diff --git a/include/runtime/header.h b/include/runtime/header.h
index ec48ca294..0400f3c13 100644
--- a/include/runtime/header.h
+++ b/include/runtime/header.h
@@ -47,8 +47,14 @@ size_t hash_k(block *);
 void k_hash(block *, void *);
 bool hash_enter(void);
 void hash_exit(void);
-
+#ifdef __MACH__
+  //
+  //	thread_local disabled for Apple
+  //
+extern bool gc_enabled;
+#else
 extern thread_local bool gc_enabled;
+#endif
 }
 
 class k_elem {
diff --git a/lib/codegen/CreateTerm.cpp b/lib/codegen/CreateTerm.cpp
index 02c8d0b54..690cdb8f9 100644
--- a/lib/codegen/CreateTerm.cpp
+++ b/lib/codegen/CreateTerm.cpp
@@ -782,11 +782,17 @@ llvm::Value *create_term::disable_gc() {
   llvm::Constant *global
       = module_->getOrInsertGlobal("gc_enabled", llvm::Type::getInt1Ty(ctx_));
   auto *global_var = llvm::cast<llvm::GlobalVariable>(global);
-  global_var->setThreadLocal(true);
 #ifdef __MACH__
+  //
+  //	thread_local disabled for Apple
+  //
+  /*
+  global_var->setThreadLocal(true);
   llvm::IRBuilder b(current_block_);
   auto *global_var_address = b.CreateThreadLocalAddress(global_var);
+  */
 #else
+  global_var->setThreadLocal(true);
   auto *global_var_address = global_var;
 #endif
   auto *old_val = new llvm::LoadInst(
@@ -801,11 +807,17 @@ void create_term::enable_gc(llvm::Value *was_enabled) {
   llvm::Constant *global
       = module_->getOrInsertGlobal("gc_enabled", llvm::Type::getInt1Ty(ctx_));
   auto *global_var = llvm::cast<llvm::GlobalVariable>(global);
-  global_var->setThreadLocal(true);
 #ifdef __MACH__
+  //
+  //	thread_local disabled for Apple
+  //
+  /*
+  global_var->setThreadLocal(true);
   llvm::IRBuilder b(current_block_);
   auto *global_var_address = b.CreateThreadLocalAddress(global_var);
+  */
 #else
+  global_var->setThreadLocal(true);
   auto *global_var_address = global_var;
 #endif
   new llvm::StoreInst(was_enabled, global_var_address, current_block_);
diff --git a/runtime/alloc/arena.cpp b/runtime/alloc/arena.cpp
index 183e10d87..b775a0bed 100644
--- a/runtime/alloc/arena.cpp
+++ b/runtime/alloc/arena.cpp
@@ -149,7 +149,14 @@ static void fresh_block(struct arena *arena) {
       BLOCK_SIZE - sizeof(memory_block_header));
 }
 
+#ifdef __MACH__
+  //
+  //	thread_local disabled for Apple
+  //
+bool gc_enabled = true;
+#else
 thread_local bool gc_enabled = true;
+#endif
 
 __attribute__((noinline)) void *
 do_alloc_slow(size_t requested, struct arena *arena) {
diff --git a/unittests/runtime-collections/lists.cpp b/unittests/runtime-collections/lists.cpp
index ce94d2ad7..a8d6ec5e8 100644
--- a/unittests/runtime-collections/lists.cpp
+++ b/unittests/runtime-collections/lists.cpp
@@ -62,7 +62,15 @@ block D1 = {{1}};
 block *DUMMY1 = &D1;
 }
 
+#ifdef __MACH__
+  //
+  //	thread_local disabled for Apple
+  //
+bool gc_enabled;
+#else
 thread_local bool gc_enabled;
+#endif
+
 size_t get_gc_threshold() {
   return SIZE_MAX;
 }