diff --git a/src/cpp/thread_manager/thread_manager.cc b/src/cpp/thread_manager/thread_manager.cc
index 73c59eeff00..ebcc4dd3787 100644
--- a/src/cpp/thread_manager/thread_manager.cc
+++ b/src/cpp/thread_manager/thread_manager.cc
@@ -109,22 +109,13 @@ void ThreadManager::CleanupCompletedThreads() {
 }
 
 void ThreadManager::Initialize() {
-  for (int i = 0; i < min_pollers_; i++) {
-    MaybeCreatePoller();
+  {
+    std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock(mu_);
+    num_pollers_ = min_pollers_;
+    num_threads_ = min_pollers_;
   }
-}
-
-// Create a new poller if the current number of pollers i.e num_pollers_ (i.e
-// threads currently blocked in PollForWork()) is below the threshold (i.e
-// min_pollers_) and the total number of threads is below the maximum threshold
-void ThreadManager::MaybeCreatePoller() {
-  std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock(mu_);
-  if (!shutdown_ && num_pollers_ < min_pollers_) {
-    num_pollers_++;
-    num_threads_++;
-
-    lock.unlock();
 
+  for (int i = 0; i < min_pollers_; i++) {
     // Create a new thread (which ends up calling the MainWorkLoop() function
     new WorkerThread(this);
   }
diff --git a/src/cpp/thread_manager/thread_manager.h b/src/cpp/thread_manager/thread_manager.h
index c9435011f95..d1050f6dede 100644
--- a/src/cpp/thread_manager/thread_manager.h
+++ b/src/cpp/thread_manager/thread_manager.h
@@ -122,10 +122,6 @@ class ThreadManager {
   // The main funtion in ThreadManager
   void MainWorkLoop();
 
-  // Create a new poller if the number of current pollers is less than the
-  // minimum number of pollers needed (i.e min_pollers).
-  void MaybeCreatePoller();
-
   void MarkAsCompleted(WorkerThread* thd);
   void CleanupCompletedThreads();