diff --git a/docs/src/threading.rst b/docs/src/threading.rst
index 883218fa..72f8bae0 100644
--- a/docs/src/threading.rst
+++ b/docs/src/threading.rst
@@ -78,6 +78,14 @@ Threads
 
     .. versionchanged:: 1.4.1 returns a UV_E* error code on failure
 
+.. c:function:: int uv_thread_detach(uv_thread_t* tid)
+
+    Detaches a thread. Detached threads automatically release their
+    resources upon termination, eliminating the need for the application to
+    call `uv_thread_join`.
+
+    .. versionadded:: 1.50.0
+
 .. c:function:: int uv_thread_create_ex(uv_thread_t* tid, const uv_thread_options_t* params, uv_thread_cb entry, void* arg)
 
     Like :c:func:`uv_thread_create`, but additionally specifies options for creating a new thread.
diff --git a/include/uv.h b/include/uv.h
index 67a25f0c..ae72b0f0 100644
--- a/include/uv.h
+++ b/include/uv.h
@@ -1870,6 +1870,7 @@ UV_EXTERN int uv_gettimeofday(uv_timeval64_t* tv);
 typedef void (*uv_thread_cb)(void* arg);
 
 UV_EXTERN int uv_thread_create(uv_thread_t* tid, uv_thread_cb entry, void* arg);
+UV_EXTERN int uv_thread_detach(uv_thread_t* tid);
 
 typedef enum {
   UV_THREAD_NO_FLAGS = 0x00,
diff --git a/src/unix/thread.c b/src/unix/thread.c
index f05e6fe0..4d6ddc2b 100644
--- a/src/unix/thread.c
+++ b/src/unix/thread.c
@@ -126,6 +126,12 @@ int uv_thread_create(uv_thread_t *tid, void (*entry)(void *arg), void *arg) {
   return uv_thread_create_ex(tid, &params, entry, arg);
 }
 
+
+int uv_thread_detach(uv_thread_t *tid) {
+  return UV__ERR(pthread_detach(*tid));
+}
+
+
 int uv_thread_create_ex(uv_thread_t* tid,
                         const uv_thread_options_t* params,
                         void (*entry)(void *arg),
diff --git a/src/win/thread.c b/src/win/thread.c
index bf39b886..28f5e6bf 100644
--- a/src/win/thread.c
+++ b/src/win/thread.c
@@ -95,6 +95,15 @@ int uv_thread_create(uv_thread_t *tid, void (*entry)(void *arg), void *arg) {
   return uv_thread_create_ex(tid, &params, entry, arg);
 }
 
+
+int uv_thread_detach(uv_thread_t *tid) {
+  if (CloseHandle(*tid) == 0)
+    return uv_translate_sys_error(GetLastError());
+
+  return 0;
+}
+
+
 int uv_thread_create_ex(uv_thread_t* tid,
                         const uv_thread_options_t* params,
                         void (*entry)(void *arg),
diff --git a/test/test-list.h b/test/test-list.h
index a64c2c33..3038d286 100644
--- a/test/test-list.h
+++ b/test/test-list.h
@@ -466,6 +466,7 @@ TEST_DECLARE   (threadpool_cancel_work)
 TEST_DECLARE   (threadpool_cancel_fs)
 TEST_DECLARE   (threadpool_cancel_single)
 TEST_DECLARE   (threadpool_cancel_when_busy)
+TEST_DECLARE   (thread_detach)
 TEST_DECLARE   (thread_local_storage)
 TEST_DECLARE   (thread_stack_size)
 TEST_DECLARE   (thread_stack_size_explicit)
@@ -1180,6 +1181,7 @@ TASK_LIST_START
   TEST_ENTRY  (threadpool_cancel_fs)
   TEST_ENTRY  (threadpool_cancel_single)
   TEST_ENTRY  (threadpool_cancel_when_busy)
+  TEST_ENTRY  (thread_detach)
   TEST_ENTRY  (thread_local_storage)
   TEST_ENTRY  (thread_stack_size)
   TEST_ENTRY  (thread_stack_size_explicit)
diff --git a/test/test-thread.c b/test/test-thread.c
index d0094e30..819bbd5c 100644
--- a/test/test-thread.c
+++ b/test/test-thread.c
@@ -294,3 +294,13 @@ TEST_IMPL(thread_stack_size_explicit) {
 
   return 0;
 }
+
+static void thread_detach_cb(void* arg) {}
+
+TEST_IMPL(thread_detach) {
+  uv_thread_t thread;
+  ASSERT_OK(uv_thread_create(&thread, thread_detach_cb, NULL));
+  ASSERT_OK(uv_thread_detach(&thread));
+
+  return 0;
+}