diff --git a/mlx/3rdparty/pocketfft.h b/mlx/3rdparty/pocketfft.h
index 03a45897a..dc15c61be 100644
--- a/mlx/3rdparty/pocketfft.h
+++ b/mlx/3rdparty/pocketfft.h
@@ -537,7 +537,11 @@ inline size_t &num_threads()
   static thread_local size_t num_threads_=1;
   return num_threads_;
   }
-static const size_t max_threads = std::max(1u, std::thread::hardware_concurrency());
+inline const size_t &max_threads()
+  {
+  static thread_local const size_t max_threads_ = std::max(1u, std::thread::hardware_concurrency());
+  return max_threads_;
+  }
 
 class latch
   {
@@ -721,7 +725,7 @@ class thread_pool
       workers_(nthreads)
       { create_threads(); }
 
-    thread_pool(): thread_pool(max_threads) {}
+    thread_pool(): thread_pool(max_threads()) {}
 
     ~thread_pool() { shutdown(); }
 
@@ -786,7 +790,7 @@ 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; }
diff --git a/mlx/device.cpp b/mlx/device.cpp
index e635782e2..20d8675d8 100644
--- a/mlx/device.cpp
+++ b/mlx/device.cpp
@@ -5,11 +5,14 @@
 
 namespace mlx::core {
 
-static Device default_device_{
-    metal::is_available() ? Device::gpu : Device::cpu};
+Device& mutable_default_device() {
+  static Device default_device{
+      metal::is_available() ? Device::gpu : Device::cpu};
+  return default_device;
+}
 
 const Device& default_device() {
-  return default_device_;
+  return mutable_default_device();
 }
 
 void set_default_device(const Device& d) {
@@ -17,7 +20,7 @@ void set_default_device(const Device& d) {
     throw std::invalid_argument(
         "[set_default_device] Cannot set gpu device without gpu backend.");
   }
-  default_device_ = d;
+  mutable_default_device() = d;
 }
 
 bool operator==(const Device& lhs, const Device& rhs) {
diff --git a/mlx/io/load.cpp b/mlx/io/load.cpp
index 59d91c007..2f9053f4d 100644
--- a/mlx/io/load.cpp
+++ b/mlx/io/load.cpp
@@ -335,7 +335,10 @@ ThreadPool& thread_pool() {
   return pool_;
 }
 
-ThreadPool ParallelFileReader::thread_pool_{4};
+ThreadPool& ParallelFileReader::thread_pool() {
+  static ThreadPool thread_pool{4};
+  return thread_pool;
+}
 
 void ParallelFileReader::read(char* data, size_t n) {
   while (n != 0) {
@@ -371,7 +374,8 @@ void ParallelFileReader::read(char* data, size_t n, size_t offset) {
       break;
     } else {
       size_t m = batch_size_;
-      futs.emplace_back(thread_pool_.enqueue(readfn, offset, m, data));
+      futs.emplace_back(
+          ParallelFileReader::thread_pool().enqueue(readfn, offset, m, data));
       data += m;
       n -= m;
       offset += m;
diff --git a/mlx/io/load.h b/mlx/io/load.h
index 138098e82..6bcebde6f 100644
--- a/mlx/io/load.h
+++ b/mlx/io/load.h
@@ -99,9 +99,11 @@ class ParallelFileReader : public Reader {
     return "file " + label_;
   }
 
+ private:
+  static ThreadPool& thread_pool();
+
  private:
   static constexpr size_t batch_size_ = 1 << 25;
-  static ThreadPool thread_pool_;
   int fd_;
   std::string label_;
 };