diff --git a/a-sync/thread-pool.scm b/a-sync/thread-pool.scm
index 38142fc..1e111ee 100755
--- a/a-sync/thread-pool.scm
+++ b/a-sync/thread-pool.scm
@@ -388,10 +388,11 @@
 		;; (iv) the attempt to launch new threads failed with
 		;; an exception without launching even one of them.
 		;; In such a case we should be able to launch a rescue
-		;; thread because no other threads could be running in
-		;; the pool.  If we still cannot launch a thread the
-		;; program and/or system must be totally borked anyway
-		;; and there is little we can do.
+		;; thread while holding the mutex because no other
+		;; threads could be running in the pool.  If we still
+		;; cannot launch a thread the program and/or system
+		;; must be totally borked and there is little we can
+		;; do.
 		(when (zero? (num-threads-get pool))
 		  ;; if this fails, all is lost (that is, we may have
 		  ;; queued tasks in the pool with no thread startable
@@ -528,10 +529,11 @@
 ;; using catch).
 ;;
 ;; If this procedure starts a new thread (see above), it may throw an
-;; exception if the system is unable to start the thread correctly.
-;; This procedure will throw a 'thread-pool-error exception if it is
-;; invoked after the thread pool object concerned has been closed by a
-;; call to thread-pool-stop!.
+;; exception if the system is unable to start the thread correctly,
+;; and if it does so the task will not be added.  This procedure will
+;; throw a 'thread-pool-error exception if it is invoked after the
+;; thread pool object concerned has been closed by a call to
+;; thread-pool-stop!.
 ;;
 ;; This procedure is first available in version 0.18 of this library.
 (define* (thread-pool-add! pool task #:optional fail-handler)
@@ -571,12 +573,36 @@
 	    (call-with-new-thread (lambda () (thread-loop pool #f))))
 	  (lambda args
 	    (with-mutex mutex
-	      (num-tasks-set! pool (1- (num-tasks-get pool)))
-	      (num-threads-set! pool (1- (num-threads-get pool)))
-	      (when (and (stopped-get pool)
-			 (blocking-get pool))
-		(broadcast-condition-variable (condvar-get pool)))
-	      (apply throw args))))))
+              ;; If min-threads is 0 we could be down to 0 threads
+              ;; with tasks still pending if in the period between
+              ;; releasing the mutex acquired on entry to this
+              ;; procedure and acquiring it again on handling this
+              ;; exception, there have been concurrent calls to
+              ;; thread-pool-set-max-threads! increasing and reducing
+              ;; the maximum thread count by at least two other
+              ;; threads where the launching of all new threads via
+              ;; that procedure and this one fails.  In such a case we
+              ;; should be able to launch a rescue thread while
+              ;; holding the mutex because no other threads could be
+              ;; running in the pool.  If we still cannot launch a
+              ;; thread the program and/or system must be totally
+              ;; borked and there is little we can do.
+              (let ((retry
+                     (if (= (num-threads-get pool) 1)
+                         (catch #t
+                           (lambda ()
+                             (call-with-new-thread (lambda () (thread-loop pool #f)))
+			     #t)
+                           (lambda args
+                             #f))
+                         #f)))
+                (when (not retry)
+		  (num-tasks-set! pool (1- (num-tasks-get pool)))
+		  (num-threads-set! pool (1- (num-threads-get pool)))
+		  (when (and (stopped-get pool)
+			     (blocking-get pool))
+		    (broadcast-condition-variable (condvar-get pool)))
+		  (apply throw args))))))))
     ;; we need to check again whether thread-pool-stop! has been
     ;; called between us releasing the mutex above and reaching here.
     ;; We need to hold the mutex when adding the task so that the
diff --git a/docs/guile-a-sync.info b/docs/guile-a-sync.info
index 722b219..aef3f75 100644
--- a/docs/guile-a-sync.info
+++ b/docs/guile-a-sync.info
@@ -2393,10 +2393,11 @@ the already accumulated tasks has reduced.
      using catch).
 
      If this procedure starts a new thread (see above), it may throw an
-     exception if the system is unable to start the thread correctly.
-     This procedure will throw a 'thread-pool-error exception if it is
-     invoked after the thread pool object concerned has been closed by a
-     call to thread-pool-stop!.
+     exception if the system is unable to start the thread correctly,
+     and if it does so the task will not be added.  This procedure will
+     throw a 'thread-pool-error exception if it is invoked after the
+     thread pool object concerned has been closed by a call to
+     thread-pool-stop!.
 
      This procedure is first available in version 0.18 of this library.
 
@@ -3804,9 +3805,9 @@ Node: coroutines4756
 Node: event loop23080
 Node: sockets107788
 Node: thread pool111166
-Node: monotonic time132388
-Node: gnome glib133823
-Node: compose173921
-Node: meeting181130
+Node: monotonic time132440
+Node: gnome glib133875
+Node: compose173973
+Node: meeting181182
 
 End Tag Table
diff --git a/docs/html/thread-pool.html b/docs/html/thread-pool.html
index 2dedfaf..64a4e48 100644
--- a/docs/html/thread-pool.html
+++ b/docs/html/thread-pool.html
@@ -319,10 +319,10 @@ <h4 class="node-heading">thread pool</h4>
 using catch).
 </p>
 <p>If this procedure starts a new thread (see above), it may throw an
-exception if the system is unable to start the thread correctly.  This
-procedure will throw a &rsquo;thread-pool-error exception if it is invoked
-after the thread pool object concerned has been closed by a call to
-thread-pool-stop!.
+exception if the system is unable to start the thread correctly, and
+if it does so the task will not be added.  This procedure will throw a
+&rsquo;thread-pool-error exception if it is invoked after the thread pool
+object concerned has been closed by a call to thread-pool-stop!.
 </p>
 <p>This procedure is first available in version 0.18 of this library.
 </p></dd></dl>
diff --git a/docs/thread-pool.texi b/docs/thread-pool.texi
index 12f3a9b..a109142 100644
--- a/docs/thread-pool.texi
+++ b/docs/thread-pool.texi
@@ -254,10 +254,10 @@ arguments as if it were a guile catch handler (it is implemented
 using catch).
 
 If this procedure starts a new thread (see above), it may throw an
-exception if the system is unable to start the thread correctly.  This
-procedure will throw a 'thread-pool-error exception if it is invoked
-after the thread pool object concerned has been closed by a call to
-thread-pool-stop!.
+exception if the system is unable to start the thread correctly, and
+if it does so the task will not be added.  This procedure will throw a
+'thread-pool-error exception if it is invoked after the thread pool
+object concerned has been closed by a call to thread-pool-stop!.
 
 This procedure is first available in version 0.18 of this library.
 @end deffn