diff --git a/pkgs/racket-test/tests/racket/place-channel.rkt b/pkgs/racket-test/tests/racket/place-channel.rkt
index 4a5c35b851..a998a5fac5 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-test/tests/racket/place-channel.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/racket-test/tests/racket/place-channel.rkt
@@ -303,10 +303,10 @@
     (for ([x (list 'p0val1 'p0val2 'p0val3)]) (place-channel-put out x))
     (sleep 4)
     (place-channel-put out 'p0val4)
-    (for ([p ps]) (place-wait p0))
+    (for ([p ps]) (place-wait p))
+    (place-wait p0)
     (test (void) printf "signal-handle vector growing completes"))
 
-
 (let ([pl (place-worker)])
   (define flv1 (shared-flvector 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0))
   (define flv2 (make-shared-flvector 4 3.0))
@@ -391,24 +391,17 @@
     (go 'terminate))
 
   ; test place-dead-evt
-  (define wbs '())
-  (for ([i (in-range 0 50)])
-    (define p (place ch (void (place-channel-get ch))))
-    (set! wbs
-          (cons
-           (make-weak-box
-            (thread
-             (λ ()
-               (define-values (in out) (place-channel))
-               (place-channel-put p in)
-               (sync 
-                 (handle-evt (place-dead-evt p)
-                   (lambda (x) (printf "Place ~a died\n" i) ))
-                 out))))
-           wbs))
-    (collect-garbage)
-    (set! wbs (filter weak-box-value wbs))
-    (printf "len ~a\n" (length wbs)))
+  (let ([ths (for/list ([i (in-range 0 20)])
+               (define p (place ch (void (place-channel-get ch))))
+               (thread
+                (λ ()
+                  (define-values (in out) (place-channel))
+                  (place-channel-put p in)
+                  (sync
+                   (handle-evt (place-dead-evt p)
+                               (lambda (x) (printf "Place ~a died\n" i) ))
+                   out))))])
+    (for-each sync ths))
 
   ; test deep stack handling in places_deep_copy c routine
   (test-long (lambda (x) 3) "Listof ints")
@@ -423,8 +416,9 @@
   ;; all count as "unreachable" when the place ends
   (define (check-thread sync-ch)
     (displayln "checking place-channel and thread GC interaction")
-    (let ([N 40])
+    (let ([N 20])
       (define weaks (make-weak-hash))
+      (define places (make-hasheq))
       (for ([i (in-range N)])
         (define s (make-semaphore))
         (hash-set!
@@ -432,6 +426,7 @@
          (thread (lambda ()
                    (define-values (i o) (place-channel))
                    (define p (place ch (place-channel-get ch)))
+                   (hash-set! places p #t)
                    (place-channel-put p o)
                    (place-wait p)
                    (semaphore-post s)
@@ -442,7 +437,9 @@
         (sync (system-idle-evt))
         (collect-garbage))
       (unless ((hash-count weaks) . < . (/ N 2))
-        (error "thread-gc test failed"))))
+        (error "thread-gc test failed"))
+      (for ([p (in-hash-keys places)])
+        (place-wait p))))
   (check-thread place-channel-get)
   (check-thread sync)
 
diff --git a/racket/src/racket/src/env.c b/racket/src/racket/src/env.c
index a7a675e613..c61276c54e 100644
--- a/racket/src/racket/src/env.c
+++ b/racket/src/racket/src/env.c
@@ -554,6 +554,7 @@ Scheme_Env *scheme_place_instance_init(void *stack_base, struct NewGC *parent_gc
   GC_construct_child_gc(parent_gc, memory_limit);
 # endif
   scheme_rktio = rktio_init();
+  if (!scheme_rktio) return NULL;
   env = place_instance_init(stack_base, 0);
 # if defined(MZ_PRECISE_GC)
   if (scheme_rktio) {
diff --git a/racket/src/racket/src/place.c b/racket/src/racket/src/place.c
index 8e9187f0f2..012dc729a7 100644
--- a/racket/src/racket/src/place.c
+++ b/racket/src/racket/src/place.c
@@ -523,6 +523,9 @@ Scheme_Object *scheme_place(int argc, Scheme_Object *args[]) {
   mzrt_sema_destroy(ready);
   ready = NULL;
 
+  if (!place_data->place_obj)
+    scheme_signal_error("place: place creation failed");
+
   log_place_event("id %d: create %" PRIdPTR, "create", 1, place_data->place_obj->id);
 
   place_data->ready = NULL;
@@ -2387,7 +2390,12 @@ static void *place_start_proc_after_stack(void *data_arg, void *stack_base) {
   mem_limit = SCHEME_INT_VAL(place_data->cust_limit);
 
   /* scheme_make_thread behaves differently if the above global vars are not null */
-  scheme_place_instance_init(stack_base, place_data->parent_gc, mem_limit);
+  if (!scheme_place_instance_init(stack_base, place_data->parent_gc, mem_limit)) {
+    /* setup failed (because we're out of some resource?); try to exit gracefully */
+    place_data->place_obj = NULL; /* reports failure */
+    mzrt_sema_post(place_data->ready);
+    return NULL;
+  }
 
   a[0] = places_deep_direct_uncopy(place_data->current_library_collection_paths);
   scheme_current_library_collection_paths(1, a);