diff --git a/libstdc++-v3/ChangeLog b/libstdc++-v3/ChangeLog
index bf7f50ec99da80d98bbcbdee8ae1481815ae527b..05b0c1ec89eb4535aba277c29a79fb83aa6f25a9 100644
--- a/libstdc++-v3/ChangeLog
+++ b/libstdc++-v3/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2009-12-17  Paolo Carlini  <paolo.carlini@oracle.com>
+
+	PR libstdc++/42198
+	* src/thread.cc (thread::_M_start_thread): Throw system_error
+	immediately if the thread system is inactive.
+
 2009-12-16  Benjamin Kosnik  <bkoz@redhat.com>
 
 	PR libstdc++/21772 part 2
diff --git a/libstdc++-v3/src/thread.cc b/libstdc++-v3/src/thread.cc
index 334e5cb8f1f63f76aee1aadff08aa82b10be6d1e..879e864edd4bfbe459d2150eec77057f3722c8b5 100644
--- a/libstdc++-v3/src/thread.cc
+++ b/libstdc++-v3/src/thread.cc
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ namespace std
   void
   thread::_M_start_thread(__shared_base_type __b)
   {
+    if (!__gthread_active_p())
+      __throw_system_error(int(errc::operation_not_permitted));
+
     __b->_M_this_ptr = __b;
     int __e = __gthread_create(&_M_id._M_thread,
 			       &execute_native_thread_routine, __b.get());