diff --git a/sys/dev/drm/linux_workqueue.c b/sys/dev/drm/linux_workqueue.c
--- a/sys/dev/drm/linux_workqueue.c
+++ b/sys/dev/drm/linux_workqueue.c
@@ -227,9 +227,16 @@
 				    &worker->worker_thread, NULL, TDF_NOSTART, -1, name);
 		}
 		if (error) {
+			int j;
 			kprintf("%s: lwkt_create(%s/%d): error %d",
 			    __func__, name, i, error);
-			/* XXX: destroy kernel threads and free workers[] if applicable */
+			/* XXX: terminate already-created kernel threads */
+			for (j = 0; j < i; j++) {
+				struct workqueue_worker *w = &(*wq->workers)[j];
+				if (w->worker_thread != NULL)
+					wakeup(w->worker_thread);
+			}
+			kfree(wq->workers);
 			kfree(wq);
 			return NULL;
 		}