diff --git a/ntoskrnl/ex/work.c b/ntoskrnl/ex/work.c
index a10a4878b42..9dec3405b76 100644
--- a/ntoskrnl/ex/work.c
+++ b/ntoskrnl/ex/work.c
@@ -254,6 +254,7 @@ ExpCreateWorkerThread(WORK_QUEUE_TYPE WorkQueueType,
     HANDLE hThread;
     ULONG Context;
     KPRIORITY Priority;
+    NTSTATUS Status;
 
     /* Check if this is going to be a dynamic thread */
     Context = WorkQueueType;
@@ -262,13 +263,19 @@ ExpCreateWorkerThread(WORK_QUEUE_TYPE WorkQueueType,
     if (Dynamic) Context |= EX_DYNAMIC_WORK_THREAD;
 
     /* Create the System Thread */
-    PsCreateSystemThread(&hThread,
-                         THREAD_ALL_ACCESS,
-                         NULL,
-                         NULL,
-                         NULL,
-                         ExpWorkerThreadEntryPoint,
-                         UlongToPtr(Context));
+    Status = PsCreateSystemThread(&hThread,
+                                  THREAD_ALL_ACCESS,
+                                  NULL,
+                                  NULL,
+                                  NULL,
+                                  ExpWorkerThreadEntryPoint,
+                                  UlongToPtr(Context));
+    if (!NT_SUCCESS(Status))
+    {
+        /* Well... */
+        DPRINT1("Failed to create worker thread: 0x%08x\n", Status);
+        return;
+    }
 
     /* If the thread is dynamic */
     if (Dynamic)
@@ -519,6 +526,7 @@ ExpInitializeWorkerThreads(VOID)
     HANDLE ThreadHandle;
     PETHREAD Thread;
     ULONG i;
+    NTSTATUS Status;
 
     /* Setup the stack swap support */
     ExInitializeFastMutex(&ExpWorkerSwapinMutex);
@@ -576,13 +584,17 @@ ExpInitializeWorkerThreads(VOID)
     ExpCreateWorkerThread(HyperCriticalWorkQueue, FALSE);
 
     /* Create the balance set manager thread */
-    PsCreateSystemThread(&ThreadHandle,
-                         THREAD_ALL_ACCESS,
-                         NULL,
-                         0,
-                         NULL,
-                         ExpWorkerThreadBalanceManager,
-                         NULL);
+    Status = PsCreateSystemThread(&ThreadHandle,
+                                  THREAD_ALL_ACCESS,
+                                  NULL,
+                                  0,
+                                  NULL,
+                                  ExpWorkerThreadBalanceManager,
+                                  NULL);
+    if (!NT_SUCCESS(Status))
+    {
+        KeBugCheckEx(PHASE1_INITIALIZATION_FAILED, Status, 0, 0, 0);
+    }
 
     /* Get a pointer to it for the shutdown process */
     ObReferenceObjectByHandle(ThreadHandle,