diff --git a/boden/wege/weg.cc b/boden/wege/weg.cc
index 6c8e56b85..c59bde39f 100644
--- a/boden/wege/weg.cc
+++ b/boden/wege/weg.cc
@@ -47,7 +47,8 @@
 
 #ifdef MULTI_THREAD
 #include "../../utils/simthread.h"
-static pthread_mutex_t weg_calc_image_mutex = PTHREAD_RECURSIVE_MUTEX_INITIALIZER_NP;
+static pthread_mutex_t weg_calc_image_mutex;
+static recursive_mutex_maker_t weg_cim_maker(weg_calc_image_mutex);
 #endif
 
 /**
diff --git a/obj/crossing.cc b/obj/crossing.cc
index 75e4317c4..7420aca9b 100644
--- a/obj/crossing.cc
+++ b/obj/crossing.cc
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@
 
 #ifdef MULTI_THREAD
 #include "../utils/simthread.h"
-static pthread_mutex_t crossing_logic_mutex = PTHREAD_RECURSIVE_MUTEX_INITIALIZER_NP;
+static pthread_mutex_t crossing_logic_mutex;
+static recursive_mutex_maker_t crossing_lm_maker(crossing_logic_mutex);
 #endif
 
 
diff --git a/obj/tunnel.cc b/obj/tunnel.cc
index 48cc30978..483b6ced1 100644
--- a/obj/tunnel.cc
+++ b/obj/tunnel.cc
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@
 
 #ifdef MULTI_THREAD
 #include "../utils/simthread.h"
-static pthread_mutex_t tunnel_calc_image_mutex = PTHREAD_RECURSIVE_MUTEX_INITIALIZER_NP;
+static pthread_mutex_t tunnel_calc_image_mutex;
+static recursive_mutex_maker_t tunnel_cim_maker(tunnel_calc_image_mutex);
 #endif
 
 
diff --git a/obj/wayobj.cc b/obj/wayobj.cc
index 7e7135e8a..f37d66076 100644
--- a/obj/wayobj.cc
+++ b/obj/wayobj.cc
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@
 
 #ifdef MULTI_THREAD
 #include "../utils/simthread.h"
-static pthread_mutex_t wayobj_calc_image_mutex = PTHREAD_RECURSIVE_MUTEX_INITIALIZER_NP;
+static pthread_mutex_t wayobj_calc_image_mutex;
+static recursive_mutex_maker_t wayobj_cim_maker(wayobj_calc_image_mutex);
 #endif
 
 // the descriptions ...
diff --git a/simworld.cc b/simworld.cc
index d556e5295..d6845c10b 100644
--- a/simworld.cc
+++ b/simworld.cc
@@ -5117,7 +5117,8 @@ DBG_MESSAGE("karte_t::load()","Savegame version is %d", file.get_version());
 
 
 #ifdef MULTI_THREAD
-static pthread_mutex_t height_mutex = PTHREAD_RECURSIVE_MUTEX_INITIALIZER_NP;
+static pthread_mutex_t height_mutex;
+static recursive_mutex_maker_t height_mutex_maker(height_mutex);
 #endif
 
 
diff --git a/utils/simthread.cc b/utils/simthread.cc
index ab92cc9bc..59237b32f 100644
--- a/utils/simthread.cc
+++ b/utils/simthread.cc
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 #include "simthread.h"
 
-#if defined(_USE_POSIX_BARRIERS)  ||  !defined(MULTI_THREAD)
-// use native pthread barriers
-// (and do not try to compile this file for non-multithread builds)
-#else
+#ifdef MULTI_THREAD
+// do not try to compile this file for non-multithreaded builds
+
+#ifndef _USE_POSIX_BARRIERS
 // implement barriers using other pthread primitives
 #include <errno.h>
 
@@ -54,3 +54,24 @@ int simthread_barrier_wait(simthread_barrier_t *barrier)
 }
 
 #endif
+
+#ifndef _SIMTHREAD_R_MUTEX_I
+// initialize a recursive mutex by calling pthread_mutex_init()
+#include <stdexcept>
+
+
+recursive_mutex_maker_t::recursive_mutex_maker_t(pthread_mutex_t &mutex) {
+	pthread_mutexattr_t attr;
+
+	if (pthread_mutexattr_init(&attr) != 0 ||
+	    pthread_mutexattr_settype(&attr, PTHREAD_MUTEX_RECURSIVE) != 0 ||
+	    pthread_mutex_init(&mutex, &attr) != 0 ||
+	    pthread_mutexattr_destroy(&attr) != 0) {
+		// Can't call dbg->error(), because this constructor
+		// may run before simu_main() calls init_logging().
+		throw std::runtime_error("Can't make a recursive mutex!");
+	}
+}
+#endif
+
+#endif
diff --git a/utils/simthread.h b/utils/simthread.h
index b6316a447..47b470e63 100644
--- a/utils/simthread.h
+++ b/utils/simthread.h
@@ -22,11 +22,24 @@
 
 #include <pthread.h>
 
-// Mac OS X defines this initializers without _NP.
-#ifndef PTHREAD_RECURSIVE_MUTEX_INITIALIZER_NP
-#define PTHREAD_RECURSIVE_MUTEX_INITIALIZER_NP PTHREAD_RECURSIVE_MUTEX_INITIALIZER
+#if defined PTHREAD_RECURSIVE_MUTEX_INITIALIZER_NP
+// Linux glibc
+#define _SIMTHREAD_R_MUTEX_I PTHREAD_RECURSIVE_MUTEX_INITIALIZER_NP
+#elif defined PTHREAD_RECURSIVE_MUTEX_INITIALIZER
+// Mac OS X
+#define _SIMTHREAD_R_MUTEX_I PTHREAD_RECURSIVE_MUTEX_INITIALIZER
 #endif
 
+struct recursive_mutex_maker_t {
+#ifdef _SIMTHREAD_R_MUTEX_I
+	recursive_mutex_maker_t(pthread_mutex_t &mutex) {
+		mutex = _SIMTHREAD_R_MUTEX_I;
+	}
+#else
+	recursive_mutex_maker_t(pthread_mutex_t &mutex);
+#endif
+};
+
 // use our implementation if no posix barriers are available
 #if defined(_POSIX_BARRIERS)  &&  (_POSIX_BARRIERS > 0)
 #define _USE_POSIX_BARRIERS