit_process
  */
-void abort_thread( int status )
+void signal_exit_process( int status )
 {
-    if (!amd64_thread_data()->exit_frame) terminate_thread( status );
-    call_thread_exit_func( status, terminate_thread, amd64_thread_data()->exit_frame );
+    if (!amd64_thread_data()->exit_frame) exit( status );
+    call_thread_exit_func( status, exit, amd64_thread_data()->exit_frame );
 }
 
 /**********************************************************************
diff --git a/dlls/ntdll/thread.c b/dlls/ntdll/thread.c
index 7b726ab7010..6abfd856520 100644
--- a/dlls/ntdll/thread.c
+++ b/dlls/ntdll/thread.c
@@ -426,13 +426,21 @@ static void free_thread_data( TEB *teb )
 
 
 /***********************************************************************
- *           terminate_thread
+ *           abort_thread
  */
-void terminate_thread( int status )
+void abort_thread( int status )
 {
     pthread_sigmask( SIG_BLOCK, &server_block_set, NULL );
     if (interlocked_xchg_add( &nb_threads, -1 ) <= 1) _exit( status );
+    signal_exit_thread( status );
+}
 
+
+/***********************************************************************
+ *           exit_thread
+ */
+void exit_thread( int status )
+{
     close( ntdll_get_thread_data()->wait_fd[0] );
     close( ntdll_get_thread_data()->wait_fd[1] );
     close( ntdll_get_thread_data()->reply_fd );
@@ -442,9 +450,9 @@ void terminate_thread( int status )
 
 
 /***********************************************************************
- *           exit_thread
+ *           RtlExitUserThread  (NTDLL.@)
  */
-void exit_thread( int status )
+void WINAPI RtlExitUserThread( ULONG status )
 {
     static void *prev_teb;
     TEB *teb;
@@ -463,7 +471,7 @@ void exit_thread( int status )
     if (interlocked_xchg_add( &nb_threads, -1 ) <= 1)
     {
         LdrShutdownProcess();
-        exit( status );
+        signal_exit_process( status );
     }
 
     LdrShutdownThread();
@@ -482,11 +490,7 @@ void exit_thread( int status )
         }
     }
 
-    close( ntdll_get_thread_data()->wait_fd[0] );
-    close( ntdll_get_thread_data()->wait_fd[1] );
-    close( ntdll_get_thread_data()->reply_fd );
-    close( ntdll_get_thread_data()->request_fd );
-    pthread_exit( UIntToPtr(status) );
+    signal_exit_thread( status );
 }