diff --git a/cpp/src/plasma/common.h b/cpp/src/plasma/common.h
index 66d5f3069d0..cfac11cd044 100644
--- a/cpp/src/plasma/common.h
+++ b/cpp/src/plasma/common.h
@@ -29,6 +29,14 @@
 #include "arrow/status.h"
 #include "arrow/util/logging.h"
 
+#ifndef _MACH_PORT_T
+#define _MACH_PORT_T
+#include <sys/_types.h> /* __darwin_mach_port_t */
+typedef __darwin_mach_port_t mach_port_t;
+#include <pthread.h>
+mach_port_t pthread_mach_thread_np(pthread_t);
+#endif /* _MACH_PORT_T */
+
 namespace plasma {
 
 constexpr int64_t kUniqueIDSize = 20;
diff --git a/cpp/src/plasma/io.h b/cpp/src/plasma/io.h
index ef96c06ccea..fc98ee74e4a 100644
--- a/cpp/src/plasma/io.h
+++ b/cpp/src/plasma/io.h
@@ -28,6 +28,14 @@
 
 #include "arrow/status.h"
 
+#ifndef _MACH_PORT_T
+#define _MACH_PORT_T
+#include <sys/_types.h> /* __darwin_mach_port_t */
+typedef __darwin_mach_port_t mach_port_t;
+#include <pthread.h>
+mach_port_t pthread_mach_thread_np(pthread_t);
+#endif /* _MACH_PORT_T */
+
 // TODO(pcm): Replace our own custom message header (message type,
 // message length, plasma protocol verion) with one that is serialized
 // using flatbuffers.
diff --git a/cpp/src/plasma/plasma.h b/cpp/src/plasma/plasma.h
index 476002f68c0..e67d444978e 100644
--- a/cpp/src/plasma/plasma.h
+++ b/cpp/src/plasma/plasma.h
@@ -36,6 +36,14 @@
 #include "plasma/common.h"
 #include "plasma/common_generated.h"
 
+#ifndef _MACH_PORT_T
+#define _MACH_PORT_T
+#include <sys/_types.h> /* __darwin_mach_port_t */
+typedef __darwin_mach_port_t mach_port_t;
+#include <pthread.h>
+mach_port_t pthread_mach_thread_np(pthread_t);
+#endif /* _MACH_PORT_T */
+
 namespace plasma {
 
 #define HANDLE_SIGPIPE(s, fd_)                                              \