diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shared/workerThread.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shared/workerThread.cpp
index ee8abb25488..2e6fd768593 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shared/workerThread.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shared/workerThread.cpp
@@ -93,7 +93,24 @@ void WorkerThreads::initialize_workers() {
   }
 }
 
+bool WorkerThreads::allow_inject_creation_failure() const {
+  if (!is_init_completed()) {
+    // Never allow creation failures during VM init
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  if (_created_workers == 0) {
+    // Never allow creation failures of the first worker, it will cause the VM to exit
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  return true;
+}
+
 WorkerThread* WorkerThreads::create_worker(uint name_suffix) {
+  if (InjectGCWorkerCreationFailure && allow_inject_creation_failure()) {
+    return nullptr;
+  }
 
   WorkerThread* const worker = new WorkerThread(_name, name_suffix, &_dispatcher);
 
@@ -114,13 +131,6 @@ uint WorkerThreads::set_active_workers(uint num_workers) {
          "Invalid number of active workers %u (should be 1-%u)",
          num_workers, _max_workers);
 
-  if (_created_workers > 0 && InjectGCWorkerCreationFailure) {
-    assert(is_init_completed(), "Initialization not completed");
-    log_error(gc, task)("Failed to create worker thread (InjectGCWorkerCreationFailure)");
-    _active_workers = MIN2(_created_workers, num_workers);
-    return _active_workers;
-  }
-
   while (_created_workers < num_workers) {
     WorkerThread* const worker = create_worker(_created_workers);
     if (worker == nullptr) {
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shared/workerThread.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shared/workerThread.hpp
index d4e92797039..abb977decc9 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shared/workerThread.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shared/workerThread.hpp
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ public:
   WorkerThreads(const char* name, uint max_workers);
 
   void initialize_workers();
+  bool allow_inject_creation_failure() const;
 
   uint max_workers() const     { return _max_workers; }
   uint created_workers() const { return _created_workers; }