diff --git a/openmp/runtime/src/kmp_runtime.cpp b/openmp/runtime/src/kmp_runtime.cpp
index a242049286a74..c715a57d23e66 100644
--- a/openmp/runtime/src/kmp_runtime.cpp
+++ b/openmp/runtime/src/kmp_runtime.cpp
@@ -4431,8 +4431,10 @@ kmp_info_t *__kmp_allocate_thread(kmp_root_t *root, kmp_team_t *team,
 #endif
   KMP_MB();
 
-  /* first, try to get one from the thread pool */
-  if (__kmp_thread_pool) {
+  /* first, try to get one from the thread pool unless allocating thread is
+   * the main hidden helper thread. The hidden helper team should always
+   * allocate new OS threads. */
+  if (__kmp_thread_pool && !KMP_HIDDEN_HELPER_TEAM(team)) {
     new_thr = CCAST(kmp_info_t *, __kmp_thread_pool);
     __kmp_thread_pool = (volatile kmp_info_t *)new_thr->th.th_next_pool;
     if (new_thr == __kmp_thread_pool_insert_pt) {
@@ -4497,7 +4499,7 @@ kmp_info_t *__kmp_allocate_thread(kmp_root_t *root, kmp_team_t *team,
   }
 
   /* no, well fork a new one */
-  KMP_ASSERT(__kmp_nth == __kmp_all_nth);
+  KMP_ASSERT(KMP_HIDDEN_HELPER_TEAM(team) || __kmp_nth == __kmp_all_nth);
   KMP_ASSERT(__kmp_all_nth < __kmp_threads_capacity);
 
 #if KMP_USE_MONITOR
diff --git a/openmp/runtime/test/tasking/hidden_helper_task/issue-87117.c b/openmp/runtime/test/tasking/hidden_helper_task/issue-87117.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..23080982f49e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openmp/runtime/test/tasking/hidden_helper_task/issue-87117.c
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+// RUN: %libomp-compile
+// RUN: env KMP_HOT_TEAMS_MODE=0 KMP_HOT_TEAMS_MAX_LEVEL=1 %libomp-run
+//
+// Force the defaults of:
+// KMP_HOT_TEAMS_MODE=0 means free extra threads after parallel
+//   involving non-hot team
+// KMP_HOT_TEAMS_MAX_LEVEL=1 means only the initial outer team
+//   is a hot team.
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <omp.h>
+
+int main() {
+  int a;
+  omp_set_max_active_levels(2);
+// This nested parallel creates extra threads on the thread pool
+#pragma omp parallel num_threads(2)
+  {
+#pragma omp parallel num_threads(2)
+    {
+#pragma omp atomic
+      a++;
+    }
+  }
+
+// Causes assert if hidden helper thread tries to allocate from thread pool
+// instead of creating new OS threads
+#pragma omp parallel num_threads(1)
+  {
+#pragma omp target nowait
+    { a++; }
+  }
+
+  return EXIT_SUCCESS;
+}