diff --git a/src/node_worker.cc b/src/node_worker.cc
index 0e77f449d78aa7..cc9dded4c4df19 100644
--- a/src/node_worker.cc
+++ b/src/node_worker.cc
@@ -438,8 +438,6 @@ void Worker::JoinThread() {
 }
 
 Worker::~Worker() {
-  JoinThread();
-
   Mutex::ScopedLock lock(mutex_);
 
   CHECK(stopped_);
@@ -599,6 +597,7 @@ void Worker::StartThread(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
         [w = std::unique_ptr<Worker>(w)](Environment* env) {
           if (w->has_ref_)
             env->add_refs(-1);
+          w->JoinThread();
           // implicitly delete w
         });
   }, static_cast<void*>(w)), 0);
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-worker-exit-event-error.js b/test/parallel/test-worker-exit-event-error.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..e2427c7dff726b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/parallel/test-worker-exit-event-error.js
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+'use strict';
+const common = require('../common');
+const { Worker } = require('worker_threads');
+
+process.on('uncaughtException', common.mustCall());
+
+new Worker('', { eval: true })
+  .on('exit', common.mustCall(() => { throw new Error('foo'); }));