diff --git a/components/layout_thread/lib.rs b/components/layout_thread/lib.rs
index 05a983b274d0..4cf5a435da71 100644
--- a/components/layout_thread/lib.rs
+++ b/components/layout_thread/lib.rs
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ impl LayoutThread {
             MediaType::Screen,
             opts::get().initial_window_size.to_f32() * ScaleFactor::new(1.0));
         let parallel_traversal = if layout_threads != 1 {
-            Some(WorkQueue::new("LayoutWorker", thread_state::LAYOUT, layout_threads))
+            WorkQueue::new("LayoutWorker", thread_state::LAYOUT, layout_threads).ok()
         } else {
             None
         };
diff --git a/components/style/workqueue.rs b/components/style/workqueue.rs
index 8202b5c322eb..fc4f66ea1201 100644
--- a/components/style/workqueue.rs
+++ b/components/style/workqueue.rs
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ use deque::{self, Abort, Data, Empty, Stealer, Worker};
 use rand::{Rng, XorShiftRng, weak_rng};
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicUsize, Ordering};
 use std::sync::mpsc::{Receiver, Sender, channel};
+use std::thread;
 use thread_state;
-use util::thread::spawn_named;
 
 /// A unit of work.
 ///
@@ -244,10 +244,11 @@ impl<QueueData: Sync, WorkData: Send> WorkQueue<QueueData, WorkData> {
     /// it.
     pub fn new(thread_name: &'static str,
                state: thread_state::ThreadState,
-               thread_count: usize) -> WorkQueue<QueueData, WorkData> {
+               thread_count: usize) -> Result<WorkQueue<QueueData, WorkData>, ()> {
         // Set up data structures.
         let (supervisor_chan, supervisor_port) = channel();
-        let (mut infos, mut threads) = (vec!(), vec!());
+        let mut infos = Vec::with_capacity(thread_count);
+        let mut threads = Vec::with_capacity(thread_count);
         for i in 0..thread_count {
             let (worker_chan, worker_port) = channel();
             let (worker, thief) = deque::new();
@@ -276,21 +277,42 @@ impl<QueueData: Sync, WorkData: Send> WorkQueue<QueueData, WorkData> {
         }
 
         // Spawn threads.
+        let mut thread_handles = vec![];
         for (i, thread) in threads.into_iter().enumerate() {
-            spawn_named(
-                format!("{} worker {}/{}", thread_name, i + 1, thread_count),
-                move || {
+            let handle = thread::Builder::new()
+                .name(format!("{} worker {}/{}", thread_name, i + 1, thread_count))
+                .spawn(move || {
                     thread_state::initialize(state | thread_state::IN_WORKER);
                     let mut thread = thread;
                     thread.start()
-                })
+                });
+            match handle {
+                Ok(handle) => {
+                    thread_handles.push(handle);
+                }
+                Err(err) => {
+                    warn!("Failed spawning thread: {:?}", err);
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        if thread_handles.len() != thread_count {
+            // At least one worker thread failed to be created, just close the
+            // rest of them, and return an error.
+            for (i, handle) in thread_handles.into_iter().enumerate() {
+                let _ = infos[i].chan.send(WorkerMsg::Exit);
+                let _ = handle.join();
+            }
+
+            return Err(());
         }
 
-        WorkQueue {
+        Ok(WorkQueue {
             workers: infos,
             port: supervisor_port,
             work_count: 0,
-        }
+        })
     }
 
     /// Enqueues a block into the work queue.
diff --git a/ports/geckolib/data.rs b/ports/geckolib/data.rs
index 836090bbbe5a..d1abe67f9bdc 100644
--- a/ports/geckolib/data.rs
+++ b/ports/geckolib/data.rs
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ pub struct PerDocumentStyleData {
     pub expired_animations: Arc<RwLock<HashMap<OpaqueNode, Vec<Animation>>>>,
 
     // FIXME(bholley): This shouldn't be per-document.
-    pub work_queue: WorkQueue<SharedStyleContext, WorkQueueData>,
+    pub work_queue: Option<WorkQueue<SharedStyleContext, WorkQueueData>>,
 
     pub num_threads: usize,
 }
@@ -68,7 +68,11 @@ impl PerDocumentStyleData {
             new_animations_receiver: new_anims_receiver,
             running_animations: Arc::new(RwLock::new(HashMap::new())),
             expired_animations: Arc::new(RwLock::new(HashMap::new())),
-            work_queue: WorkQueue::new("StyleWorker", thread_state::LAYOUT, *NUM_THREADS),
+            work_queue: if *NUM_THREADS <= 1 {
+                None
+            } else {
+                WorkQueue::new("StyleWorker", thread_state::LAYOUT, *NUM_THREADS).ok()
+            },
             num_threads: *NUM_THREADS,
         }
     }
@@ -91,6 +95,8 @@ impl PerDocumentStyleData {
 
 impl Drop for PerDocumentStyleData {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
-        self.work_queue.shutdown();
+        if let Some(ref mut queue) = self.work_queue {
+            queue.shutdown();
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/ports/geckolib/glue.rs b/ports/geckolib/glue.rs
index 14f2a3547c8e..ae682ac72e06 100644
--- a/ports/geckolib/glue.rs
+++ b/ports/geckolib/glue.rs
@@ -103,11 +103,11 @@ fn restyle_subtree(node: GeckoNode, raw_data: *mut RawServoStyleSet) {
 
     // We ensure this is true before calling Servo_RestyleSubtree()
     debug_assert!(node.is_dirty() || node.has_dirty_descendants());
-    if per_doc_data.num_threads == 1 {
+    if per_doc_data.num_threads == 1 || per_doc_data.work_queue.is_none() {
         sequential::traverse_dom::<GeckoNode, RecalcStyleOnly>(node, &shared_style_context);
     } else {
         parallel::traverse_dom::<GeckoNode, RecalcStyleOnly>(node, &shared_style_context,
-                                                             &mut per_doc_data.work_queue);
+                                                             per_doc_data.work_queue.as_mut().unwrap());
     }
 }