diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shared/workerThread.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shared/workerThread.cpp
index 7a9404a195a..e4831d25d26 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shared/workerThread.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shared/workerThread.cpp
@@ -96,8 +96,22 @@ 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 (is_init_completed() && InjectGCWorkerCreationFailure) {
+  if (InjectGCWorkerCreationFailure && allow_inject_creation_failure()) {
     return nullptr;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shared/workerThread.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shared/workerThread.hpp
index a1f7282abe4..003ce8a2959 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shared/workerThread.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shared/workerThread.hpp
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ 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; }