diff --git a/winsup/cygwin/ChangeLog b/winsup/cygwin/ChangeLog
index ef093c28f..a2fdacc79 100644
--- a/winsup/cygwin/ChangeLog
+++ b/winsup/cygwin/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+Fri Sep 28 02:57:03 2001  Christopher Faylor <cgf@cygnus.com>
+
+	* passwd.cc (read_etc_passwd): Don't bother with locking when
+	in cygwin initialization since there is only one thread.
+	* grp.cc (read_etc_group): Ditto.
+
 Fri Sep 28 01:50:09 2001  Christopher Faylor <cgf@cygnus.com>
 
 	* pipe.cc (fhandler_pipe::hit_eof): Return correct value when there is
diff --git a/winsup/cygwin/grp.cc b/winsup/cygwin/grp.cc
index 48a74e99c..e4a4afd6c 100644
--- a/winsup/cygwin/grp.cc
+++ b/winsup/cygwin/grp.cc
@@ -117,6 +117,14 @@ add_grp_line (const char *line)
       curr_lines++;
 }
 
+class group_lock
+{
+  pthread_mutex_t mutex;
+ public:
+  group_lock (): mutex ((pthread_mutex_t) PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER) {}
+  void arm () {pthread_mutex_lock (&mutex); }
+};
+
 /* Cygwin internal */
 /* Read in /etc/group and save contents in the group cache */
 /* This sets group_in_memory_p to 1 so functions in this file can
@@ -132,15 +140,13 @@ read_etc_group ()
 
   strncpy (group_name, "Administrators", sizeof (group_name));
 
-  static NO_COPY pthread_mutex_t etc_group_mutex = (pthread_mutex_t) PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
-  pthread_mutex_lock (&etc_group_mutex);
+  static NO_COPY group_lock here;
+  if (cygwin_finished_initializing)
+    here.arm ();
 
   /* if we got blocked by the mutex, then etc_group may have been processed */
   if (group_state != uninitialized)
-    {
-      pthread_mutex_unlock(&etc_group_mutex);
-      return;
-    }
+    return;
 
   if (group_state != initializing)
     {
@@ -193,7 +199,7 @@ read_etc_group ()
 	}
     }
 
-  pthread_mutex_unlock(&etc_group_mutex);
+  return;
 }
 
 extern "C"
diff --git a/winsup/cygwin/passwd.cc b/winsup/cygwin/passwd.cc
index 87ba9c672..c86c07b6a 100644
--- a/winsup/cygwin/passwd.cc
+++ b/winsup/cygwin/passwd.cc
@@ -109,6 +109,14 @@ add_pwd_line (char *line)
     parse_pwd (passwd_buf[curr_lines++], line);
 }
 
+class passwd_lock
+{
+  pthread_mutex_t mutex;
+ public:
+  passwd_lock (): mutex ((pthread_mutex_t) PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER) {}
+  void arm () {pthread_mutex_lock (&mutex); }
+};
+
 /* Read in /etc/passwd and save contents in the password cache.
    This sets passwd_state to loaded or emulated so functions in this file can
    tell that /etc/passwd has been read in or will be emulated. */
@@ -120,15 +128,14 @@ read_etc_passwd ()
      * for non-shared mutexs in the future. Also, this function will at most be called
      * once from each thread, after that the passwd_state test will succeed
      */
-    static NO_COPY pthread_mutex_t etc_passwd_mutex = (pthread_mutex_t) PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
-    pthread_mutex_lock (&etc_passwd_mutex);
+    static NO_COPY passwd_lock here;
+
+    if (cygwin_finished_initializing)
+      here.arm ();
 
     /* if we got blocked by the mutex, then etc_passwd may have been processed */
     if (passwd_state != uninitialized)
-      {
-	pthread_mutex_unlock(&etc_passwd_mutex);
-	return;
-      }
+      return;
 
     if (passwd_state != initializing)
       {
@@ -165,7 +172,7 @@ read_etc_passwd ()
 
       }
 
-  pthread_mutex_unlock (&etc_passwd_mutex);
+  return;
 }
 
 /* Cygwin internal */