diff --git a/src/core/lib/iomgr/ev_poll_posix.c b/src/core/lib/iomgr/ev_poll_posix.c
index 5ddd5313e2b..789ef22c557 100644
--- a/src/core/lib/iomgr/ev_poll_posix.c
+++ b/src/core/lib/iomgr/ev_poll_posix.c
@@ -1421,7 +1421,7 @@ static int cvfd_poll(struct pollfd *fds, nfds_t nfds, int timeout) {
     g_cvfds.pollcount++;
     opt = gpr_thd_options_default();
     gpr_thd_options_set_detached(&opt);
-    gpr_thd_new(&t_id, &run_poll, pargs, &opt);
+    GPR_ASSERT(gpr_thd_new(&t_id, &run_poll, pargs, &opt));
     // We want the poll() thread to trigger the deadline, so wait forever here
     gpr_cv_wait(pollcv, &g_cvfds.mu, gpr_inf_future(GPR_CLOCK_MONOTONIC));
     if (gpr_atm_no_barrier_load(&pargs->status) == COMPLETED) {
diff --git a/src/core/lib/iomgr/executor.c b/src/core/lib/iomgr/executor.c
index a5b62aa8888..ae3e2eabc39 100644
--- a/src/core/lib/iomgr/executor.c
+++ b/src/core/lib/iomgr/executor.c
@@ -115,8 +115,8 @@ static void maybe_spawn_locked() {
   /* All previous instances of the thread should have been joined at this point.
    * Spawn time! */
   g_executor.busy = 1;
-  gpr_thd_new(&g_executor.tid, closure_exec_thread_func, NULL,
-              &g_executor.options);
+  GPR_ASSERT(gpr_thd_new(&g_executor.tid, closure_exec_thread_func, NULL,
+                         &g_executor.options));
   g_executor.pending_join = 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/core/lib/profiling/basic_timers.c b/src/core/lib/profiling/basic_timers.c
index 1f1987fb8e7..bc8e27714ca 100644
--- a/src/core/lib/profiling/basic_timers.c
+++ b/src/core/lib/profiling/basic_timers.c
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ void gpr_timers_set_log_filename(const char *filename) {
 static void init_output() {
   gpr_thd_options options = gpr_thd_options_default();
   gpr_thd_options_set_joinable(&options);
-  gpr_thd_new(&g_writing_thread, writing_thread, NULL, &options);
+  GPR_ASSERT(gpr_thd_new(&g_writing_thread, writing_thread, NULL, &options));
   atexit(finish_writing);
 }