diff --git a/src/net.cpp b/src/net.cpp
index adc5f93029..1f8b39ac98 100644
--- a/src/net.cpp
+++ b/src/net.cpp
@@ -389,11 +389,8 @@ bool GetMyExternalIP(CNetAddr& ipRet)
     return false;
 }
 
-void ThreadGetMyExternalIP(void* parg)
+void ThreadGetMyExternalIP()
 {
-    // Make this thread recognisable as the external IP detection thread
-    RenameThread("bitcoin-ext-ip");
-
     CNetAddr addrLocalHost;
     if (GetMyExternalIP(addrLocalHost))
     {
@@ -1151,7 +1148,7 @@ void MapPort(bool fUseUPnP)
             upnp_thread->join();
             delete upnp_thread;
         }
-        upnp_thread = new boost::thread(boost::bind(&TraceThread<boost::function<void()> >, "upnp", &ThreadMapPort));
+        upnp_thread = new boost::thread(boost::bind(&TraceThread<void (*)()>, "upnp", &ThreadMapPort));
     }
     else if (upnp_thread) {
         upnp_thread->interrupt();
@@ -1800,7 +1797,7 @@ void static Discover()
 
     // Don't use external IPv4 discovery, when -onlynet="IPv6"
     if (!IsLimited(NET_IPV4))
-        NewThread(ThreadGetMyExternalIP, NULL);
+        boost::thread(boost::bind(&TraceThread<void (*)()>, "ext-ip", &ThreadGetMyExternalIP));
 }
 
 void StartNode(boost::thread_group& threadGroup)
@@ -1823,7 +1820,7 @@ void StartNode(boost::thread_group& threadGroup)
     if (!GetBoolArg("-dnsseed", true))
         printf("DNS seeding disabled\n");
     else
-        threadGroup.create_thread(boost::bind(&TraceThread<boost::function<void()> >, "dnsseed", &ThreadDNSAddressSeed));
+        threadGroup.create_thread(boost::bind(&TraceThread<void (*)()>, "dnsseed", &ThreadDNSAddressSeed));
 
 #ifdef USE_UPNP
     // Map ports with UPnP
diff --git a/src/util.cpp b/src/util.cpp
index 2f1f522a61..f4892a2387 100644
--- a/src/util.cpp
+++ b/src/util.cpp
@@ -1468,15 +1468,3 @@ void RenameThread(const char* name)
     (void)name;
 #endif
 }
-
-bool NewThread(void(*pfn)(void*), void* parg)
-{
-    try
-    {
-        boost::thread(pfn, parg); // thread detaches when out of scope
-    } catch(boost::thread_resource_error &e) {
-        printf("Error creating thread: %s\n", e.what());
-        return false;
-    }
-    return true;
-}
diff --git a/src/util.h b/src/util.h
index 941e0d99ac..2272ed02f4 100644
--- a/src/util.h
+++ b/src/util.h
@@ -488,8 +488,6 @@ public:
     }
 };
 
-bool NewThread(void(*pfn)(void*), void* parg);
-
 #ifdef WIN32
 inline void SetThreadPriority(int nPriority)
 {
@@ -500,7 +498,7 @@ inline void SetThreadPriority(int nPriority)
 #define THREAD_PRIORITY_LOWEST          PRIO_MAX
 #define THREAD_PRIORITY_BELOW_NORMAL    2
 #define THREAD_PRIORITY_NORMAL          0
-#define THREAD_PRIORITY_ABOVE_NORMAL    0
+#define THREAD_PRIORITY_ABOVE_NORMAL    (-2)
 
 inline void SetThreadPriority(int nPriority)
 {
@@ -512,11 +510,6 @@ inline void SetThreadPriority(int nPriority)
     setpriority(PRIO_PROCESS, 0, nPriority);
 #endif
 }
-
-inline void ExitThread(size_t nExitCode)
-{
-    pthread_exit((void*)nExitCode);
-}
 #endif
 
 void RenameThread(const char* name);