diff --git a/cpp/src/arrow/util/mutex.cc b/cpp/src/arrow/util/mutex.cc
index 892dc2f11fea0..184a3fdf08b3a 100644
--- a/cpp/src/arrow/util/mutex.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/arrow/util/mutex.cc
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 
 #include <mutex>
 
-#ifndef _WIN32
+#if !defined( _WIN32) && !defined(__ppc64__)
 #include <pthread.h>
 #include <atomic>
 #endif
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ Mutex::Guard Mutex::Lock() {
 
 Mutex::Mutex() : impl_(new Impl, [](Impl* impl) { delete impl; }) {}
 
-#ifndef _WIN32
+#if !defined( _WIN32) && !defined(__ppc64__)
 namespace {
 
 struct AfterForkState {
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ Mutex* GlobalForkSafeMutex() {
 
   return AfterForkState::instance.mutex;
 }
-#endif  // _WIN32
+#endif  // _WIN32 and __ppc64__
 
 }  // namespace util
 }  // namespace arrow
diff --git a/cpp/src/arrow/util/mutex.h b/cpp/src/arrow/util/mutex.h
index ac63cf70cd9ae..c32aa8a1ef76d 100644
--- a/cpp/src/arrow/util/mutex.h
+++ b/cpp/src/arrow/util/mutex.h
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ class ARROW_EXPORT Mutex {
   std::unique_ptr<Impl, void (*)(Impl*)> impl_;
 };
 
-#ifndef _WIN32
+#if !defined(_WIN32) && !defined(__ppc64__)
 /// Return a pointer to a process-wide, process-specific Mutex that can be used
 /// at any point in a child process.  NULL is returned when called in the parent.
 ///