diff --git a/mozilla/security/manager/ssl/src/nsCertVerificationThread.cpp b/mozilla/security/manager/ssl/src/nsCertVerificationThread.cpp
index 4df572ff5a2..c9d8c34ca98 100644
--- a/mozilla/security/manager/ssl/src/nsCertVerificationThread.cpp
+++ b/mozilla/security/manager/ssl/src/nsCertVerificationThread.cpp
@@ -100,8 +100,6 @@ nsCertVerificationThread::nsCertVerificationThread()
                " to create another instance!");
   
   verification_thread_singleton = this;
-
-  NS_ASSERTION(mThreadHandle, "Could not create nsThreadRunner thread\n");
 }
 
 nsCertVerificationThread::~nsCertVerificationThread()
diff --git a/mozilla/security/manager/ssl/src/nsNSSComponent.cpp b/mozilla/security/manager/ssl/src/nsNSSComponent.cpp
index 623e49f5ce0..5d1850dc7a0 100644
--- a/mozilla/security/manager/ssl/src/nsNSSComponent.cpp
+++ b/mozilla/security/manager/ssl/src/nsNSSComponent.cpp
@@ -301,7 +301,11 @@ nsNSSComponent::nsNSSComponent()
   mShutdownObjectList = nsNSSShutDownList::construct();
   mIsNetworkDown = PR_FALSE;
   mSSLThread = new nsSSLThread();
+  if (mSSLThread)
+    mSSLThread->startThread();
   mCertVerificationThread = new nsCertVerificationThread();
+  if (mCertVerificationThread)
+    mCertVerificationThread->startThread();
 }
 
 nsNSSComponent::~nsNSSComponent()
@@ -1953,8 +1957,12 @@ nsNSSComponent::Observe(nsISupports *aSubject, const char *aTopic,
     PR_LOG(gPIPNSSLog, PR_LOG_DEBUG, ("receiving network restore topic\n"));
     delete mSSLThread;
     mSSLThread = new nsSSLThread();
+    if (mSSLThread)
+      mSSLThread->startThread();
     delete mCertVerificationThread;
     mCertVerificationThread = new nsCertVerificationThread();
+    if (mCertVerificationThread)
+      mCertVerificationThread->startThread();
     mIsNetworkDown = PR_FALSE;
   }
 
diff --git a/mozilla/security/manager/ssl/src/nsPSMBackgroundThread.cpp b/mozilla/security/manager/ssl/src/nsPSMBackgroundThread.cpp
index 59a282a5fed..c0fd971f393 100644
--- a/mozilla/security/manager/ssl/src/nsPSMBackgroundThread.cpp
+++ b/mozilla/security/manager/ssl/src/nsPSMBackgroundThread.cpp
@@ -52,14 +52,22 @@ nsPSMBackgroundThread::nsPSMBackgroundThread()
 {
   mMutex = PR_NewLock();
   mCond = PR_NewCondVar(mMutex);
+}
 
-  if (mMutex && mCond)
-  {
-    mThreadHandle = PR_CreateThread(PR_USER_THREAD, nsThreadRunner, NS_STATIC_CAST(void*, this), 
-      PR_PRIORITY_NORMAL, PR_LOCAL_THREAD, PR_JOINABLE_THREAD, 0);
+nsresult nsPSMBackgroundThread::startThread()
+{
+  if (!mMutex || !mCond)
+    return NS_ERROR_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
 
-    NS_ASSERTION(mThreadHandle, "Could not create nsPSMBackgroundThread\n");
-  }
+  mThreadHandle = PR_CreateThread(PR_USER_THREAD, nsThreadRunner, NS_STATIC_CAST(void*, this), 
+    PR_PRIORITY_NORMAL, PR_LOCAL_THREAD, PR_JOINABLE_THREAD, 0);
+
+  NS_ASSERTION(mThreadHandle, "Could not create nsPSMBackgroundThread\n");
+  
+  if (!mThreadHandle)
+    return NS_ERROR_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
+
+  return NS_OK;
 }
 
 nsPSMBackgroundThread::~nsPSMBackgroundThread()
diff --git a/mozilla/security/manager/ssl/src/nsPSMBackgroundThread.h b/mozilla/security/manager/ssl/src/nsPSMBackgroundThread.h
index 554bf15071f..e790fb18d36 100644
--- a/mozilla/security/manager/ssl/src/nsPSMBackgroundThread.h
+++ b/mozilla/security/manager/ssl/src/nsPSMBackgroundThread.h
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 #define _NSPSMBACKGROUNDTHREAD_H_
 
 #include "nspr.h"
+#include "nscore.h"
 
 class nsPSMBackgroundThread
 {
@@ -64,7 +65,8 @@ protected:
 public:
   nsPSMBackgroundThread();
   virtual ~nsPSMBackgroundThread();
-  
+
+  nsresult startThread();
   void requestExit();
 };
 
diff --git a/mozilla/security/manager/ssl/src/nsSSLThread.cpp b/mozilla/security/manager/ssl/src/nsSSLThread.cpp
index 7c4cd3b7767..06d543ffde0 100644
--- a/mozilla/security/manager/ssl/src/nsSSLThread.cpp
+++ b/mozilla/security/manager/ssl/src/nsSSLThread.cpp
@@ -50,8 +50,6 @@ nsSSLThread::nsSSLThread()
   NS_ASSERTION(!ssl_thread_singleton, "nsSSLThread is a singleton, caller attempts to create another instance!");
   
   ssl_thread_singleton = this;
-
-  NS_ASSERTION(mThreadHandle, "Could not create nsSSLThreadRunner thread\n");
 }
 
 nsSSLThread::~nsSSLThread()