diff --git a/headers/private/kernel/team.h b/headers/private/kernel/team.h
index 990d1befba..9e86229a0b 100644
--- a/headers/private/kernel/team.h
+++ b/headers/private/kernel/team.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2004-2005, Haiku Inc.
+ * Copyright 2004-2007, Haiku Inc. All Rights Reserved.
  * Distributed under the terms of the MIT License.
  */
 #ifndef _TEAM_H
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ team_id team_get_current_team_id(void);
 status_t team_get_address_space(team_id id, struct vm_address_space **_addressSpace);
 char **user_team_get_arguments(void);
 int user_team_get_arg_count(void);
+status_t team_get_death_entry(struct team *team, thread_id child,
+	struct death_entry *death, struct death_entry **_freeDeath);
 bool team_is_valid(team_id id);
 struct team *team_get_team_struct_locked(team_id id);
 int32 team_max_teams(void);
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/team.c b/src/system/kernel/team.c
index 9fa455ba59..5ac18a2fc3 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/team.c
+++ b/src/system/kernel/team.c
@@ -1289,37 +1289,6 @@ register_wait_for_any(struct team *team, thread_id child)
 }
 
 
-static status_t
-get_team_death_entry(struct team *team, thread_id child, struct death_entry *death,
-	struct death_entry **_freeDeath)
-{
-	struct death_entry *entry = NULL;
-
-	// find matching death entry structure
-
-	while ((entry = list_get_next_item(&team->dead_children.list, entry)) != NULL) {
-		if (child != -1 && entry->thread != child)
-			continue;
-
-		// we found one
-
-		*death = *entry;
-
-		// only remove the death entry if there aren't any other interested parties
-		if ((child == -1 && atomic_add(&team->dead_children.wait_for_any, -1) == 1)
-			|| (child != -1 && team->dead_children.wait_for_any == 0)) {
-			list_remove_link(entry);
-			team->dead_children.count--;
-			*_freeDeath = entry;
-		}
-
-		return B_OK;
-	}
-
-	return child > 0 ? B_BAD_THREAD_ID : B_WOULD_BLOCK;
-}
-
-
 /**	Gets the next pending death entry, if any. Also fills in \a _waitSem
  *	to the semaphore the caller have to wait for for other death entries.
  *	Must be called with the team lock held.
@@ -1336,7 +1305,7 @@ get_death_entry(struct team *team, pid_t child, struct death_entry *death,
 		// wait for any children or a specific child of this team to die
 		*_waitSem = team->dead_children.sem;
 		*_waitCount = &team->dead_children.waiters;
-		return get_team_death_entry(team, child, death, _freeDeath);
+		return team_get_death_entry(team, child, death, _freeDeath);
 	} else if (child < 0) {
 		// we wait for all children of the specified process group
 		group = team_get_process_group_locked(team->group->session, -child);
@@ -1348,7 +1317,7 @@ get_death_entry(struct team *team, pid_t child, struct death_entry *death,
 	}
 
 	for (team = group->teams; team; team = team->group_next) {
-		status = get_team_death_entry(team, -1, death, _freeDeath);
+		status = team_get_death_entry(team, -1, death, _freeDeath);
 		if (status == B_OK) {
 			atomic_add(&group->wait_for_any, -1);
 			return B_OK;
@@ -1568,6 +1537,41 @@ team_used_teams(void)
 }
 
 
+/** Fills the provided death entry if it's in the team.
+ *	You need to have the team lock held when calling this function.
+ */
+
+status_t
+team_get_death_entry(struct team *team, thread_id child, struct death_entry *death,
+	struct death_entry **_freeDeath)
+{
+	struct death_entry *entry = NULL;
+
+	// find matching death entry structure
+
+	while ((entry = list_get_next_item(&team->dead_children.list, entry)) != NULL) {
+		if (child != -1 && entry->thread != child)
+			continue;
+
+		// we found one
+
+		*death = *entry;
+
+		// only remove the death entry if there aren't any other interested parties
+		if ((child == -1 && atomic_add(&team->dead_children.wait_for_any, -1) == 1)
+			|| (child != -1 && team->dead_children.wait_for_any == 0)) {
+			list_remove_link(entry);
+			team->dead_children.count--;
+			*_freeDeath = entry;
+		}
+
+		return B_OK;
+	}
+
+	return child > 0 ? B_BAD_THREAD_ID : B_WOULD_BLOCK;
+}
+
+
 /** Quick check to see if we have a valid team ID.
  */
 
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/thread.c b/src/system/kernel/thread.c
index 67aa06c3be..1d7ff170ed 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/thread.c
+++ b/src/system/kernel/thread.c
@@ -1300,15 +1300,15 @@ status_t
 wait_for_thread_etc(thread_id id, uint32 flags, bigtime_t timeout, status_t *_returnCode)
 {
 	sem_id sem = B_BAD_THREAD_ID;
-	struct death_entry death;
+	struct death_entry death, *freeDeath = NULL;
 	struct thread *thread;
 	cpu_status state;
-	status_t status;
+	status_t status = B_OK;
+
+	if (id < B_OK)
+		return B_BAD_THREAD_ID;
 
 	// we need to resume the thread we're waiting for first
-	status = resume_thread(id);
-	if (status != B_OK)
-		return status;
 
 	state = disable_interrupts();
 	GRAB_THREAD_LOCK();
@@ -1321,11 +1321,36 @@ wait_for_thread_etc(thread_id id, uint32 flags, bigtime_t timeout, status_t *_re
 	}
 
 	RELEASE_THREAD_LOCK();
+
+	if (thread == NULL) {
+		// we couldn't find this thread - maybe it's already gone, and we'll
+		// find its death entry
+		GRAB_TEAM_LOCK();
+
+		status = team_get_death_entry(thread_get_current_thread()->team,
+			id, &death, &freeDeath);
+
+		RELEASE_TEAM_LOCK();
+	}
+
 	restore_interrupts(state);
 
+	if (thread == NULL && status == B_OK) {
+		// we found the thread's death entry in our team
+		if (_returnCode)
+			*_returnCode = death.status;
+
+		free(freeDeath);
+		return B_OK;
+	}
+
+	// we need to wait for the death of the thread
+
 	if (sem < B_OK)
 		return B_BAD_THREAD_ID;
 
+	resume_thread(id);
+
 	status = acquire_sem_etc(sem, 1, flags, timeout);
 
 	if (status == B_OK) {