diff --git a/core/iwasm/common/wasm_c_api.c b/core/iwasm/common/wasm_c_api.c
index 4b1958fe2..2c0b5d5d8 100644
--- a/core/iwasm/common/wasm_c_api.c
+++ b/core/iwasm/common/wasm_c_api.c
@@ -327,45 +327,77 @@ wasm_engine_new_internal(mem_alloc_type_t type, const MemAllocOption *opts)
 
 /* global engine instance */
 static wasm_engine_t *singleton_engine = NULL;
+#if defined(OS_THREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER)
+/**
+ * lock for the singleton_engine
+ * Note: if the platform has mutex initializer, we use a global lock to
+ * lock the operations of the singleton_engine, otherwise when there are
+ * operations happening simultaneously in multiple threads, developer
+ * must create the lock by himself, and use it to lock the operations
+ */
+static korp_mutex engine_lock = OS_THREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
+#endif
+
+own wasm_engine_t *
+wasm_engine_new_with_args(mem_alloc_type_t type, const MemAllocOption *opts)
+{
+#if defined(OS_THREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER)
+    os_mutex_lock(&engine_lock);
+#endif
+
+    if (!singleton_engine) {
+        singleton_engine = wasm_engine_new_internal(type, opts);
+    }
+
+    if (singleton_engine) {
+        singleton_engine->ref_count++;
+    }
+
+#if defined(OS_THREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER)
+    os_mutex_unlock(&engine_lock);
+#endif
+
+    return singleton_engine;
+}
 
 own wasm_engine_t *
 wasm_engine_new()
 {
-    if (!singleton_engine) {
-        singleton_engine =
-            wasm_engine_new_internal(Alloc_With_System_Allocator, NULL);
-    }
-    if (singleton_engine)
-        singleton_engine->ref_count++;
-    return singleton_engine;
+    return wasm_engine_new_with_args(Alloc_With_System_Allocator, NULL);
 }
 
 own wasm_engine_t *
 wasm_engine_new_with_config(own wasm_config_t *config)
 {
     (void)config;
-    return wasm_engine_new();
+    return wasm_engine_new_with_args(Alloc_With_System_Allocator, NULL);
 }
 
-own wasm_engine_t *
-wasm_engine_new_with_args(mem_alloc_type_t type, const MemAllocOption *opts)
-{
-    if (!singleton_engine) {
-        singleton_engine = wasm_engine_new_internal(type, opts);
-    }
-    if (singleton_engine)
-        singleton_engine->ref_count++;
-    return singleton_engine;
-}
-
-/* BE AWARE: will RESET the singleton */
 void
 wasm_engine_delete(wasm_engine_t *engine)
 {
-    if (engine && (--engine->ref_count == 0)) {
-        wasm_engine_delete_internal(engine);
-        singleton_engine = NULL;
+#if defined(OS_THREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER)
+    os_mutex_lock(&engine_lock);
+#endif
+
+    if (!engine || !singleton_engine || engine != singleton_engine) {
+#if defined(OS_THREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER)
+        os_mutex_unlock(&engine_lock);
+#endif
+        return;
     }
+
+    if (singleton_engine->ref_count > 0) {
+        singleton_engine->ref_count--;
+        if (singleton_engine->ref_count == 0) {
+            wasm_engine_delete_internal(engine);
+            singleton_engine = NULL;
+        }
+    }
+
+#if defined(OS_THREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER)
+    os_mutex_unlock(&engine_lock);
+#endif
 }
 
 wasm_store_t *
diff --git a/core/iwasm/common/wasm_c_api_internal.h b/core/iwasm/common/wasm_c_api_internal.h
index 95bc5fac1..ac1c93313 100644
--- a/core/iwasm/common/wasm_c_api_internal.h
+++ b/core/iwasm/common/wasm_c_api_internal.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ WASM_DECLARE_VEC(store, *)
 struct wasm_engine_t {
     /* support one store for now */
     wasm_store_vec_t *stores;
-    uint32_t ref_count;
+    uint32 ref_count;
 };
 
 struct wasm_store_t {
diff --git a/core/iwasm/include/wasm_c_api.h b/core/iwasm/include/wasm_c_api.h
index 848323646..62113b20c 100644
--- a/core/iwasm/include/wasm_c_api.h
+++ b/core/iwasm/include/wasm_c_api.h
@@ -145,6 +145,19 @@ WASM_API_EXTERN own wasm_config_t* wasm_config_new(void);
 
 WASM_DECLARE_OWN(engine)
 
+/**
+ * Create a new engine
+ *
+ * Note: for the engine new/delete operations, including this,
+ * wasm_engine_new_with_config, wasm_engine_new_with_args, and
+ * wasm_engine_delete, if the platform has mutex initializer,
+ * then they are thread-safe: we use a global lock to lock the
+ * operations of the engine. Otherwise they are not thread-safe:
+ * when there are engine new/delete operations happening
+ * simultaneously in multiple threads, developer must create
+ * the lock by himself, and add the lock when calling these
+ * functions.
+ */
 WASM_API_EXTERN own wasm_engine_t* wasm_engine_new(void);
 WASM_API_EXTERN own wasm_engine_t* wasm_engine_new_with_config(own wasm_config_t*);
 
diff --git a/core/shared/platform/android/platform_internal.h b/core/shared/platform/android/platform_internal.h
index 3adc8726e..521fa0c55 100644
--- a/core/shared/platform/android/platform_internal.h
+++ b/core/shared/platform/android/platform_internal.h
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ typedef pthread_cond_t korp_cond;
 typedef pthread_t korp_thread;
 typedef sem_t korp_sem;
 
+#define OS_THREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER
+
 #define os_thread_local_attribute __thread
 
 #define bh_socket_t int
diff --git a/core/shared/platform/darwin/platform_internal.h b/core/shared/platform/darwin/platform_internal.h
index 284e376e7..3fd1c258e 100644
--- a/core/shared/platform/darwin/platform_internal.h
+++ b/core/shared/platform/darwin/platform_internal.h
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ typedef pthread_cond_t korp_cond;
 typedef pthread_t korp_thread;
 typedef sem_t korp_sem;
 
+#define OS_THREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER
+
 #define os_thread_local_attribute __thread
 
 #define bh_socket_t int
diff --git a/core/shared/platform/esp-idf/platform_internal.h b/core/shared/platform/esp-idf/platform_internal.h
index 7b4d35ccd..81304ea80 100644
--- a/core/shared/platform/esp-idf/platform_internal.h
+++ b/core/shared/platform/esp-idf/platform_internal.h
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ typedef pthread_cond_t korp_cond;
 typedef pthread_t korp_thread;
 typedef unsigned int korp_sem;
 
+#define OS_THREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER
+
 #define BH_APPLET_PRESERVED_STACK_SIZE (2 * BH_KB)
 
 /* Default thread priority */
diff --git a/core/shared/platform/linux-sgx/platform_internal.h b/core/shared/platform/linux-sgx/platform_internal.h
index 5670052cd..966b8ffce 100644
--- a/core/shared/platform/linux-sgx/platform_internal.h
+++ b/core/shared/platform/linux-sgx/platform_internal.h
@@ -52,6 +52,10 @@ typedef pthread_mutex_t korp_mutex;
 typedef pthread_cond_t korp_cond;
 typedef unsigned int korp_sem;
 
+#ifndef SGX_DISABLE_PTHREAD
+#define OS_THREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER
+#endif
+
 typedef int (*os_print_function_t)(const char *message);
 void
 os_set_print_function(os_print_function_t pf);
diff --git a/core/shared/platform/linux/platform_internal.h b/core/shared/platform/linux/platform_internal.h
index 112691425..0ac63cf5e 100644
--- a/core/shared/platform/linux/platform_internal.h
+++ b/core/shared/platform/linux/platform_internal.h
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ typedef pthread_cond_t korp_cond;
 typedef pthread_t korp_thread;
 typedef sem_t korp_sem;
 
+#define OS_THREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER
+
 #define os_thread_local_attribute __thread
 
 #define bh_socket_t int
diff --git a/core/shared/platform/nuttx/platform_internal.h b/core/shared/platform/nuttx/platform_internal.h
index 41e208584..74fcc599d 100644
--- a/core/shared/platform/nuttx/platform_internal.h
+++ b/core/shared/platform/nuttx/platform_internal.h
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ typedef pthread_cond_t korp_cond;
 typedef pthread_t korp_thread;
 typedef sem_t korp_sem;
 
+#define OS_THREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER
+
 #define BH_APPLET_PRESERVED_STACK_SIZE (2 * BH_KB)
 
 /* Default thread priority */
diff --git a/core/shared/platform/vxworks/platform_internal.h b/core/shared/platform/vxworks/platform_internal.h
index 25ea8b4ad..f72f60322 100644
--- a/core/shared/platform/vxworks/platform_internal.h
+++ b/core/shared/platform/vxworks/platform_internal.h
@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@ typedef pthread_cond_t korp_cond;
 typedef pthread_t korp_thread;
 typedef sem_t korp_sem;
 
+#define OS_THREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER
+
 #define os_thread_local_attribute __thread
 
 #if WASM_DISABLE_HW_BOUND_CHECK == 0
diff --git a/core/shared/platform/windows/platform_internal.h b/core/shared/platform/windows/platform_internal.h
index 03f75ace7..1bce192ee 100644
--- a/core/shared/platform/windows/platform_internal.h
+++ b/core/shared/platform/windows/platform_internal.h
@@ -56,6 +56,17 @@ typedef void *korp_tid;
 typedef void *korp_mutex;
 typedef void *korp_sem;
 
+/**
+ * Create the mutex when os_mutex_lock is called, and no need to
+ * CloseHandle() for the static lock's lifetime, since
+ * "The system closes the handle automatically when the process
+ *  terminates. The mutex object is destroyed when its last
+ *  handle has been closed."
+ * Refer to:
+ *   https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/synchapi/nf-synchapi-createmutexa
+ */
+#define OS_THREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER NULL
+
 struct os_thread_wait_node;
 typedef struct os_thread_wait_node *os_thread_wait_list;
 typedef struct korp_cond {
diff --git a/core/shared/platform/windows/win_thread.c b/core/shared/platform/windows/win_thread.c
index 59df9cd15..4c70e9f8a 100644
--- a/core/shared/platform/windows/win_thread.c
+++ b/core/shared/platform/windows/win_thread.c
@@ -512,6 +512,21 @@ os_mutex_lock(korp_mutex *mutex)
     int ret;
 
     assert(mutex);
+
+    if (*mutex == NULL) { /* static initializer? */
+        HANDLE p = CreateMutex(NULL, FALSE, NULL);
+
+        if (!p) {
+            return BHT_ERROR;
+        }
+
+        if (InterlockedCompareExchangePointer((PVOID *)mutex, (PVOID)p, NULL)
+            != NULL) {
+            /* lock has been created by other threads */
+            CloseHandle(p);
+        }
+    }
+
     ret = WaitForSingleObject(*mutex, INFINITE);
     return ret != WAIT_FAILED ? BHT_OK : BHT_ERROR;
 }