diff --git a/vtkm/opengl/testing/TestingWindow.h b/vtkm/opengl/testing/TestingWindow.h
index 2dd7c0e14..26e7e60a3 100644
--- a/vtkm/opengl/testing/TestingWindow.h
+++ b/vtkm/opengl/testing/TestingWindow.h
@@ -22,6 +22,58 @@
 
 #include <vtkm/internal/ExportMacros.h>
 #include <vtkm/opengl/testing/WindowBase.h>
+
+#if defined(VTKM_GCC) && defined(VTKM_POSIX) && !defined(__APPLE__)
+//
+// 1. Some Linux distributions default linker implicitly enables the as-needed
+// linking flag. This means that your shared library or executable will only
+// link to libraries from which they use symbols. So if you explicitly link to
+// pthread but don't use any symbols you wont have a 'DT_NEEDED' entry for
+// pthread.
+//
+// 2. NVidia libGL (driver version 352 ) uses pthread but doesn't have
+// a DT_NEEDED entry for the library. When you run ldd or readelf on the library
+// you won't detect any reference to the pthread library. Aside this is odd
+// since the mesa version does explicitly link to pthread. But if you run the
+// following command:
+//        "strings  /usr/lib/nvidia-352/libGL.so.1 | grep pthread | less"
+// You will see the following:
+// { pthread_create
+//   pthread_self
+//   pthread_equal
+//   pthread_key_crea
+//   ...
+//   libpthread.so.0
+//   libpthread.so
+//   pthread_create
+// }
+//
+// This is very strong evidence that this library is using pthread.
+//
+//
+// 3. So what does this all mean?
+//
+// It means that on system that use the linking flag 'as-needed', are using
+// the nvidia driver, and don't use pthread will generate binaries that crash
+// on launch. The only way to work around this issue is to do either:
+//
+//
+//  A: Specify 'no-as-needed' to the linker potentially causing over-linking
+//  and a  slow down in link time
+//
+//  B: Use a method from pthread, making the linker realize that pthread is
+//  needed.
+//
+//
+// So that is the explanation on why we have the following function which is
+// never used and seems very crazy.
+#include <pthread.h>
+#define VTKM_NVIDIA_PTHREAD_WORKAROUND 1
+int vtkm_force_linking_to_pthread_to_fix_nvidia_libgl_bug()
+  { return static_cast<int>(pthread_self()); }
+#endif
+
+
 namespace vtkm{
 namespace opengl{
 namespace testing{
@@ -34,6 +86,12 @@ namespace testing{
 ///
 class TestingWindow : public vtkm::opengl::testing::WindowBase<TestingWindow>
 {
+
+#if defined(VTKM_NVIDIA_PTHREAD_WORKAROUND)
+  VTKM_CONT_EXPORT int vtkm_force_linking_to_pthread_to_fix_nvidia_libgl_bug()
+  { return vtkm_force_linking_to_pthread_to_fix_nvidia_libgl_bug(); }
+#endif
+
 public:
   VTKM_CONT_EXPORT TestingWindow(){};