diff --git a/Lib/test/test_os.py b/Lib/test/test_os.py
index 705bdc7bf36..bbeb20eb154 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_os.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_os.py
@@ -589,6 +589,15 @@ class URandomTests(unittest.TestCase):
 
 class ExecTests(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_execvpe_with_bad_program(self):
+        try:
+            # 'linuxthreads-0.10' or 'NPTL 2.10.2'
+            pthread = os.confstr("CS_GNU_LIBPTHREAD_VERSION")
+            linuxthreads = pthread.startswith("linuxthreads")
+        except ValueError:
+            linuxthreads = False
+        if linuxthreads:
+            raise unittest.SkipTest(
+                "avoid linuxthreads bug: see issue #4970")
         self.assertRaises(OSError, os.execvpe, 'no such app-', ['no such app-'], None)
 
     def test_execvpe_with_bad_arglist(self):
diff --git a/Modules/posixmodule.c b/Modules/posixmodule.c
index fb22eb6bece..7ba7b26078b 100644
--- a/Modules/posixmodule.c
+++ b/Modules/posixmodule.c
@@ -6127,6 +6127,12 @@ static struct constdef posix_constants_confstr[] = {
 #ifdef _MIPS_CS_VENDOR
     {"MIPS_CS_VENDOR",	_MIPS_CS_VENDOR},
 #endif
+#ifdef _CS_GNU_LIBC_VERSION
+    {"CS_GNU_LIBC_VERSION",	_CS_GNU_LIBC_VERSION},
+#endif
+#ifdef _CS_GNU_LIBPTHREAD_VERSION
+    {"CS_GNU_LIBPTHREAD_VERSION",	_CS_GNU_LIBPTHREAD_VERSION},
+#endif
 };
 
 static int