diff --git a/src/engine.c b/src/engine.c
index ab3e840bc4d0271bb856d7025519b7b029a608c2..abe15eae0c7a67e65089f27220ce84640649fd7a 100644
--- a/src/engine.c
+++ b/src/engine.c
@@ -2926,16 +2926,14 @@ void engine_prepare(struct engine *e) {
  * @brief Implements a barrier for the #runner threads.
  *
  * @param e The #engine.
- * @param tid The thread ID
  */
-void engine_barrier(struct engine *e, int tid) {
+void engine_barrier(struct engine *e) {
 
   /* Wait at the wait barrier. */
   pthread_barrier_wait(&e->wait_barrier);
-  
+
   /* Wait at the run barrier. */
   pthread_barrier_wait(&e->run_barrier);
-
 }
 
 /**
@@ -3216,15 +3214,10 @@ void engine_launch(struct engine *e, int nr_runners) {
   atomic_inc(&e->sched.waiting);
 
   /* Cry havoc and let loose the dogs of war. */
-  e->barrier_launch = nr_runners;
-  e->barrier_launchcount = nr_runners;
-  if (pthread_cond_broadcast(&e->barrier_cond) != 0)
-    error("Failed to broadcast barrier open condition.");
+  pthread_barrier_wait(&e->run_barrier);
 
   /* Load the tasks. */
-  pthread_mutex_unlock(&e->barrier_mutex);
   scheduler_start(&e->sched);
-  pthread_mutex_lock(&e->barrier_mutex);
 
   /* Remove the safeguard. */
   pthread_mutex_lock(&e->sched.sleep_mutex);
@@ -3233,9 +3226,7 @@ void engine_launch(struct engine *e, int nr_runners) {
   pthread_mutex_unlock(&e->sched.sleep_mutex);
 
   /* Sit back and wait for the runners to come home. */
-  while (e->barrier_launch || e->barrier_running)
-    if (pthread_cond_wait(&e->barrier_cond, &e->barrier_mutex) != 0)
-      error("Error while waiting for barrier.");
+  pthread_barrier_wait(&e->wait_barrier);
 
   if (e->verbose)
     message("took %.3f %s.", clocks_from_ticks(getticks() - tic),
@@ -4418,15 +4409,9 @@ void engine_init(struct engine *e, struct space *s,
   threadpool_init(&e->threadpool, e->nr_threads);
 
   /* First of all, init the barrier and lock it. */
-  if (pthread_mutex_init(&e->barrier_mutex, NULL) != 0)
-    error("Failed to initialize barrier mutex.");
-  if (pthread_cond_init(&e->barrier_cond, NULL) != 0)
-    error("Failed to initialize barrier condition variable.");
-  if (pthread_mutex_lock(&e->barrier_mutex) != 0)
-    error("Failed to lock barrier mutex.");
-  e->barrier_running = 0;
-  e->barrier_launch = 0;
-  e->barrier_launchcount = 0;
+  if (pthread_barrier_init(&e->wait_barrier, NULL, e->nr_threads + 1) != 0 ||
+      pthread_barrier_init(&e->run_barrier, NULL, e->nr_threads + 1) != 0)
+    error("Failed to initialize barrier.");
 
   /* Init the scheduler with enough tasks for the initial sorting tasks. */
   const int nr_tasks = 2 * s->tot_cells + 2 * e->nr_threads;
@@ -4440,7 +4425,6 @@ void engine_init(struct engine *e, struct space *s,
   for (int k = 0; k < e->nr_threads; k++) {
     e->runners[k].id = k;
     e->runners[k].e = e;
-    e->barrier_running += 1;
     if (pthread_create(&e->runners[k].thread, NULL, &runner_main,
                        &e->runners[k]) != 0)
       error("Failed to create runner thread.");
@@ -4503,9 +4487,7 @@ void engine_init(struct engine *e, struct space *s,
 #endif
 
   /* Wait for the runner threads to be in place. */
-  while (e->barrier_running || e->barrier_launch)
-    if (pthread_cond_wait(&e->barrier_cond, &e->barrier_mutex) != 0)
-      error("Error while waiting for runner threads to get in place.");
+  pthread_barrier_wait(&e->wait_barrier);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/engine.h b/src/engine.h
index 79ff45a69a39ee7d4d45589df51ce2d53f810fda..b1d69270bde49fba557bbb38ebcac53ff503d4b1 100644
--- a/src/engine.h
+++ b/src/engine.h
@@ -176,9 +176,8 @@ struct engine {
   int count_step;
 
   /* Data for the threads' barrier. */
-  pthread_mutex_t barrier_mutex;
-  pthread_cond_t barrier_cond;
-  volatile int barrier_running, barrier_launch, barrier_launchcount;
+  pthread_barrier_t wait_barrier;
+  pthread_barrier_t run_barrier;
 
   /* ID of the node this engine lives on. */
   int nr_nodes, nodeID;
@@ -253,7 +252,7 @@ struct engine {
 };
 
 /* Function prototypes. */
-void engine_barrier(struct engine *e, int tid);
+void engine_barrier(struct engine *e);
 void engine_compute_next_snapshot_time(struct engine *e);
 void engine_unskip(struct engine *e);
 void engine_drift_all(struct engine *e);
diff --git a/src/runner.c b/src/runner.c
index eb2eb3cdb2d25e176410eb19f2db4dc2d6caee00..bb5c5cb91c7ca0ab0040f1ff637e124b1c673aeb 100644
--- a/src/runner.c
+++ b/src/runner.c
@@ -1754,7 +1754,7 @@ void *runner_main(void *data) {
   while (1) {
 
     /* Wait at the barrier. */
-    engine_barrier(e, r->id);
+    engine_barrier(e);
 
     /* Re-set the pointer to the previous task, as there is none. */
     struct task *t = NULL;