diff --git a/config/cmake/hdf5-config.cmake.in b/config/cmake/hdf5-config.cmake.in
index 0f1467d5ab1..fa5bfcb9041 100644
--- a/config/cmake/hdf5-config.cmake.in
+++ b/config/cmake/hdf5-config.cmake.in
@@ -69,6 +69,11 @@ if (${HDF5_PACKAGE_NAME}_ENABLE_PARALLEL)
   find_package(MPI QUIET REQUIRED)
 endif ()
 
+if (${HDF5_PACKAGE_NAME}_ENABLE_THREADSAFE OR ${HDF5_PACKAGE_NAME}_ENABLE_SUBFILING_VFD)
+  set(THREADS_PREFER_PTHREAD_FLAG ON)
+  find_package(Threads QUIET REQUIRED)
+endif ()
+
 if (${HDF5_PACKAGE_NAME}_BUILD_JAVA)
   set (${HDF5_PACKAGE_NAME}_JAVA_INCLUDE_DIRS
       @PACKAGE_CURRENT_BUILD_DIR@/lib/jarhdf5-@HDF5_VERSION_STRING@.jar