diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index e54277d2e..34df806e4 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -581,7 +581,7 @@ $(libcppdir)/utils.o: lib/utils.cpp lib/config.h lib/utils.h
 $(libcppdir)/valueflow.o: lib/valueflow.cpp lib/analyzer.h lib/astutils.h lib/calculate.h lib/check.h lib/checkuninitvar.h lib/color.h lib/config.h lib/ctu.h lib/errorlogger.h lib/errortypes.h lib/forwardanalyzer.h lib/importproject.h lib/infer.h lib/library.h lib/mathlib.h lib/path.h lib/platform.h lib/programmemory.h lib/reverseanalyzer.h lib/settings.h lib/standards.h lib/suppressions.h lib/symboldatabase.h lib/templatesimplifier.h lib/timer.h lib/token.h lib/tokenlist.h lib/utils.h lib/valueflow.h lib/valueptr.h
 	$(CXX) ${INCLUDE_FOR_LIB} $(CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFILESDIR) $(CXXFLAGS) $(UNDEF_STRICT_ANSI) -c -o $(libcppdir)/valueflow.o $(libcppdir)/valueflow.cpp
 
-cli/cmdlineparser.o: cli/cmdlineparser.cpp cli/cmdlineparser.h cli/cppcheckexecutor.h cli/filelister.h cli/threadexecutor.h externals/tinyxml2/tinyxml2.h lib/check.h lib/color.h lib/config.h lib/errorlogger.h lib/errortypes.h lib/importproject.h lib/library.h lib/mathlib.h lib/path.h lib/platform.h lib/settings.h lib/standards.h lib/suppressions.h lib/timer.h lib/utils.h
+cli/cmdlineparser.o: cli/cmdlineparser.cpp cli/cmdlineparser.h cli/cppcheckexecutor.h cli/filelister.h externals/tinyxml2/tinyxml2.h lib/check.h lib/color.h lib/config.h lib/errorlogger.h lib/errortypes.h lib/importproject.h lib/library.h lib/mathlib.h lib/path.h lib/platform.h lib/settings.h lib/standards.h lib/suppressions.h lib/timer.h lib/utils.h
 	$(CXX) ${INCLUDE_FOR_CLI} $(CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFILESDIR) $(CXXFLAGS) $(UNDEF_STRICT_ANSI) -c -o cli/cmdlineparser.o cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
 
 cli/cppcheckexecutor.o: cli/cppcheckexecutor.cpp cli/cmdlineparser.h cli/cppcheckexecutor.h cli/filelister.h cli/threadexecutor.h externals/simplecpp/simplecpp.h lib/analyzerinfo.h lib/check.h lib/checkunusedfunctions.h lib/color.h lib/config.h lib/cppcheck.h lib/errorlogger.h lib/errortypes.h lib/importproject.h lib/library.h lib/mathlib.h lib/path.h lib/pathmatch.h lib/platform.h lib/preprocessor.h lib/settings.h lib/standards.h lib/suppressions.h lib/timer.h lib/utils.h
diff --git a/cli/CMakeLists.txt b/cli/CMakeLists.txt
index 2907767f2..731879c46 100644
--- a/cli/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cli/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ endif()
 if(tinyxml2_FOUND AND NOT USE_BUNDLED_TINYXML2)
     target_link_libraries(cppcheck ${tinyxml2_LIBRARY})
 endif()
+if (USE_THREADS)
+    target_link_libraries(cppcheck ${CMAKE_THREAD_LIBS_INIT})
+endif()
 
 add_dependencies(cppcheck copy_cfg)
 add_dependencies(cppcheck copy_addons)
diff --git a/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp b/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
index 8e6b8cc60..52901a88c 100644
--- a/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
+++ b/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include "cmdlineparser.h"
 
 #include "check.h"
+#include "config.h"
 #include "cppcheckexecutor.h"
 #include "errortypes.h"
 #include "filelister.h"
@@ -28,7 +29,6 @@
 #include "settings.h"
 #include "standards.h"
 #include "suppressions.h"
-#include "threadexecutor.h" // Threading model
 #include "timer.h"
 #include "utils.h"
 
@@ -470,6 +470,7 @@ bool CmdLineParser::parseFromArgs(int argc, const char* const argv[])
                 }
             }
 
+#ifdef THREADING_MODEL_FORK
             else if (std::strncmp(argv[i], "-l", 2) == 0) {
                 std::string numberString;
 
@@ -494,6 +495,7 @@ bool CmdLineParser::parseFromArgs(int argc, const char* const argv[])
                     return false;
                 }
             }
+#endif
 
             // Enforce language (--language=, -x)
             else if (std::strncmp(argv[i], "--language=", 11) == 0 || std::strcmp(argv[i], "-x") == 0) {
diff --git a/cli/threadexecutor.cpp b/cli/threadexecutor.cpp
index 7d64d93f8..9f378391e 100644
--- a/cli/threadexecutor.cpp
+++ b/cli/threadexecutor.cpp
@@ -19,19 +19,15 @@
 #include "threadexecutor.h"
 
 #include "color.h"
-#include "config.h"
 #include "cppcheck.h"
 #include "cppcheckexecutor.h"
 #include "errorlogger.h"
-#include "errortypes.h"
 #include "importproject.h"
 #include "settings.h"
 #include "suppressions.h"
 
 #include <algorithm>
-#include <cerrno>
 #include <cstdlib>
-#include <cstring>
 #include <functional>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <utility>
@@ -41,9 +37,14 @@
 #endif
 
 #ifdef THREADING_MODEL_FORK
+#include "config.h"
+#include "errortypes.h"
+
 #if defined(__linux__)
 #include <sys/prctl.h>
 #endif
+#include <cerrno>
+#include <cstring>
 #include <sys/select.h>
 #include <sys/wait.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
@@ -54,13 +55,13 @@
 using std::memset;
 #endif
 
-#ifdef THREADING_MODEL_WIN
+#ifdef THREADING_MODEL_THREAD
 #include <future>
 #include <numeric>
 #endif
 
 ThreadExecutor::ThreadExecutor(const std::map<std::string, std::size_t> &files, Settings &settings, ErrorLogger &errorLogger)
-    : mFiles(files), mSettings(settings), mErrorLogger(errorLogger), mFileCount(0)
+    : mFiles(files), mSettings(settings), mErrorLogger(errorLogger)
 {}
 
 ThreadExecutor::~ThreadExecutor()
@@ -231,7 +232,7 @@ bool ThreadExecutor::checkLoadAverage(size_t nchildren)
 
 unsigned int ThreadExecutor::check()
 {
-    mFileCount = 0;
+    unsigned int fileCount = 0;
     unsigned int result = 0;
 
     std::size_t totalfilesize = 0;
@@ -337,10 +338,10 @@ unsigned int ThreadExecutor::check()
                                 }
                             }
 
-                            mFileCount++;
+                            fileCount++;
                             processedsize += size;
                             if (!mSettings.quiet)
-                                CppCheckExecutor::reportStatus(mFileCount, mFiles.size() + mSettings.project.fileSettings.size(), processedsize, totalfilesize);
+                                CppCheckExecutor::reportStatus(fileCount, mFiles.size() + mSettings.project.fileSettings.size(), processedsize, totalfilesize);
 
                             close(*rp);
                             rp = rpipes.erase(rp);
@@ -401,7 +402,7 @@ void ThreadExecutor::reportInternalChildErr(const std::string &childname, const
         mErrorLogger.reportErr(errmsg);
 }
 
-#elif defined(THREADING_MODEL_WIN)
+#elif defined(THREADING_MODEL_THREAD)
 
 class ThreadExecutor::LogWriter : public ErrorLogger
 {
@@ -510,7 +511,7 @@ unsigned int ThreadExecutor::check()
     });
 }
 
-unsigned int __stdcall ThreadExecutor::threadProc(LogWriter* logWriter)
+unsigned int STDCALL ThreadExecutor::threadProc(LogWriter* logWriter)
 {
     unsigned int result = 0;
 
diff --git a/cli/threadexecutor.h b/cli/threadexecutor.h
index 0c455635c..35bfed5a3 100644
--- a/cli/threadexecutor.h
+++ b/cli/threadexecutor.h
@@ -19,19 +19,13 @@
 #ifndef THREADEXECUTOR_H
 #define THREADEXECUTOR_H
 
+#include "config.h"
+
 #include <cstddef>
 #include <list>
 #include <map>
 #include <string>
 
-#if ((defined(__GNUC__) || defined(__sun)) && !defined(__MINGW32__) && !defined(__CYGWIN__)) || defined(__CPPCHECK__)
-#define THREADING_MODEL_FORK
-#elif defined(_WIN32)
-#define THREADING_MODEL_WIN
-#else
-#error "No threading model defined"
-#endif
-
 class Settings;
 class ErrorLogger;
 
@@ -63,7 +57,6 @@ private:
     const std::map<std::string, std::size_t> &mFiles;
     Settings &mSettings;
     ErrorLogger &mErrorLogger;
-    unsigned int mFileCount;
     std::list<std::string> mErrorList;
 
     /** @brief Key is file name, and value is the content of the file */
@@ -92,10 +85,10 @@ private:
      */
     void reportInternalChildErr(const std::string &childname, const std::string &msg);
 
-#elif defined(THREADING_MODEL_WIN)
+#elif defined(THREADING_MODEL_THREAD)
 
     class LogWriter;
-    static unsigned __stdcall threadProc(LogWriter *threadExecutor);
+    static unsigned int STDCALL threadProc(LogWriter *threadExecutor);
 
 #endif
 
diff --git a/cmake/compilerDefinitions.cmake b/cmake/compilerDefinitions.cmake
index b44e380fc..658385e60 100644
--- a/cmake/compilerDefinitions.cmake
+++ b/cmake/compilerDefinitions.cmake
@@ -27,5 +27,9 @@ if (ENABLE_CHECK_INTERNAL)
     add_definitions(-DCHECK_INTERNAL)
 endif()
 
+if (USE_THREADS)
+    add_definitions(-DUSE_THREADS)
+endif()
+
 file(TO_CMAKE_PATH ${FILESDIR} _filesdir)
 add_definitions(-DFILESDIR="${_filesdir}")
diff --git a/cmake/findDependencies.cmake b/cmake/findDependencies.cmake
index 67ddae122..9e27704f2 100644
--- a/cmake/findDependencies.cmake
+++ b/cmake/findDependencies.cmake
@@ -56,3 +56,7 @@ if (NOT USE_BUNDLED_TINYXML2)
         endif()
     endif()
 endif()
+
+if (USE_THREADS)
+    find_package(Threads REQUIRED)
+endif()
diff --git a/cmake/options.cmake b/cmake/options.cmake
index 1de951ad9..5fe68beaa 100644
--- a/cmake/options.cmake
+++ b/cmake/options.cmake
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ option(HAVE_RULES           "Usage of rules (needs PCRE library and headers)"
 option(USE_Z3               "Usage of z3 library"                                           OFF)
 option(USE_BUNDLED_TINYXML2 "Usage of bundled tinyxml2 library"                             ON)
 option(CPPCHK_GLIBCXX_DEBUG "Usage of _GLIBCXX_DEBUG in Debug build"                        ON)
+option(USE_THREADS          "Usage of threads instead of fork() for -j"                     OFF)
 
 if (CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_EQUAL "3.16" OR CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_GREATER "3.16")
     set(CMAKE_DISABLE_PRECOMPILE_HEADERS Off CACHE BOOL "Disable precompiled headers")
diff --git a/cmake/printInfo.cmake b/cmake/printInfo.cmake
index a81976c3d..5afd5f235 100644
--- a/cmake/printInfo.cmake
+++ b/cmake/printInfo.cmake
@@ -47,7 +47,12 @@ if (HAVE_RULES)
     message( STATUS "PCRE_LIBRARY =          ${PCRE_LIBRARY}" )
 endif()
 message( STATUS )
+message( STATUS "USE_THREADS =           ${USE_THREADS}" )
+if (USE_THREADS)
+    message( STATUS "CMAKE_THREAD_LIBS_INIT = ${CMAKE_THREAD_LIBS_INIT}" )
+endif()
 if (NOT USE_MATCHCOMPILER_OPT MATCHES "Off")
+    message( STATUS )
     message( STATUS "PYTHON_VERSION_STRING = ${PYTHON_VERSION_STRING}" )
     message( STATUS "PYTHON_EXECUTABLE =     ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE}" )
 endif()
diff --git a/lib/config.h b/lib/config.h
index 32aa19265..2a78761c2 100644
--- a/lib/config.h
+++ b/lib/config.h
@@ -95,4 +95,16 @@ static const std::string emptyString;
 #endif
 #endif
 
+#if defined(_WIN32)
+#define THREADING_MODEL_THREAD
+#define STDCALL __stdcall
+#elif defined(USE_THREADS)
+#define THREADING_MODEL_THREAD
+#define STDCALL
+#elif ((defined(__GNUC__) || defined(__sun)) && !defined(__MINGW32__) && !defined(__CYGWIN__)) || defined(__CPPCHECK__)
+#define THREADING_MODEL_FORK
+#else
+#error "No threading model defined"
+#endif
+
 #endif // configH
diff --git a/lib/settings.cpp b/lib/settings.cpp
index b580577b6..e01ce6379 100644
--- a/lib/settings.cpp
+++ b/lib/settings.cpp
@@ -59,7 +59,9 @@ Settings::Settings()
     inlineSuppressions(false),
     jobs(1),
     jointSuppressionReport(false),
+#ifdef THREADING_MODEL_FORK
     loadAverage(0),
+#endif
     maxConfigs(12),
     maxCtuDepth(2),
     maxTemplateRecursion(100),
diff --git a/lib/settings.h b/lib/settings.h
index 566bd47e6..ca1554729 100644
--- a/lib/settings.h
+++ b/lib/settings.h
@@ -228,8 +228,10 @@ public:
     /** Library */
     Library library;
 
+#ifdef THREADING_MODEL_FORK
     /** @brief Load average value */
     int loadAverage;
+#endif
 
     /** @brief Maximum number of configurations to check before bailing.
         Default is 12. (--max-configs=N) */
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index caff36897..42fd64173 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ if (BUILD_TESTS)
     if(tinyxml2_FOUND AND NOT USE_BUNDLED_TINYXML2)
         target_link_libraries(testrunner ${tinyxml2_LIBRARY})
     endif()
+    if (USE_THREADS)
+        target_link_libraries(testrunner ${CMAKE_THREAD_LIBS_INIT})
+    endif()
 
     if (NOT CMAKE_DISABLE_PRECOMPILE_HEADERS)
         target_precompile_headers(testrunner PRIVATE precompiled.h)