diff --git a/executer/user/mcexec.c b/executer/user/mcexec.c
index efba2473..bfe46ae6 100644
--- a/executer/user/mcexec.c
+++ b/executer/user/mcexec.c
@@ -1032,7 +1032,7 @@ struct thread_data_s {
 	int terminate;
 	int remote_tid;
 	int remote_cpu;
-	int joined;
+	int joined, detached;
 	pthread_mutex_t *lock;
 	pthread_barrier_t *init_ready;
 } *thread_data;
@@ -1878,7 +1878,7 @@ join_all_threads()
 	do {
 		live_thread = 0;
 		for (tp = thread_data; tp; tp = tp->next) {
-			if (tp->joined)
+			if (tp->joined || tp->detached)
 				continue;
 			live_thread = 1;
 			pthread_join(tp->thread_id, NULL);
@@ -3245,6 +3245,12 @@ util_thread(struct thread_data_s *my_thread, unsigned long uctx_pa, int remote_t
 		ioctl(fd, MCEXEC_UP_UTI_ATTR, &desc);
 	}
 
+	/* Synchronize detached state with the McKernel counterpart */
+	if ((rc = pthread_detach(my_thread->thread_id)) != 0) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "%s: pthread_detach returned %d\n", __FUNCTION__, rc);
+	}
+	my_thread->detached = 1; /* Skip join in join_all_threads() */
+
 	if ((rc = switch_ctx(fd, MCEXEC_UP_UTIL_THREAD2, param, lctx, rctx))
 	    < 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "util_thread2: %d\n", rc);