diff --git a/C/adtdefs.c b/C/adtdefs.c
index 3206870ba..ad2019bec 100755
--- a/C/adtdefs.c
+++ b/C/adtdefs.c
@@ -699,10 +699,10 @@ Yap_GetPredPropByFunc(Functor f, Term cur_mod)
 {
   Prop p0;
 
-  READ_LOCK(f->FRWLock);
+  FUNC_READ_LOCK(f);
 
   p0 = GetPredPropByFuncHavingLock(f, cur_mod);
-  READ_UNLOCK(f->FRWLock);
+  FUNC_READ_UNLOCK(f);
   return (p0);
 }
 
@@ -712,9 +712,9 @@ Yap_GetPredPropByFuncInThisModule(Functor f, Term cur_mod)
 {
   Prop p0;
 
-  READ_LOCK(f->FRWLock);
+  FUNC_READ_LOCK(f);
   p0 = GetPredPropByFuncHavingLock(f, cur_mod);
-  READ_UNLOCK(f->FRWLock);
+  FUNC_READ_UNLOCK(f);
   return (p0);
 }
 
@@ -730,9 +730,9 @@ Yap_GetPredPropHavingLock(Atom ap, unsigned int arity, Term mod)
     GetPredPropByAtomHavingLock(ae, mod);
   }
   f = InlinedUnlockedMkFunctor(ae, arity);
-  READ_LOCK(f->FRWLock);
+  FUNC_READ_LOCK(f);
   p0 = GetPredPropByFuncHavingLock(f, mod);
-  READ_UNLOCK(f->FRWLock);
+  FUNC_READ_UNLOCK(f);
   return (p0);
 }
 
@@ -804,47 +804,14 @@ Yap_NewPredPropByFunctor(FunctorEntry *fe, Term cur_mod)
   PredEntry *p = (PredEntry *) Yap_AllocAtomSpace(sizeof(*p));
 
   if (p == NULL) {
-    WRITE_UNLOCK(fe->FRWLock);
+    FUNC_WRITE_UNLOCK(fe);
     return NULL;
   }
   if (cur_mod == TermProlog)
     p->ModuleOfPred = 0L;
   else
     p->ModuleOfPred = cur_mod;
-  if (fe->PropsOfFE) {
-    UInt hsh = PRED_HASH(fe, cur_mod, PredHashTableSize);
-
-    WRITE_LOCK(PredHashRWLock);
-    if (10*(PredsInHashTable+1) > 6*PredHashTableSize) {
-      if (!ExpandPredHash()) {
-	Yap_FreeCodeSpace((ADDR)p);
-	WRITE_UNLOCK(PredHashRWLock);
-	WRITE_UNLOCK(fe->FRWLock);
-	return NULL;
-      }
-      /* retry hashing */
-      hsh = PRED_HASH(fe, cur_mod, PredHashTableSize);
-    }
-    PredsInHashTable++;
-    if (p->ModuleOfPred == 0L) {
-      PredEntry *pe = RepPredProp(fe->PropsOfFE);
-
-      hsh = PRED_HASH(fe, pe->ModuleOfPred, PredHashTableSize);
-      /* should be the first one */
-      pe->NextOfPE = AbsPredProp(PredHash[hsh]);
-      PredHash[hsh] = pe;
-      fe->PropsOfFE = AbsPredProp(p);
-    } else {
-      p->NextOfPE = AbsPredProp(PredHash[hsh]);
-      PredHash[hsh] = p;
-    }
-    WRITE_UNLOCK(PredHashRWLock);
-    /* make sure that we have something here: note that this is not a valid pointer!! */
-    RepPredProp(fe->PropsOfFE)->NextOfPE = fe->PropsOfFE;
-  } else {
-    fe->PropsOfFE = AbsPredProp(p);
-    p->NextOfPE = NIL;
-  }
+  TRUE_FUNC_WRITE_LOCK(fe);
   INIT_LOCK(p->PELock);
   p->KindOfPE = PEProp;
   p->ArityOfPE = fe->ArityOfFE;
@@ -886,7 +853,41 @@ Yap_NewPredPropByFunctor(FunctorEntry *fe, Term cur_mod)
     p->ExtraPredFlags |= NoDebugPredFlag;
   }
   p->FunctorOfPred = fe;
-  WRITE_UNLOCK(fe->FRWLock);
+  if (fe->PropsOfFE) {
+    UInt hsh = PRED_HASH(fe, cur_mod, PredHashTableSize);
+
+    WRITE_LOCK(PredHashRWLock);
+    if (10*(PredsInHashTable+1) > 6*PredHashTableSize) {
+      if (!ExpandPredHash()) {
+	Yap_FreeCodeSpace((ADDR)p);
+	WRITE_UNLOCK(PredHashRWLock);
+	TRUE_FUNC_WRITE_UNLOCK(fe);
+	return NULL;
+      }
+      /* retry hashing */
+      hsh = PRED_HASH(fe, cur_mod, PredHashTableSize);
+    }
+    PredsInHashTable++;
+    if (p->ModuleOfPred == 0L) {
+      PredEntry *pe = RepPredProp(fe->PropsOfFE);
+
+      hsh = PRED_HASH(fe, pe->ModuleOfPred, PredHashTableSize);
+      /* should be the first one */
+      pe->NextOfPE = AbsPredProp(PredHash[hsh]);
+      PredHash[hsh] = pe;
+      fe->PropsOfFE = AbsPredProp(p);
+    } else {
+      p->NextOfPE = AbsPredProp(PredHash[hsh]);
+      PredHash[hsh] = p;
+    }
+    WRITE_UNLOCK(PredHashRWLock);
+    /* make sure that we have something here: note that this is not a valid pointer!! */
+    RepPredProp(fe->PropsOfFE)->NextOfPE = fe->PropsOfFE;
+  } else {
+    fe->PropsOfFE = AbsPredProp(p);
+    p->NextOfPE = NIL;
+  }
+  TRUE_FUNC_WRITE_UNLOCK(fe);
   {
     Yap_inform_profiler_of_clause(&(p->OpcodeOfPred), &(p->OpcodeOfPred)+1, p, GPROF_NEW_PRED_FUNC);
     if (!(p->PredFlags & (CPredFlag|AsmPredFlag))) {
@@ -1027,7 +1028,7 @@ Yap_PredPropByFunctorNonThreadLocal(Functor f, Term cur_mod)
 {
   PredEntry *p;
 
-  WRITE_LOCK(f->FRWLock);
+  FUNC_WRITE_LOCK(f);
   if (!(p = RepPredProp(f->PropsOfFE))) 
     return Yap_NewPredPropByFunctor(f,cur_mod);
 
@@ -1037,7 +1038,7 @@ Yap_PredPropByFunctorNonThreadLocal(Functor f, Term cur_mod)
 	p->ModuleOfPred ||
 	!cur_mod ||
 	cur_mod == TermProlog) {
-      WRITE_UNLOCK(f->FRWLock);
+      FUNC_WRITE_UNLOCK(f);
       return AbsPredProp(p);
     }
   }
@@ -1051,7 +1052,7 @@ Yap_PredPropByFunctorNonThreadLocal(Functor f, Term cur_mod)
 	  p->ModuleOfPred == cur_mod)
 	{
 	  READ_UNLOCK(PredHashRWLock);
-	  WRITE_UNLOCK(f->FRWLock);
+	  FUNC_WRITE_UNLOCK(f);
 	  return AbsPredProp(p);
 	}
       p = RepPredProp(p->NextOfPE);
diff --git a/C/dbase.c b/C/dbase.c
index 70eb25e98..9fd7836cc 100755
--- a/C/dbase.c
+++ b/C/dbase.c
@@ -2718,7 +2718,7 @@ new_lu_entry(Term t)
   if (IsApplTerm(t)) {
     Functor f = FunctorOfTerm(t);
 
-    WRITE_LOCK(f->FRWLock);
+    FUNC_WRITE_LOCK(f);
     p0 = Yap_NewPredPropByFunctor(f,IDB_MODULE);
   } else if (IsAtomTerm(t)) {
     Atom at = AtomOfTerm(t);
@@ -2726,7 +2726,7 @@ new_lu_entry(Term t)
     WRITE_LOCK(RepAtom(at)->ARWLock);
     p0 = Yap_NewPredPropByAtom(at,IDB_MODULE);
   } else {
-    WRITE_LOCK(FunctorList->FRWLock);
+    FUNC_WRITE_LOCK(FunctorList);
     p0 = Yap_NewPredPropByFunctor(FunctorList,IDB_MODULE);
   }
   pe = RepPredProp(p0);
diff --git a/C/stdpreds.c b/C/stdpreds.c
index b55e06595..a6503e470 100755
--- a/C/stdpreds.c
+++ b/C/stdpreds.c
@@ -840,7 +840,7 @@ cont_current_predicate_for_atom( USES_REGS1 )
     FunctorEntry *pp = RepFunctorProp(pf);
     if (IsFunctorProperty(pp->KindOfPE)) {
       Prop p0;
-      READ_LOCK(pp->FRWLock);
+      FUNC_READ_LOCK(pp);
       p0 = pp->PropsOfFE;
       if (p0) {
 	PredEntry *p = RepPredProp(p0);
@@ -849,7 +849,7 @@ cont_current_predicate_for_atom( USES_REGS1 )
 	  UInt ar = p->ArityOfPE;
 	  /* we found the predicate */
 	  EXTRA_CBACK_ARG(3,1) = MkIntegerTerm((Int)(pp->NextOfPE));
-	  READ_UNLOCK(pp->FRWLock);
+	  FUNC_READ_UNLOCK(pp);
 	  return 
 	    Yap_unify(ARG3,MkIntegerTerm(ar));
 	} else if (p->NextOfPE) {
@@ -862,7 +862,7 @@ cont_current_predicate_for_atom( USES_REGS1 )
 		p->ModuleOfPred == mod)
 	      {
 		READ_UNLOCK(PredHashRWLock);
-		READ_UNLOCK(pp->FRWLock);
+        FUNC_READ_UNLOCK(pp);
 		/* we found the predicate */
 		EXTRA_CBACK_ARG(3,1) = MkIntegerTerm((Int)(p->NextOfPE));
 		return Yap_unify(ARG3,MkIntegerTerm(p->ArityOfPE));
@@ -871,7 +871,7 @@ cont_current_predicate_for_atom( USES_REGS1 )
 	  }
 	}
       }
-      READ_UNLOCK(pp->FRWLock);
+      FUNC_READ_UNLOCK(pp);
     } else if (pp->KindOfPE == PEProp) {
       PredEntry *pe = RepPredProp(pf);
       PELOCK(31,pe);
diff --git a/H/Yatom.h b/H/Yatom.h
index f9ebac1ca..58bbd881d 100755
--- a/H/Yatom.h
+++ b/H/Yatom.h
@@ -1655,10 +1655,10 @@ PredPropByFunc (Functor fe, Term cur_mod)
 {
   Prop p0;
 
-  WRITE_LOCK (fe->FRWLock);
+  FUNC_WRITE_LOCK (fe);
   p0 = GetPredPropByFuncHavingLock(fe, cur_mod);
   if (p0) {
-    WRITE_UNLOCK (fe->FRWLock);
+    FUNC_WRITE_UNLOCK (fe);
     return p0;
   }
   return Yap_NewPredPropByFunctor (fe, cur_mod);
@@ -1713,10 +1713,10 @@ PredPropByFuncAndMod (Functor fe, Term cur_mod)
 {
   Prop p0;
 
-  WRITE_LOCK (fe->FRWLock);
+  FUNC_WRITE_LOCK (fe);
   p0 = GetPredPropByFuncAndModHavingLock(fe, cur_mod);
   if (p0) {
-    WRITE_UNLOCK (fe->FRWLock);
+    FUNC_WRITE_UNLOCK (fe);
     return p0;
   }
   return Yap_NewPredPropByFunctor (fe, cur_mod);
diff --git a/OPTYap/locks_pthread.h b/OPTYap/locks_pthread.h
index dbec9676d..fff2821d6 100755
--- a/OPTYap/locks_pthread.h
+++ b/OPTYap/locks_pthread.h
@@ -64,6 +64,15 @@ xIS_UNLOCKED(pthread_mutex_t *LOCK_VAR) {
 #define WRITE_LOCK(X)          pthread_rwlock_wrlock(&(X))
 #define WRITE_UNLOCK(X)        pthread_rwlock_unlock(&(X))
 
+#define FUNC_READ_LOCK(F)
+#define FUNC_READ_UNLOCK(F)
+
+#define FUNC_WRITE_LOCK(F)
+#define FUNC_WRITE_UNLOCK(F)
+
+#define TRUE_FUNC_WRITE_LOCK(F) WRITE_LOCK((F)->FRWLock)
+#define TRUE_FUNC_WRITE_UNLOCK(F) WRITE_UNLOCK((F)->FRWLock)
+
 
 #if THREADS