diff --git a/coregrind/arch/x86-linux/Makefile.am b/coregrind/arch/x86-linux/Makefile.am
index 139597f9c..cd34ec8c2 100644
--- a/coregrind/arch/x86-linux/Makefile.am
+++ b/coregrind/arch/x86-linux/Makefile.am
@@ -1,2 +1,14 @@
 
+valdir = $(libdir)/valgrind
+val_PROGRAMS = libpthread.so
 
+libpthread_so_SOURCES = \
+·       vg_libpthread.c \
+·       vg_libpthread_unimp.c \
+·       vg_syscall.S
+libpthread_so_DEPENDENCIES = $(srcdir)/vg_libpthread.vs
+libpthread_so_LDFLAGS = -Werror -fno-omit-frame-pointer -UVG_LIBDIR \
+·       -shared -fpic \
+·       -Wl,-version-script $(srcdir)/vg_libpthread.vs \
+·       -Wl,-z,nodelete \
+·       -Wl,--soname=libpthread.so.0
diff --git a/coregrind/docs/coregrind_core.html b/coregrind/docs/coregrind_core.html
index 24deff839..34edcf242 100644
--- a/coregrind/docs/coregrind_core.html
+++ b/coregrind/docs/coregrind_core.html
@@ -710,7 +710,7 @@ not Cachegrind.
 For tools that use their own version of <code>malloc()</code> (e.g. Memcheck
 and Addrcheck), the following options apply.
 <ul>
-  <li><code>--alignment=&lt;number&gt;</code> [default: 4]<br> <p>By
+  <li><code>--alignment=&lt;number&gt;</code> [default: 8]<br> <p>By
       default Valgrind's <code>malloc</code>, <code>realloc</code>,
       etc, return 4-byte aligned addresses.  These are suitable for
       any accesses on x86 processors. 
diff --git a/coregrind/vg_malloc2.c b/coregrind/vg_malloc2.c
index 13d9a9238..bf03b2a54 100644
--- a/coregrind/vg_malloc2.c
+++ b/coregrind/vg_malloc2.c
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ Bool VG_(clo_sloppy_malloc)  = False;
 Bool VG_(clo_trace_malloc)   = False;
 
 /* Minimum alignment in functions that don't specify alignment explicitly.
-   default: 0, i.e. use default of the machine (== 4) */
+   default: 0, i.e. use default of the machine (== 8) */
 Int  VG_(clo_alignment) = 8;
 
 
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ void VG_(replacement_malloc_print_usage)(void)
 {
    VG_(printf)(
 "    --sloppy-malloc=no|yes    round malloc sizes to next word? [no]\n"
-"    --alignment=<number>      set minimum alignment of allocations [4]\n"
+"    --alignment=<number>      set minimum alignment of allocations [8]\n"
    );
 }