diff --git a/modules/libcom/src/osi/epicsThread.cpp b/modules/libcom/src/osi/epicsThread.cpp
index 7092900b1..9a049133f 100644
--- a/modules/libcom/src/osi/epicsThread.cpp
+++ b/modules/libcom/src/osi/epicsThread.cpp
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ bool epicsThread::exitWait ( const double delay ) throw ()
                     epicsGuard < epicsMutex > guard ( this->mutex );
                     joined = true;
                 }
-                epicsThreadJoin(this->id);
+                epicsThreadMustJoin(this->id);
             }
             return true;
         }
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ bool epicsThread::exitWait ( const double delay ) throw ()
             joined = true;
 
             epicsGuardRelease < epicsMutex > unguard ( guard );
-            epicsThreadJoin(this->id);
+            epicsThreadMustJoin(this->id);
         }
     }
     catch ( std :: exception & except ) {
diff --git a/modules/libcom/src/osi/epicsThread.h b/modules/libcom/src/osi/epicsThread.h
index c43d7fb01..61ab323b1 100644
--- a/modules/libcom/src/osi/epicsThread.h
+++ b/modules/libcom/src/osi/epicsThread.h
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ epicsShareFunc epicsThreadId epicsShareAPI epicsThreadCreate (
 epicsShareFunc epicsThreadId epicsShareAPI epicsThreadMustCreate (
     const char * name, unsigned int priority, unsigned int stackSize,
     EPICSTHREADFUNC funptr,void * parm );
-epicsShareFunc void epicsThreadJoin(epicsThreadId id);
+epicsShareFunc void epicsThreadMustJoin(epicsThreadId id);
 epicsShareFunc void epicsShareAPI epicsThreadSuspendSelf(void);
 epicsShareFunc void epicsShareAPI epicsThreadResume(epicsThreadId id);
 epicsShareFunc unsigned int epicsShareAPI epicsThreadGetPriority(
diff --git a/modules/libcom/src/osi/os/RTEMS/osdThread.c b/modules/libcom/src/osi/os/RTEMS/osdThread.c
index a22e2f87f..cae1b0449 100644
--- a/modules/libcom/src/osi/os/RTEMS/osdThread.c
+++ b/modules/libcom/src/osi/os/RTEMS/osdThread.c
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ threadMustCreate (const char *name,
     return tid;
 }
 
-void epicsThreadJoin(epicsThreadId id)
+void epicsThreadMustJoin(epicsThreadId id)
 {
     rtems_id target_tid = (rtems_id)id, self_tid;
     struct taskVar *v;
@@ -389,7 +389,7 @@ void epicsThreadJoin(epicsThreadId id)
             cantProceed("oopsj %s\n", rtems_status_text(sc));
 
         if(sc != RTEMS_SUCCESSFUL) {
-            errlogPrintf("epicsThreadJoin('%s') -> %s\n", v->name, rtems_status_text(sc));
+            errlogPrintf("epicsThreadMustJoin('%s') -> %s\n", v->name, rtems_status_text(sc));
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/modules/libcom/src/osi/os/WIN32/osdThread.c b/modules/libcom/src/osi/os/WIN32/osdThread.c
index eba41645f..bc41037cf 100644
--- a/modules/libcom/src/osi/os/WIN32/osdThread.c
+++ b/modules/libcom/src/osi/os/WIN32/osdThread.c
@@ -662,7 +662,7 @@ epicsThreadId epicsThreadCreateOpt (
     return ( epicsThreadId ) pParmWIN32;
 }
 
-void epicsThreadJoin(epicsThreadId id)
+void epicsThreadMustJoin(epicsThreadId id)
 {
     win32ThreadParam * pParmWIN32 = id;
 
diff --git a/modules/libcom/src/osi/os/posix/osdThread.c b/modules/libcom/src/osi/os/posix/osdThread.c
index d34edf694..e2f5f556b 100644
--- a/modules/libcom/src/osi/os/posix/osdThread.c
+++ b/modules/libcom/src/osi/os/posix/osdThread.c
@@ -557,7 +557,7 @@ epicsThreadCreateOpt (
     status = pthread_sigmask(SIG_SETMASK,&oldSig,NULL);
     checkStatusOnce(status,"pthread_sigmask");
     if(pthreadInfo->joinable) {
-        /* extra ref for epicsThreadJoin() */
+        /* extra ref for epicsThreadMustJoin() */
         epicsAtomicIncrIntT(&pthreadInfo->refcnt);
     }
     return(pthreadInfo);
@@ -600,7 +600,7 @@ static epicsThreadOSD *createImplicit(void)
     return pthreadInfo;
 }
 
-void epicsThreadJoin(epicsThreadId id)
+void epicsThreadMustJoin(epicsThreadId id)
 {
     void *ret = NULL;
     int status;
diff --git a/modules/libcom/src/osi/os/vxWorks/osdThread.c b/modules/libcom/src/osi/os/vxWorks/osdThread.c
index 8a24add1c..6847e9769 100644
--- a/modules/libcom/src/osi/os/vxWorks/osdThread.c
+++ b/modules/libcom/src/osi/os/vxWorks/osdThread.c
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ epicsThreadCreateOpt (
     return((epicsThreadId)tid);
 }
 
-void epicsThreadJoin(epicsThreadId id) {
+void epicsThreadMustJoin(epicsThreadId id) {
 #if EPICS_THREAD_CAN_JOIN
     int tid = (int)id;