diff --git a/mlx/3rdparty/pocketfft.h b/mlx/3rdparty/pocketfft.h
index dc15c61be..03a45897a 100644
--- a/mlx/3rdparty/pocketfft.h
+++ b/mlx/3rdparty/pocketfft.h
@@ -537,11 +537,7 @@ inline size_t &num_threads()
   static thread_local size_t num_threads_=1;
   return num_threads_;
   }
-inline const size_t &max_threads()
-  {
-  static thread_local const size_t max_threads_ = std::max(1u, std::thread::hardware_concurrency());
-  return max_threads_;
-  }
+static const size_t max_threads = std::max(1u, std::thread::hardware_concurrency());
 
 class latch
   {
@@ -725,7 +721,7 @@ class thread_pool
       workers_(nthreads)
       { create_threads(); }
 
-    thread_pool(): thread_pool(max_threads()) {}
+    thread_pool(): thread_pool(max_threads) {}
 
     ~thread_pool() { shutdown(); }
 
@@ -790,7 +786,7 @@ template <typename Func>
 void thread_map(size_t nthreads, Func f)
   {
   if (nthreads == 0)
-    nthreads = max_threads();
+    nthreads = max_threads;
 
   if (nthreads == 1)
     { f(); return; }