diff --git a/src/racket/src/env.c b/src/racket/src/env.c
index a5c2e48059..785c06850f 100644
--- a/src/racket/src/env.c
+++ b/src/racket/src/env.c
@@ -509,10 +509,28 @@ Scheme_Env *scheme_place_instance_init(void *stack_base) {
   return env; 
 }
 
+static void force_more_closed(Scheme_Object *o, Scheme_Close_Custodian_Client *f, void *data)
+{
+  /* no need to shut down threads: */
+  if (!f || SCHEME_THREADP(o))
+    return;
+
+  /* don't close stdin, stdout, or stderr file descriptors: */
+  if (SAME_OBJ(scheme_orig_stdin_port, o)
+      || SAME_OBJ(scheme_orig_stderr_port, o)
+      || SAME_OBJ(scheme_orig_stdout_port, o))
+    return;
+  
+  f(o, data);
+}
+
 void scheme_place_instance_destroy() {
   /* shutdown custodian */
-  /* run atexit handlers to flush file ports */
+  /* run atexit handlers to flush file ports, and also
+     force file-stream ports closed */
+  scheme_add_atexit_closer(force_more_closed);
   scheme_run_atexit_closers();
+  scheme_release_file_descriptor();
 
   scheme_end_futures_per_place();
 #if defined(MZ_USE_PLACES)
diff --git a/src/racket/src/future.c b/src/racket/src/future.c
index 6fb9ba1548..cdbb8bed6c 100644
--- a/src/racket/src/future.c
+++ b/src/racket/src/future.c
@@ -721,6 +721,8 @@ void scheme_end_futures_per_place()
 
     free(fs->pool_threads);
     free(fs);
+
+    scheme_future_state = NULL;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/racket/src/mzrt.c b/src/racket/src/mzrt.c
index 0b4d804b18..21fcf61de9 100644
--- a/src/racket/src/mzrt.c
+++ b/src/racket/src/mzrt.c
@@ -182,19 +182,19 @@ mzrt_thread_id mz_proc_thread_id(mz_proc_thread* thread) {
 }
 
 mz_proc_thread* mzrt_proc_first_thread_init() {
-  /* initialize mz_proc_thread struct for first thread myself that wasn't created with mz_proc_thread_create,
-   * so it can communicate with other mz_proc_thread_created threads via pt_mboxes */
+  /* initialize mz_proc_thread struct for first thread that wasn't created with mz_proc_thread_create */
   mz_proc_thread *thread = (mz_proc_thread*)malloc(sizeof(mz_proc_thread));
-  thread->mbox      = pt_mbox_create();
   thread->threadid  = mz_proc_thread_self();
   proc_thread_self  = thread;
   thread->refcount = 1;
   return thread;
 }
 
-mz_proc_thread* mz_proc_thread_create_w_stacksize(mz_proc_thread_start start_proc, void* data, intptr_t stacksize) {
+mz_proc_thread* mz_proc_thread_create_w_stacksize(mz_proc_thread_start start_proc, void* data, intptr_t stacksize)
+{
   mz_proc_thread *thread = (mz_proc_thread*)malloc(sizeof(mz_proc_thread));
   mzrt_thread_stub_data *stub_data;
+  int ok;
 
 #   ifndef WIN32
   pthread_attr_t *attr;
@@ -212,20 +212,26 @@ mz_proc_thread* mz_proc_thread_create_w_stacksize(mz_proc_thread_start start_pro
 
   stub_data = (mzrt_thread_stub_data*)malloc(sizeof(mzrt_thread_stub_data));
 
-  thread->mbox = pt_mbox_create();
   stub_data->start_proc = start_proc;
   stub_data->data       = data;
   stub_data->thread     = thread;
 #   ifdef WIN32
   thread->threadid = (HANDLE)_beginthreadex(NULL, stacksize, mzrt_win_thread_stub, stub_data, 0, NULL);
+  ok = (thread->threadid != -1L);
 #   else
 #    ifdef NEED_GC_THREAD_OPS
-  GC_pthread_create(&thread->threadid, attr, mzrt_thread_stub, stub_data);
+  ok = !GC_pthread_create(&thread->threadid, attr, mzrt_thread_stub, stub_data);
 #    else
-  pthread_create(&thread->threadid, attr, mzrt_thread_stub, stub_data);
+  ok = !pthread_create(&thread->threadid, attr, mzrt_thread_stub, stub_data);
 #    endif
 #   endif
 
+  if (!ok) {
+    free(thread);
+    free(stub_data);
+    return NULL;
+  }
+
   return thread;
 }
 
@@ -766,60 +772,6 @@ int mzrt_sema_destroy(mzrt_sema *s)
 
 #endif
 
-/****************** PROCESS THREAD MAIL BOX *******************************/
-
-pt_mbox *pt_mbox_create() {
-  pt_mbox *mbox = (pt_mbox *)malloc(sizeof(pt_mbox));
-  mbox->count = 0;
-  mbox->in    = 0;
-  mbox->out   = 0;
-  mzrt_mutex_create(&mbox->mutex);
-  mzrt_cond_create(&mbox->nonempty);
-  mzrt_cond_create(&mbox->nonfull);
-  return mbox;
-}
-
-void pt_mbox_send(pt_mbox *mbox, int type, void *payload, pt_mbox *origin) {
-  mzrt_mutex_lock(mbox->mutex);
-  while ( mbox->count == 5 ) {
-    mzrt_cond_wait(mbox->nonfull, mbox->mutex);
-  }
-  mbox->queue[mbox->in].type = type;
-  mbox->queue[mbox->in].payload = payload;
-  mbox->queue[mbox->in].origin = origin;
-  mbox->in = (mbox->in + 1) % 5;
-  mbox->count++;
-  mzrt_cond_signal(mbox->nonempty);
-  mzrt_mutex_unlock(mbox->mutex);
-}
-
-void pt_mbox_recv(pt_mbox *mbox, int *type, void **payload, pt_mbox **origin){
-  mzrt_mutex_lock(mbox->mutex);
-  while ( mbox->count == 0 ) {
-    mzrt_cond_wait(mbox->nonempty, mbox->mutex);
-  }
-  *type    = mbox->queue[mbox->out].type;
-  *payload = mbox->queue[mbox->out].payload;
-  *origin  = mbox->queue[mbox->out].origin;
-  mbox->out = (mbox->out + 1) % 5;
-  mbox->count--;
-  mzrt_cond_signal(mbox->nonfull);
-  mzrt_mutex_unlock(mbox->mutex);
-}
-
-void pt_mbox_send_recv(pt_mbox *mbox, int type, void *payload, pt_mbox *origin, int *return_type, void **return_payload) {
-  pt_mbox *return_origin;
-  pt_mbox_send(mbox, type, payload, origin);
-  pt_mbox_recv(origin, return_type, return_payload, &return_origin);
-}
-
-void pt_mbox_destroy(pt_mbox *mbox) {
-  mzrt_mutex_destroy(mbox->mutex);
-  mzrt_cond_destroy(mbox->nonempty);
-  mzrt_cond_destroy(mbox->nonfull);
-  free(mbox);
-}
-
 /************************************************************************/
 /************************************************************************/
 /************************************************************************/
diff --git a/src/racket/src/mzrt.h b/src/racket/src/mzrt.h
index 51648c0567..bf84517a45 100644
--- a/src/racket/src/mzrt.h
+++ b/src/racket/src/mzrt.h
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ typedef pthread_t mzrt_thread_id;
 typedef struct mz_proc_thread {
   mzrt_thread_id threadid;
   int refcount;
-  struct pt_mbox *mbox;
 } mz_proc_thread;
 
 
@@ -84,28 +83,7 @@ int mzrt_sema_post(mzrt_sema *sema);
 int mzrt_sema_wait(mzrt_sema *sema);
 int mzrt_sema_destroy(mzrt_sema *sema);
 
-/****************** PROCESS THREAD MAIL BOX *******************************/
-typedef struct pt_mbox_msg {
-  int     type;
-  void    *payload;
-  struct pt_mbox *origin;
-} pt_mbox_msg;
-
-typedef struct pt_mbox {
-  struct pt_mbox_msg queue[5];
-  int count;
-  int in;
-  int out;
-  mzrt_mutex *mutex;
-  mzrt_cond *nonempty;
-  mzrt_cond *nonfull;
-} pt_mbox;
-
-pt_mbox *pt_mbox_create();
-void pt_mbox_send(pt_mbox *mbox, int type, void *payload, pt_mbox *origin);
-void pt_mbox_recv(pt_mbox *mbox, int *type, void **payload, pt_mbox **origin);
-void pt_mbox_send_recv(pt_mbox *mbox, int type, void *payload, pt_mbox *origin, int *return_type, void **return_payload);
-void pt_mbox_destroy(pt_mbox *mbox);
+/****************** Compare and Swap *******************************/
 
 static MZ_INLINE int mzrt_cas(volatile size_t *addr, size_t old, size_t new_val) {
 #if defined(__GNUC__) && !defined(__INTEL_COMPILER) && __GNUC__ <= 4 && __GNUC_MINOR__ < 1
diff --git a/src/racket/src/place.c b/src/racket/src/place.c
index 975b8e64ed..05ed1cae72 100644
--- a/src/racket/src/place.c
+++ b/src/racket/src/place.c
@@ -238,6 +238,11 @@ Scheme_Object *scheme_place(int argc, Scheme_Object *args[]) {
   /* create new place */
   proc_thread = mz_proc_thread_create(place_start_proc, place_data);
 
+  if (!proc_thread) {
+      mzrt_sema_destroy(ready);
+    scheme_signal_error("place: place creation failed");
+  }
+
   /* wait until the place has started and grabbed the value
      from `place_data'; it's important that a GC doesn't happen
      here until the other place is far enough. */
@@ -1717,12 +1722,14 @@ static void *place_start_proc_after_stack(void *data_arg, void *stack_base) {
     p->error_buf = &new_error_buf;
     if (!scheme_setjmp(new_error_buf)) {
       Scheme_Object *dynamic_require;
+
+      scheme_check_place_port_ok();
+
       dynamic_require = scheme_builtin_value("dynamic-require");
       place_main = scheme_apply(dynamic_require, 2, a);
       a[0] = channel;
       scheme_apply(place_main, 1, a);
-    }
-    else {
+    } else {
       rc = 1;
     }
     p->error_buf = saved_error_buf;
diff --git a/src/racket/src/port.c b/src/racket/src/port.c
index 6d652f5028..0b3c73e674 100644
--- a/src/racket/src/port.c
+++ b/src/racket/src/port.c
@@ -653,6 +653,13 @@ void scheme_init_port_places(void)
       put_external_event_fd = fds[1];
       fcntl(external_event_fd, F_SETFL, MZ_NONBLOCKING);
       fcntl(put_external_event_fd, F_SETFL, MZ_NONBLOCKING);
+    } else {
+      if (!scheme_current_place_id) {
+        scheme_log_abort("creation of scheduler pipe failed");
+        abort();
+      } else {
+        /* place will call scheme_check_place_port_ok() to discover failure */
+      }
     }
   }
 # endif
@@ -687,6 +694,19 @@ void scheme_set_stdio_makers(Scheme_Stdio_Maker_Proc in,
   scheme_make_stderr = err;
 }
 
+#ifdef MZ_USE_PLACES
+void scheme_check_place_port_ok()
+{
+# if defined(FILES_HAVE_FDS)
+#  ifndef USE_OSKIT_CONSOLE
+  if (!external_event_fd) {
+    scheme_signal_error("place: scheduler pipe failed");
+  }
+#  endif
+# endif
+}
+#endif
+
 /*========================================================================*/
 /*                                fd arrays                               */
 /*========================================================================*/
@@ -9162,6 +9182,13 @@ void scheme_kill_green_thread_timer()
 #elif defined(USE_WIN32_THREAD_TIMER)
   scheme_stop_itimer_thread();
 #endif
+
+#if defined(FILES_HAVE_FDS)
+# ifndef USE_OSKIT_CONSOLE
+  close(external_event_fd);
+  close(put_external_event_fd);
+# endif
+#endif
 }
 
 #ifdef OS_X
diff --git a/src/racket/src/schpriv.h b/src/racket/src/schpriv.h
index b31ab27437..d92541db43 100644
--- a/src/racket/src/schpriv.h
+++ b/src/racket/src/schpriv.h
@@ -3621,5 +3621,6 @@ Scheme_Env *scheme_place_instance_init();
 void scheme_place_instance_destroy();
 void scheme_kill_green_thread_timer();
 void scheme_place_check_for_interruption();
+void scheme_check_place_port_ok();
 
 #endif /* __mzscheme_private__ */