diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index adebe60..1bc2154 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -259,3 +259,11 @@ pip-log.txt
 .mr.developer.cfg
 CLAUDE.md
 bin/3proxy_crypt
+bin/3proxy_ftppr
+bin/3proxy_pop3p
+bin/3proxy_proxy
+bin/3proxy_smtpp
+bin/3proxy_socks
+bin/3proxy_tcppm
+bin/3proxy_tlspr
+bin/3proxy_udppm
diff --git a/src/3proxy.c b/src/3proxy.c
index 6942795..19a8367 100644
--- a/src/3proxy.c
+++ b/src/3proxy.c
@@ -521,13 +521,14 @@ int WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPWSTR lpCmdLine, int
   pthread_mutex_init(&rad_mutex, NULL);
 #endif
 #ifdef _WIN32
-  if(!CreatePipe(&conf.threadinit[0], &conf.threadinit[1], NULL, 1)){
-#else
-  if(pipe(conf.threadinit)) {
-#endif
-    fprintf(stderr, "CreatePipe failed\n");
+  conf.threadinit = CreateSemaphore(NULL, 0, 1, NULL);
+  if(!conf.threadinit){
+    fprintf(stderr, "semaphore init failed\n");
     return 1;
-  };
+  }
+#else
+  pthread_mutex_init(&conf.threadinit, NULL);
+#endif
 
   freeconf(&conf);
   res = readconfig(fp);
diff --git a/src/Makefile.inc b/src/Makefile.inc
index 8f1da07..272b7dd 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.inc
+++ b/src/Makefile.inc
@@ -2,14 +2,8 @@
 # 3 proxy common Makefile
 #
 
-# PREFIX:       prefix for standalone module binaries (default: 3proxy_)
-# CRYPT_PREFIX: prefix for crypt binary (default: same as PREFIX)
-PREFIX ?= 3proxy_
-CRYPT_PREFIX ?= $(PREFIX)
-
 all:	$(BUILDDIR)3proxy$(EXESUFFICS) $(BUILDDIR)$(CRYPT_PREFIX)crypt$(EXESUFFICS) $(BUILDDIR)$(PREFIX)pop3p$(EXESUFFICS) $(BUILDDIR)$(PREFIX)smtpp$(EXESUFFICS) $(BUILDDIR)$(PREFIX)ftppr$(EXESUFFICS) $(BUILDDIR)$(PREFIX)tcppm$(EXESUFFICS) $(BUILDDIR)$(PREFIX)udppm$(EXESUFFICS) $(BUILDDIR)$(PREFIX)tlspr$(EXESUFFICS) $(BUILDDIR)$(PREFIX)socks$(EXESUFFICS) $(BUILDDIR)$(PREFIX)proxy$(EXESUFFICS) allplugins
 
-
 sockmap$(OBJSUFFICS): sockmap.c proxy.h structures.h
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) sockmap.c
 
diff --git a/src/common.c b/src/common.c
index cb1b88d..6c56184 100644
--- a/src/common.c
+++ b/src/common.c
@@ -144,7 +144,11 @@ int timeouts[12] = {
 };
 
 struct extparam conf = {
-	.threadinit = {0, 0},
+#ifdef _WIN32
+	.threadinit = NULL,
+#else
+	.threadinit = 0,
+#endif
 	.timeouts = timeouts,
 	.acl = NULL,
 	.conffile = NULL,
diff --git a/src/conf.c b/src/conf.c
index 8c1ac66..cd635ce 100644
--- a/src/conf.c
+++ b/src/conf.c
@@ -151,9 +151,7 @@ int start_proxy_thread(struct child * chp){
   pthread_t thread;
 #ifdef _WIN32
   HANDLE h;
-  DWORD num;
 #endif
-  char r[1];
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
 #ifndef _WINCE
@@ -166,16 +164,15 @@ int start_proxy_thread(struct child * chp){
 	pthread_attr_init(&pa);
 	pthread_attr_setstacksize(&pa,PTHREAD_STACK_MIN + (32768+conf.stacksize));
 	pthread_attr_setdetachstate(&pa,PTHREAD_CREATE_DETACHED);
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&conf.threadinit);
 	pthread_create(&thread, &pa, startsrv, (void *)chp);
 	pthread_attr_destroy(&pa);
 #endif
 #ifdef _WIN32
-	ReadFile(conf.threadinit[0], r, 1, &num, NULL);
+	WaitForSingleObject(conf.threadinit, INFINITE);
 #else
-	while(read(conf.threadinit[0], r, 1) !=1) if(errno != EINTR) {
-	    fprintf(stderr, "pipe failed\n");
-	    return 40;
-	}
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&conf.threadinit);
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&conf.threadinit);
 #endif
 	if(haveerror)  {
 		fprintf(stderr, "Service not started on line: %d%s\n", linenum, haveerror == 2? ": insufficient memory":"");
diff --git a/src/proxymain.c b/src/proxymain.c
index b6c35fa..60649ea 100644
--- a/src/proxymain.c
+++ b/src/proxymain.c
@@ -117,10 +117,10 @@ void * threadfunc (void *p) {
 
 int pushthreadinit(){
 #ifdef _WIN32
-    DWORD n;
-    return WriteFile(conf.threadinit[1], "1", 1, &n, NULL);
+    return ReleaseSemaphore(conf.threadinit, 1, NULL) ? 1 : 0;
 #else
-    return write(conf.threadinit[1], "1", 1);
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&conf.threadinit);
+    return 1;
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/src/structures.h b/src/structures.h
index 969ca07..81abbe2 100644
--- a/src/structures.h
+++ b/src/structures.h
@@ -673,9 +673,9 @@ struct filemon {
 
 struct extparam {
 #ifdef _WIN32
-	HANDLE threadinit[2];
+	HANDLE threadinit;
 #else
-	int threadinit[2];
+	pthread_mutex_t threadinit;
 #endif
 	int *timeouts;
 	struct ace * acl;