diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 842ef855fc..4a8f652129 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -10728,7 +10728,6 @@ fi
 #
 # For each platform, we need to know about any special compile and link
 # libraries, and whether the normal C function names are thread-safe.
-# See the comment at the top of src/port/thread.c for more information.
 # WIN32 doesn't need the pthread tests;  it always uses threads
 #
 # These tests are run before the library-tests, because linking with the
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 2c18a64b0f..0f802f3df4 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1232,7 +1232,6 @@ fi
 #
 # For each platform, we need to know about any special compile and link
 # libraries, and whether the normal C function names are thread-safe.
-# See the comment at the top of src/port/thread.c for more information.
 # WIN32 doesn't need the pthread tests;  it always uses threads
 #
 # These tests are run before the library-tests, because linking with the
diff --git a/src/bin/psql/nls.mk b/src/bin/psql/nls.mk
index cf0b800291..8624612969 100644
--- a/src/bin/psql/nls.mk
+++ b/src/bin/psql/nls.mk
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ GETTEXT_FILES    = $(FRONTEND_COMMON_GETTEXT_FILES) \
                    ../../common/fe_memutils.c \
                    ../../common/username.c \
                    ../../common/wait_error.c \
-                   ../../port/thread.c
+                   ../../port/user.c
 GETTEXT_TRIGGERS = $(FRONTEND_COMMON_GETTEXT_TRIGGERS) \
                    HELP0 HELPN N_ simple_prompt simple_prompt_extended
 GETTEXT_FLAGS    = $(FRONTEND_COMMON_GETTEXT_FLAGS) \
diff --git a/src/include/port.h b/src/include/port.h
index a88d403483..5979139ebc 100644
--- a/src/include/port.h
+++ b/src/include/port.h
@@ -432,7 +432,7 @@ extern size_t strlcpy(char *dst, const char *src, size_t siz);
 extern size_t strnlen(const char *str, size_t maxlen);
 #endif
 
-/* thread.c */
+/* port/user.c */
 #ifndef WIN32
 extern bool pg_get_user_name(uid_t user_id, char *buffer, size_t buflen);
 extern bool pg_get_user_home_dir(uid_t user_id, char *buffer, size_t buflen);
diff --git a/src/interfaces/libpq/nls.mk b/src/interfaces/libpq/nls.mk
index 5959fa0c07..40b662dc08 100644
--- a/src/interfaces/libpq/nls.mk
+++ b/src/interfaces/libpq/nls.mk
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ GETTEXT_FILES    = fe-auth.c \
                    fe-secure-gssapi.c \
                    fe-secure-openssl.c \
                    win32.c \
-                   ../../port/thread.c
+                   ../../port/user.c
 GETTEXT_TRIGGERS = libpq_append_conn_error:2 \
                    libpq_append_error:2 \
                    libpq_gettext \
diff --git a/src/port/Makefile b/src/port/Makefile
index 711f59e32b..f205c2c9c5 100644
--- a/src/port/Makefile
+++ b/src/port/Makefile
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ OBJS = \
 	snprintf.o \
 	strerror.o \
 	tar.o \
-	thread.o
+	user.o
 
 # libpgport.a, libpgport_shlib.a, and libpgport_srv.a contain the same files
 # foo.o, foo_shlib.o, and foo_srv.o are all built from foo.c
@@ -84,10 +84,6 @@ libpgport.a: $(OBJS)
 	rm -f $@
 	$(AR) $(AROPT) $@ $^
 
-# thread.o and thread_shlib.o need PTHREAD_CFLAGS (but thread_srv.o does not)
-thread.o: CFLAGS+=$(PTHREAD_CFLAGS)
-thread_shlib.o: CFLAGS+=$(PTHREAD_CFLAGS)
-
 # all versions of pg_crc32c_sse42.o need CFLAGS_CRC
 pg_crc32c_sse42.o: CFLAGS+=$(CFLAGS_CRC)
 pg_crc32c_sse42_shlib.o: CFLAGS+=$(CFLAGS_CRC)
diff --git a/src/port/meson.build b/src/port/meson.build
index 24416b9bfc..9d0cd93c43 100644
--- a/src/port/meson.build
+++ b/src/port/meson.build
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ pgport_sources = [
   'snprintf.c',
   'strerror.c',
   'tar.c',
-  'thread.c',
+  'user.c',
 ]
 
 if host_system == 'windows'
diff --git a/src/port/thread.c b/src/port/user.c
similarity index 88%
rename from src/port/thread.c
rename to src/port/user.c
index 375c89b297..d278684fe2 100644
--- a/src/port/thread.c
+++ b/src/port/user.c
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
 /*-------------------------------------------------------------------------
  *
- * thread.c
+ * user.c
  *
- *		  Prototypes and macros around system calls, used to help make
- *		  threaded libraries reentrant and safe to use from threaded applications.
+ *		  Wrapper functions for user and home directory lookup.
  *
  * Portions Copyright (c) 1996-2023, PostgreSQL Global Development Group
  *
- * src/port/thread.c
+ * src/port/user.c
  *
  *-------------------------------------------------------------------------
  */
@@ -16,12 +15,6 @@
 
 #include <pwd.h>
 
-
-/*
- *  Historically, the code in this module had to deal with operating systems
- *  that lacked getpwuid_r().
- */
-
 #ifndef WIN32
 
 /*