diff --git a/src/IOThread.cxx b/src/IOThread.cxx
index cba9c9263..f615b0491 100644
--- a/src/IOThread.cxx
+++ b/src/IOThread.cxx
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@
 #include "thread/Cond.hxx"
 #include "event/Loop.hxx"
 
+#include <glib.h>
+
 #include <assert.h>
 
 static struct {
@@ -63,8 +65,8 @@ io_thread_init(void)
 	io.loop = new EventLoop();
 }
 
-bool
-io_thread_start(gcc_unused GError **error_r)
+void
+io_thread_start()
 {
 	assert(io.loop != NULL);
 	assert(io.thread == NULL);
@@ -76,10 +78,8 @@ io_thread_start(gcc_unused GError **error_r)
 #else
 	io.thread = g_thread_create(io_thread_func, NULL, true, error_r);
 	if (io.thread == NULL)
-		return false;
+		FatalError();
 #endif
-
-	return true;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/IOThread.hxx b/src/IOThread.hxx
index 8c6f233ab..cfa34a494 100644
--- a/src/IOThread.hxx
+++ b/src/IOThread.hxx
@@ -22,15 +22,13 @@
 
 #include "gcc.h"
 
-#include <glib.h>
-
 class EventLoop;
 
 void
 io_thread_init(void);
 
-bool
-io_thread_start(GError **error_r);
+void
+io_thread_start();
 
 /**
  * Run the I/O event loop synchronously in the current thread.  This
diff --git a/src/Main.cxx b/src/Main.cxx
index 56f5b2c07..e724ebdb5 100644
--- a/src/Main.cxx
+++ b/src/Main.cxx
@@ -480,11 +480,7 @@ int mpd_main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	SignalHandlersInit(*main_loop);
 
-	if (!io_thread_start(&error)) {
-		g_warning("%s", error->message);
-		g_error_free(error);
-		return EXIT_FAILURE;
-	}
+	io_thread_start();
 
 	ZeroconfInit(*main_loop);
 
diff --git a/test/dump_playlist.cxx b/test/dump_playlist.cxx
index f3339662c..768eee367 100644
--- a/test/dump_playlist.cxx
+++ b/test/dump_playlist.cxx
@@ -169,11 +169,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	}
 
 	io_thread_init();
-	if (!io_thread_start(&error)) {
-		g_warning("%s", error->message);
-		g_error_free(error);
-		return EXIT_FAILURE;
-	}
+	io_thread_start();
 
 	if (!input_stream_global_init(&error)) {
 		g_warning("%s", error->message);
diff --git a/test/dump_text_file.cxx b/test/dump_text_file.cxx
index 8a8f9e77f..165a6493c 100644
--- a/test/dump_text_file.cxx
+++ b/test/dump_text_file.cxx
@@ -116,11 +116,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	config_global_init();
 
 	io_thread_init();
-	if (!io_thread_start(&error)) {
-		g_warning("%s", error->message);
-		g_error_free(error);
-		return EXIT_FAILURE;
-	}
+	io_thread_start();
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_ARCHIVE
 	archive_plugin_init_all();
diff --git a/test/read_tags.cxx b/test/read_tags.cxx
index 5880662de..d72721324 100644
--- a/test/read_tags.cxx
+++ b/test/read_tags.cxx
@@ -162,11 +162,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 #endif
 
 	io_thread_init();
-	if (!io_thread_start(&error)) {
-		g_warning("%s", error->message);
-		g_error_free(error);
-		return EXIT_FAILURE;
-	}
+	io_thread_start();
 
 	if (!input_stream_global_init(&error)) {
 		g_warning("%s", error->message);
diff --git a/test/run_decoder.cxx b/test/run_decoder.cxx
index 85f7c4455..c7ef92cf8 100644
--- a/test/run_decoder.cxx
+++ b/test/run_decoder.cxx
@@ -163,11 +163,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	g_log_set_default_handler(my_log_func, NULL);
 
 	io_thread_init();
-	if (!io_thread_start(&error)) {
-		g_warning("%s", error->message);
-		g_error_free(error);
-		return EXIT_FAILURE;
-	}
+	io_thread_start();
 
 	if (!input_stream_global_init(&error)) {
 		g_warning("%s", error->message);
diff --git a/test/run_input.cxx b/test/run_input.cxx
index cd7f299a6..494bcd823 100644
--- a/test/run_input.cxx
+++ b/test/run_input.cxx
@@ -134,11 +134,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	config_global_init();
 
 	io_thread_init();
-	if (!io_thread_start(&error)) {
-		g_warning("%s", error->message);
-		g_error_free(error);
-		return EXIT_FAILURE;
-	}
+	io_thread_start();
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_ARCHIVE
 	archive_plugin_init_all();
diff --git a/test/run_output.cxx b/test/run_output.cxx
index 59f962a4f..6bf4ebced 100644
--- a/test/run_output.cxx
+++ b/test/run_output.cxx
@@ -210,11 +210,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	main_loop = new EventLoop(EventLoop::Default());
 
 	io_thread_init();
-	if (!io_thread_start(&error)) {
-		g_warning("%s", error->message);
-		g_error_free(error);
-		return EXIT_FAILURE;
-	}
+	io_thread_start();
 
 	/* initialize the audio output */
 
diff --git a/test/visit_archive.cxx b/test/visit_archive.cxx
index d6ed0c6a1..047ef4d6d 100644
--- a/test/visit_archive.cxx
+++ b/test/visit_archive.cxx
@@ -77,11 +77,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	config_global_init();
 
 	io_thread_init();
-	if (!io_thread_start(&error)) {
-		g_warning("%s", error->message);
-		g_error_free(error);
-		return EXIT_FAILURE;
-	}
+	io_thread_start();
 
 	archive_plugin_init_all();