diff --git a/src/virglrenderer.c b/src/virglrenderer.c
index f6f3578..59d3e7b 100644
--- a/src/virglrenderer.c
+++ b/src/virglrenderer.c
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 
 #include "virgl_context.h"
 #include "virgl_resource.h"
+#include "virgl_util.h"
 
 struct global_state {
    bool client_initialized;
@@ -470,6 +471,10 @@ int virgl_renderer_init(void *cookie, int flags, struct virgl_renderer_callbacks
 {
    int ret;
 
+   /* VIRGL_RENDERER_THREAD_SYNC is a hint and can be silently ignored */
+   if (!has_eventfd() || getenv("VIRGL_DISABLE_MT"))
+      flags &= ~VIRGL_RENDERER_THREAD_SYNC;
+
    if (state.client_initialized && (state.cookie != cookie ||
                                     state.flags != flags ||
                                     state.cbs != cbs))
diff --git a/src/vrend_renderer.c b/src/vrend_renderer.c
index f104ba8..6c74d4d 100644
--- a/src/vrend_renderer.c
+++ b/src/vrend_renderer.c
@@ -5766,7 +5766,6 @@ static bool do_wait(struct vrend_fence *fence, bool can_block)
    return done;
 }
 
-#ifdef HAVE_EVENTFD_H
 static void wait_sync(struct vrend_fence *fence)
 {
    do_wait(fence, /* can_block */ true);
@@ -5816,9 +5815,6 @@ static void vrend_renderer_use_threaded_sync(void)
 {
    struct virgl_gl_ctx_param ctx_params;
 
-   if (getenv("VIRGL_DISABLE_MT"))
-      return;
-
    ctx_params.shared = true;
    ctx_params.major_ver = vrend_state.gl_major_ver;
    ctx_params.minor_ver = vrend_state.gl_minor_ver;
@@ -5850,11 +5846,6 @@ static void vrend_renderer_use_threaded_sync(void)
       pipe_mutex_destroy(vrend_state.fence_mutex);
    }
 }
-#else
-static void vrend_renderer_use_threaded_sync(void)
-{
-}
-#endif
 
 static void vrend_debug_cb(UNUSED GLenum source, GLenum type, UNUSED GLuint id,
                            UNUSED GLenum severity, UNUSED GLsizei length,