diff --git a/src/library.js b/src/library.js
index 09b4f4fb607d1..93d0bf3dddac6 100644
--- a/src/library.js
+++ b/src/library.js
@@ -2142,10 +2142,24 @@ addToLibrary({
   $runtimeKeepaliveCounter__internal: true,
   $runtimeKeepaliveCounter: 0,
 
-  $keepRuntimeAlive__deps: ['$runtimeKeepaliveCounter'],
 #if isSymbolNeeded('$noExitRuntime')
+  // If the `noExitRuntime` symbol is included in the build then
+  // keepRuntimeAlive is always conditional since its state can change
+  // at runtime.
+  $keepRuntimeAlive__deps: ['$runtimeKeepaliveCounter'],
   $keepRuntimeAlive: () => noExitRuntime || runtimeKeepaliveCounter > 0,
+#elif !EXIT_RUNTIME
+  // When `noExitRuntime` is not include and EXIT_RUNTIME=0 then we know the
+  // runtime can never exit (i.e. should always be kept alive).
+  // However for pthreads we always default to allowing the runtime to exit
+  // otherwise threads never exit and are not joinable.
+#if PTHREADS
+  $keepRuntimeAlive: () => !ENVIRONMENT_IS_PTHREAD,
 #else
+  $keepRuntimeAlive: () => true,
+#endif
+#else
+  $keepRuntimeAlive__deps: ['$runtimeKeepaliveCounter'],
   $keepRuntimeAlive: () => runtimeKeepaliveCounter > 0,
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/library_pthread.js b/src/library_pthread.js
index 956413960afb3..c435a02283746 100644
--- a/src/library_pthread.js
+++ b/src/library_pthread.js
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ var LibraryPThread = {
       // worker pool as an unused worker.
       worker.pthread_ptr = 0;
 
-#if ENVIRONMENT_MAY_BE_NODE && PROXY_TO_PTHREAD
+#if ENVIRONMENT_MAY_BE_NODE
       if (ENVIRONMENT_IS_NODE) {
         // Once the proxied main thread has finished, mark it as weakly
         // referenced so that its existence does not prevent Node.js from
diff --git a/test/other/test_pthread_strict.c b/test/other/test_pthread_strict.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..26c42fde0fb92
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/other/test_pthread_strict.c
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <pthread.h>
+#include <emscripten/console.h>
+
+void _emscripten_thread_set_strongref(pthread_t thread);
+
+void* thread_main(void* arg) {
+  usleep(100000);
+  emscripten_outf("Hello from thread");
+  return NULL;
+}
+
+int main() {
+  pthread_t t;
+  pthread_create(&t, NULL, thread_main, NULL);
+  pthread_detach(t);
+  emscripten_outf("returning from main");
+
+  // This needed under node to make sure the process doesn't exit before the
+  // thread is done.
+  // TODO(sbc): We probably want all running threads to keep node from exiting
+  // like they would under POSIX.
+  _emscripten_thread_set_strongref(t);
+  return 0;
+}
+
diff --git a/test/other/test_pthread_strict.out b/test/other/test_pthread_strict.out
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..43632997b313f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/other/test_pthread_strict.out
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+returning from main
+Hello from thread
diff --git a/test/test_other.py b/test/test_other.py
index 1c61d55ba1777..5a1099f1a3d34 100644
--- a/test/test_other.py
+++ b/test/test_other.py
@@ -12064,17 +12064,21 @@ def test_pthread_asyncify(self):
     self.set_setting('PTHREADS_DEBUG')
     self.set_setting('ASYNCIFY')
     self.set_setting('PTHREAD_POOL_SIZE', 2)
-    self.do_run_in_out_file_test('other/test_pthread_asyncify.c')
+    self.do_other_test('test_pthread_asyncify.c')
 
   @node_pthreads
   def test_pthread_reuse(self):
     self.set_setting('PTHREAD_POOL_SIZE', 1)
-    self.do_run_in_out_file_test('other/test_pthread_reuse.c')
+    self.do_other_test('test_pthread_reuse.c')
 
   @node_pthreads
   def test_pthread_relocatable(self):
     self.do_run_in_out_file_test('hello_world.c', emcc_args=['-sRELOCATABLE'])
 
+  @node_pthreads
+  def test_pthread_strict(self):
+    self.do_other_test('test_pthread_strict.c', emcc_args=['-pthread', '-sPTHREAD_POOL_SIZE=1', '-sSTRICT'])
+
   def test_stdin_preprocess(self):
     create_file('temp.h', '#include <string>')
     outputStdin = self.run_process([EMCC, '-x', 'c++', '-dM', '-E', '-'], input="#include <string>", stdout=PIPE).stdout
diff --git a/tools/link.py b/tools/link.py
index 04eb551353c0c..2685cd3e4e943 100644
--- a/tools/link.py
+++ b/tools/link.py
@@ -651,9 +651,6 @@ def phase_linker_setup(options, state, newargs):
     # Add `#!` line to output JS and make it executable.
     options.executable = True
 
-  if 'noExitRuntime' in settings.INCOMING_MODULE_JS_API:
-    settings.DEFAULT_LIBRARY_FUNCS_TO_INCLUDE.append('$noExitRuntime')
-
   if settings.OPT_LEVEL >= 1:
     default_setting('ASSERTIONS', 0)
 
@@ -907,6 +904,9 @@ def phase_linker_setup(options, state, newargs):
     else:
       default_setting('INCOMING_MODULE_JS_API', [])
 
+  if 'noExitRuntime' in settings.INCOMING_MODULE_JS_API:
+    settings.DEFAULT_LIBRARY_FUNCS_TO_INCLUDE.append('$noExitRuntime')
+
   if not settings.MINIMAL_RUNTIME and not settings.STRICT:
     # Export the HEAP object by default, when not running in STRICT mode
     settings.EXPORTED_RUNTIME_METHODS.extend([