diff --git a/src/core/lib/profiling/basic_timers.cc b/src/core/lib/profiling/basic_timers.cc
index 43384fd0cad..652a498b6ee 100644
--- a/src/core/lib/profiling/basic_timers.cc
+++ b/src/core/lib/profiling/basic_timers.cc
@@ -26,11 +26,11 @@
 #include <grpc/support/log.h>
 #include <grpc/support/sync.h>
 #include <grpc/support/time.h>
+#include <inttypes.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
 #include "src/core/lib/gpr/env.h"
-#include "src/core/lib/gprpp/thd.h"
 
 typedef enum { BEGIN = '{', END = '}', MARK = '.' } marker_type;
 
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ static pthread_cond_t g_cv;
 static gpr_timer_log_list g_in_progress_logs;
 static gpr_timer_log_list g_done_logs;
 static int g_shutdown;
-static grpc_core::Thread* g_writing_thread;
+static pthread_t g_writing_thread;
 static __thread int g_thread_id;
 static int g_next_thread_id;
 static int g_writing_enabled = 1;
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ static void write_log(gpr_timer_log* log) {
   }
 }
 
-static void writing_thread(void* unused) {
+static void* writing_thread(void* unused) {
   gpr_timer_log* log;
   pthread_mutex_lock(&g_mu);
   for (;;) {
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ static void writing_thread(void* unused) {
     }
     if (g_shutdown) {
       pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_mu);
-      return;
+      return NULL;
     }
   }
 }
@@ -182,8 +182,7 @@ static void finish_writing(void) {
   g_shutdown = 1;
   pthread_cond_signal(&g_cv);
   pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_mu);
-  g_writing_thread->Join();
-  grpc_core::Delete(g_writing_thread);
+  pthread_join(g_writing_thread, NULL);
 
   gpr_log(GPR_INFO, "flushing logs");
 
@@ -202,8 +201,12 @@ void gpr_timers_set_log_filename(const char* filename) {
 }
 
 static void init_output() {
-  g_writing_thread = grpc_core::New<grpc_core::Thread>("timer_output_thread",
-                                                       writing_thread, nullptr);
+  pthread_attr_t attr;
+  pthread_attr_init(&attr);
+  pthread_attr_setdetachstate(&attr, PTHREAD_CREATE_JOINABLE);
+  pthread_create(&g_writing_thread, &attr, &writing_thread, NULL);
+  pthread_attr_destroy(&attr);
+
   atexit(finish_writing);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/core/lib/profiling/timers.h b/src/core/lib/profiling/timers.h
index d0188b50544..7ff72783ec9 100644
--- a/src/core/lib/profiling/timers.h
+++ b/src/core/lib/profiling/timers.h
@@ -82,9 +82,12 @@ class ProfileScope {
 };
 }  // namespace grpc
 
-#define GPR_TIMER_SCOPE(tag, important)                                        \
-  ::grpc::ProfileScope _profile_scope_##__LINE__((tag), (important), __FILE__, \
-                                                 __LINE__)
+#define GPR_TIMER_SCOPE_NAME_INTERNAL(prefix, line) prefix##line
+#define GPR_TIMER_SCOPE_NAME(prefix, line) \
+  GPR_TIMER_SCOPE_NAME_INTERNAL(prefix, line)
+#define GPR_TIMER_SCOPE(tag, important)                                 \
+  ::grpc::ProfileScope GPR_TIMER_SCOPE_NAME(_profile_scope_, __LINE__)( \
+      (tag), (important), __FILE__, __LINE__)
 
 #endif /* at least one profiler requested. */