diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 13942231..1c84830a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -45,6 +45,20 @@ jobs:
         run: scripts/local-build.sh
         shell: bash  # Specify bash so we can reuse the build script on Windows (runs on Git bash)
         working-directory: ${{ github.workspace }}
+  cmake-windows-deinit-tests:
+    runs-on: windows-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 40
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Install ninja
+        run: choco install ninja
+      - name: Configure and build with deinit enabled
+        run: scripts/local-build.sh -DCPUINFO_ENABLE_DEINIT=ON
+        shell: bash
+        working-directory: ${{ github.workspace }}
+      - name: Run init-test
+        run: ctest --output-on-failure -R init-test
+        working-directory: ${{ github.workspace }}/build/local
   cmake-uwp:
     runs-on: windows-latest
     timeout-minutes: 40
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 072c9873..bf1476b7 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ OPTION(CPUINFO_BUILD_UNIT_TESTS "Build cpuinfo unit tests" ON)
 OPTION(CPUINFO_BUILD_MOCK_TESTS "Build cpuinfo mock tests" ON)
 OPTION(CPUINFO_BUILD_BENCHMARKS "Build cpuinfo micro-benchmarks" ON)
 OPTION(CPUINFO_BUILD_PKG_CONFIG "Build pkg-config manifest" ON)
+OPTION(CPUINFO_ENABLE_DEINIT "Release cpuinfo global state on cpuinfo_deinitialize()" OFF)
 OPTION(USE_SYSTEM_LIBS "Use system libraries instead of downloading and building them" OFF)
 OPTION(USE_SYSTEM_GOOGLEBENCHMARK "Use system Google Benchmark library instead of downloading and building it" ${USE_SYSTEM_LIBS})
 OPTION(USE_SYSTEM_GOOGLETEST "Use system Google Test library instead of downloading and building it" ${USE_SYSTEM_LIBS})
@@ -281,6 +282,8 @@ TARGET_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(cpuinfo BEFORE PUBLIC $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRE
 TARGET_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(cpuinfo BEFORE PRIVATE src)
 TARGET_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(cpuinfo_internals BEFORE PUBLIC include src)
 TARGET_COMPILE_DEFINITIONS(cpuinfo PRIVATE "CPUINFO_LOG_TO_STDIO=$<BOOL:${CPUINFO_LOG_TO_STDIO}>")
+TARGET_COMPILE_DEFINITIONS(cpuinfo PRIVATE "CPUINFO_ENABLE_DEINIT=$<BOOL:${CPUINFO_ENABLE_DEINIT}>")
+TARGET_COMPILE_DEFINITIONS(cpuinfo_internals PRIVATE "CPUINFO_ENABLE_DEINIT=$<BOOL:${CPUINFO_ENABLE_DEINIT}>")
 IF(CPUINFO_LOG_LEVEL STREQUAL "default")
   # default logging level: error (subject to change)
   TARGET_COMPILE_DEFINITIONS(cpuinfo PRIVATE "CPUINFO_LOG_LEVEL=2")
@@ -812,6 +815,7 @@ IF(CPUINFO_SUPPORTED_PLATFORM AND CPUINFO_BUILD_UNIT_TESTS)
   ADD_EXECUTABLE(init-test test/init.cc)
   CPUINFO_TARGET_ENABLE_CXX11(init-test)
   CPUINFO_TARGET_RUNTIME_LIBRARY(init-test)
+  TARGET_COMPILE_DEFINITIONS(init-test PRIVATE "CPUINFO_ENABLE_DEINIT=$<BOOL:${CPUINFO_ENABLE_DEINIT}>")
   TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(init-test PRIVATE cpuinfo gtest gtest_main)
   ADD_TEST(NAME init-test COMMAND init-test)
 
diff --git a/src/init.c b/src/init.c
index e71b1867..483ee9d7 100644
--- a/src/init.c
+++ b/src/init.c
@@ -12,15 +12,18 @@
 #include "TargetConditionals.h"
 #endif
 
+#ifndef CPUINFO_ENABLE_DEINIT
+#define CPUINFO_ENABLE_DEINIT 0
+#endif
+
+#if !CPUINFO_ENABLE_DEINIT
+
 #if defined(_WIN32) || defined(__CYGWIN__)
 static INIT_ONCE init_guard = INIT_ONCE_STATIC_INIT;
-static INIT_ONCE deinit_guard = INIT_ONCE_STATIC_INIT;
 #elif !defined(__EMSCRIPTEN__) || defined(__EMSCRIPTEN_PTHREADS__)
 static pthread_once_t init_guard = PTHREAD_ONCE_INIT;
-static pthread_once_t deinit_guard = PTHREAD_ONCE_INIT;
 #else
 static bool init_guard = false;
-static bool deinit_guard = false;
 #endif
 
 bool CPUINFO_ABI cpuinfo_initialize(void) {
@@ -67,52 +70,105 @@ bool CPUINFO_ABI cpuinfo_initialize(void) {
 	return cpuinfo_is_initialized;
 }
 
-void CPUINFO_ABI cpuinfo_deinitialize(void) {
-	if (!cpuinfo_is_initialized) {
-		return;
-	}
-	cpuinfo_is_initialized = false;
+void CPUINFO_ABI cpuinfo_deinitialize(void) {}
+
+#else /* CPUINFO_ENABLE_DEINIT */
+
+#if defined(_WIN32) || defined(__CYGWIN__)
+static SRWLOCK cpuinfo_lifecycle_lock = SRWLOCK_INIT;
+#define CPUINFO_LIFECYCLE_LOCK() AcquireSRWLockExclusive(&cpuinfo_lifecycle_lock)
+#define CPUINFO_LIFECYCLE_UNLOCK() ReleaseSRWLockExclusive(&cpuinfo_lifecycle_lock)
+#elif !defined(__EMSCRIPTEN__) || defined(__EMSCRIPTEN_PTHREADS__)
+static pthread_mutex_t cpuinfo_lifecycle_lock = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
+#define CPUINFO_LIFECYCLE_LOCK() pthread_mutex_lock(&cpuinfo_lifecycle_lock)
+#define CPUINFO_LIFECYCLE_UNLOCK() pthread_mutex_unlock(&cpuinfo_lifecycle_lock)
+#else
+/* Single-threaded build (e.g. Emscripten without pthreads): no lock needed. */
+#define CPUINFO_LIFECYCLE_LOCK() \
+	do {                     \
+	} while (0)
+#define CPUINFO_LIFECYCLE_UNLOCK() \
+	do {                       \
+	} while (0)
+#endif
+static unsigned int cpuinfo_init_refcount = 0;
+
+bool CPUINFO_ABI cpuinfo_initialize(void) {
+	CPUINFO_LIFECYCLE_LOCK();
+	if (cpuinfo_init_refcount == 0) {
 #if CPUINFO_ARCH_X86 || CPUINFO_ARCH_X86_64
 #if defined(__MACH__) && defined(__APPLE__)
-	pthread_once(&deinit_guard, &cpuinfo_x86_mach_deinit);
+		cpuinfo_x86_mach_init();
 #elif defined(__FreeBSD__)
-	pthread_once(&deinit_guard, &cpuinfo_x86_freebsd_deinit);
+		cpuinfo_x86_freebsd_init();
 #elif defined(__linux__)
-	pthread_once(&deinit_guard, &cpuinfo_x86_linux_deinit);
+		cpuinfo_x86_linux_init();
 #elif defined(_WIN32) || defined(__CYGWIN__)
-	InitOnceExecuteOnce(&deinit_guard, &cpuinfo_x86_windows_deinit, NULL, NULL);
+		cpuinfo_x86_windows_init(NULL, NULL, NULL);
+#else
+		cpuinfo_log_error("operating system is not supported in cpuinfo");
 #endif
 #elif CPUINFO_ARCH_ARM || CPUINFO_ARCH_ARM64
 #if defined(__linux__)
-	pthread_once(&deinit_guard, &cpuinfo_arm_linux_deinit);
+		cpuinfo_arm_linux_init();
 #elif defined(__MACH__) && defined(__APPLE__)
-	pthread_once(&deinit_guard, &cpuinfo_arm_mach_deinit);
+		cpuinfo_arm_mach_init();
 #elif defined(_WIN32)
-	InitOnceExecuteOnce(&deinit_guard, &cpuinfo_arm_windows_deinit, NULL, NULL);
+		cpuinfo_arm_windows_init(NULL, NULL, NULL);
+#else
+		cpuinfo_log_error("operating system is not supported in cpuinfo");
 #endif
 #elif CPUINFO_ARCH_RISCV32 || CPUINFO_ARCH_RISCV64
 #if defined(__linux__)
-	pthread_once(&deinit_guard, &cpuinfo_riscv_linux_deinit);
+		cpuinfo_riscv_linux_init();
+#else
+		cpuinfo_log_error("operating system is not supported in cpuinfo");
 #endif
 #elif CPUINFO_ARCH_ASMJS || CPUINFO_ARCH_WASM || CPUINFO_ARCH_WASMSIMD
-#if defined(__EMSCRIPTEN_PTHREADS__)
-	pthread_once(&deinit_guard, &cpuinfo_emscripten_deinit);
+		cpuinfo_emscripten_init();
 #else
-	if (!deinit_guard) {
-		cpuinfo_emscripten_deinit();
+		cpuinfo_log_error("processor architecture is not supported in cpuinfo");
+#endif
 	}
-	deinit_guard = true;
+	if (cpuinfo_is_initialized) {
+		cpuinfo_init_refcount++;
+	}
+	const bool initialized = cpuinfo_is_initialized;
+	CPUINFO_LIFECYCLE_UNLOCK();
+	return initialized;
+}
+
+void CPUINFO_ABI cpuinfo_deinitialize(void) {
+	CPUINFO_LIFECYCLE_LOCK();
+	if (cpuinfo_init_refcount != 0 && --cpuinfo_init_refcount == 0) {
+		cpuinfo_is_initialized = false;
+#if CPUINFO_ARCH_X86 || CPUINFO_ARCH_X86_64
+#if defined(__MACH__) && defined(__APPLE__)
+		cpuinfo_x86_mach_deinit();
+#elif defined(__FreeBSD__)
+		cpuinfo_x86_freebsd_deinit();
+#elif defined(__linux__)
+		cpuinfo_x86_linux_deinit();
+#elif defined(_WIN32) || defined(__CYGWIN__)
+		cpuinfo_x86_windows_deinit(NULL, NULL, NULL);
 #endif
+#elif CPUINFO_ARCH_ARM || CPUINFO_ARCH_ARM64
+#if defined(__linux__)
+		cpuinfo_arm_linux_deinit();
+#elif defined(__MACH__) && defined(__APPLE__)
+		cpuinfo_arm_mach_deinit();
+#elif defined(_WIN32)
+		cpuinfo_arm_windows_deinit(NULL, NULL, NULL);
 #endif
-	/* Reset guards to allow re-initialization */
-#if defined(_WIN32) || defined(__CYGWIN__)
-	init_guard = (INIT_ONCE)INIT_ONCE_STATIC_INIT;
-	deinit_guard = (INIT_ONCE)INIT_ONCE_STATIC_INIT;
-#elif !defined(__EMSCRIPTEN__) || defined(__EMSCRIPTEN_PTHREADS__)
-	init_guard = (pthread_once_t)PTHREAD_ONCE_INIT;
-	deinit_guard = (pthread_once_t)PTHREAD_ONCE_INIT;
-#else
-	init_guard = false;
-	deinit_guard = false;
+#elif CPUINFO_ARCH_RISCV32 || CPUINFO_ARCH_RISCV64
+#if defined(__linux__)
+		cpuinfo_riscv_linux_deinit();
 #endif
+#elif CPUINFO_ARCH_ASMJS || CPUINFO_ARCH_WASM || CPUINFO_ARCH_WASMSIMD
+		cpuinfo_emscripten_deinit();
+#endif
+	}
+	CPUINFO_LIFECYCLE_UNLOCK();
 }
+
+#endif /* CPUINFO_ENABLE_DEINIT */
diff --git a/test/init.cc b/test/init.cc
index a6128e35..28692a56 100644
--- a/test/init.cc
+++ b/test/init.cc
@@ -2,6 +2,16 @@
 
 #include <cpuinfo.h>
 
+#ifndef CPUINFO_ENABLE_DEINIT
+#define CPUINFO_ENABLE_DEINIT 0
+#endif
+
+#if CPUINFO_ENABLE_DEINIT
+#include <atomic>
+#include <thread>
+#include <vector>
+#endif
+
 TEST(PROCESSORS_COUNT, non_zero) {
 	ASSERT_TRUE(cpuinfo_initialize());
 	EXPECT_NE(0, cpuinfo_get_processors_count());
@@ -1519,3 +1529,58 @@ TEST(L4_CACHE, consistent_processors) {
 	}
 	cpuinfo_deinitialize();
 }
+
+#if CPUINFO_ENABLE_DEINIT
+TEST(INIT_REFCOUNT, deinitialize_balances_initialize) {
+	ASSERT_TRUE(cpuinfo_initialize());
+	ASSERT_TRUE(cpuinfo_initialize());
+
+	const uint32_t processors_count = cpuinfo_get_processors_count();
+	EXPECT_NE(0, processors_count);
+
+	cpuinfo_deinitialize();
+	EXPECT_EQ(processors_count, cpuinfo_get_processors_count());
+	EXPECT_TRUE(cpuinfo_get_processors());
+
+	cpuinfo_deinitialize();
+}
+
+TEST(INIT_STRESS, concurrent_deinitialize_does_not_disturb_other_consumers) {
+	constexpr int kChurnThreads = 10;
+	constexpr int kChurnIterations = 5000;
+
+	std::atomic<bool> stop_holder{false};
+
+	// Models a long lived consumer that keeps using cpuinfo for its whole lifetime
+	// If a concurrent deinitialize from another consumer (churn) frees the shared state
+	// then cpuinfo aborts the process, which fails the test
+	const auto holder = [&stop_holder]() {
+		cpuinfo_initialize();
+		while (!stop_holder.load(std::memory_order_relaxed)) {
+			(void)cpuinfo_get_processors();
+			(void)cpuinfo_get_processor(0);
+		}
+		cpuinfo_deinitialize();
+	};
+	const auto churn = [kChurnIterations]() {
+		for (int iteration = 0; iteration < kChurnIterations; iteration++) {
+			cpuinfo_initialize();
+			cpuinfo_deinitialize();
+		}
+	};
+
+	std::thread holder_thread(holder);
+	std::vector<std::thread> churn_threads;
+	churn_threads.reserve(kChurnThreads);
+	for (int t = 0; t < kChurnThreads; t++) {
+		churn_threads.emplace_back(churn);
+	}
+	for (std::thread& thread : churn_threads) {
+		thread.join();
+	}
+	stop_holder.store(true, std::memory_order_relaxed);
+	holder_thread.join();
+
+	// Reaching here without the process aborting means that lifecycle handling is correct
+}
+#endif // CPUINFO_ENABLE_DEINIT