diff --git a/modules/generators/mod_cgi.c b/modules/generators/mod_cgi.c
index c809fb5..efcf6ad 100644
--- a/modules/generators/mod_cgi.c
+++ b/modules/generators/mod_cgi.c
@@ -585,7 +585,12 @@ static apr_bucket *cgi_bucket_create(request_rec *r,
 
     /* Create the pollset */
     rv = apr_pollset_create(&data->pollset, 2, r->pool, 0);
-    AP_DEBUG_ASSERT(rv == APR_SUCCESS);
+    if (rv != APR_SUCCESS) {
+        ap_log_rerror(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_ERR, rv, r,
+                     "cgi: apr_pollset_create(); check system or user limits");
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
 
     fd.desc_type = APR_POLL_FILE;
     fd.reqevents = APR_POLLIN;
@@ -593,12 +598,20 @@ static apr_bucket *cgi_bucket_create(request_rec *r,
     fd.desc.f = out; /* script's stdout */
     fd.client_data = (void *)1;
     rv = apr_pollset_add(data->pollset, &fd);
-    AP_DEBUG_ASSERT(rv == APR_SUCCESS);
+    if (rv != APR_SUCCESS) {
+        ap_log_rerror(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_ERR, rv, r,
+                     "cgi: apr_pollset_add(); check system or user limits");
+        return NULL;
+    }
 
     fd.desc.f = err; /* script's stderr */
     fd.client_data = (void *)2;
     rv = apr_pollset_add(data->pollset, &fd);
-    AP_DEBUG_ASSERT(rv == APR_SUCCESS);
+    if (rv != APR_SUCCESS) {
+        ap_log_rerror(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_ERR, rv, r,
+                     "cgi: apr_pollset_add(); check system or user limits");
+        return NULL;
+    }
 
     data->r = r;
     b->data = data;
@@ -913,6 +926,8 @@ static int cgi_handler(request_rec *r)
     apr_file_pipe_timeout_set(script_err, 0);
 
     b = cgi_bucket_create(r, script_in, script_err, c->bucket_alloc);
+    if (b == NULL)
+	return HTTP_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR;
 #else
     b = apr_bucket_pipe_create(script_in, c->bucket_alloc);
 #endif
diff --git a/modules/proxy/mod_proxy_connect.c b/modules/proxy/mod_proxy_connect.c
index fdadc56..5f416fb 100644
--- a/modules/proxy/mod_proxy_connect.c
+++ b/modules/proxy/mod_proxy_connect.c
@@ -268,7 +268,8 @@ static int proxy_connect_handler(request_rec *r, proxy_worker *worker,
     if ((rv = apr_pollset_create(&pollset, 2, r->pool, 0)) != APR_SUCCESS) {
         apr_socket_close(sock);
         ap_log_rerror(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_ERR, rv, r,
-            "proxy: CONNECT: error apr_pollset_create()");
+            "proxy: CONNECT: error apr_pollset_create();"
+            " check system or user limits");
         return HTTP_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR;
     }
 
@@ -278,11 +279,25 @@ static int proxy_connect_handler(request_rec *r, proxy_worker *worker,
     pollfd.reqevents = APR_POLLIN;
     pollfd.desc.s = client_socket;
     pollfd.client_data = NULL;
-    apr_pollset_add(pollset, &pollfd);
+    rv = apr_pollset_add(pollset, &pollfd);
+    if (rv != APR_SUCCESS) {
+        ap_log_rerror(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_ERR, rv, r,
+                     "proxy: CONNECT: error apr_pollset_add();"
+                     " check system or user limits");
+        return HTTP_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR;
+    }
+
+    
 
     /* Add the server side to the poll */
     pollfd.desc.s = sock;
-    apr_pollset_add(pollset, &pollfd);
+    rv = apr_pollset_add(pollset, &pollfd);
+    if (rv != APR_SUCCESS) {
+        ap_log_rerror(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_ERR, rv, r,
+                     "proxy: CONNECT: error apr_pollset_add();"
+                     " check system or user limits");
+        return HTTP_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR;
+    }
 
     while (1) { /* Infinite loop until error (one side closes the connection) */
         if ((rv = apr_pollset_poll(pollset, -1, &pollcnt, &signalled)) != APR_SUCCESS) {
diff --git a/server/mpm/experimental/event/event.c b/server/mpm/experimental/event/event.c
index a3a3c47..f76935d 100644
--- a/server/mpm/experimental/event/event.c
+++ b/server/mpm/experimental/event/event.c
@@ -2341,7 +2341,8 @@ static int event_pre_config(apr_pool_t * pconf, apr_pool_t * plog,
         if (rv != APR_SUCCESS) {
             ap_log_error(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_CRIT, rv, NULL,
                          "Couldn't create a Thread Safe Pollset. "
-                         "Is it supported on your platform?");
+                         "Is it supported on your platform?"
+                         "Also check system or user limits!");
             return HTTP_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR;
         }
         apr_pollset_destroy(event_pollset);
diff --git a/server/mpm/prefork/prefork.c b/server/mpm/prefork/prefork.c
index 2bbf7c3..2b3fc8c 100644
--- a/server/mpm/prefork/prefork.c
+++ b/server/mpm/prefork/prefork.c
@@ -499,8 +499,12 @@ static void child_main(int child_num_arg)
         pfd.reqevents = APR_POLLIN;
         pfd.client_data = lr;
 
-        /* ### check the status */
-        (void) apr_pollset_add(pollset, &pfd);
+        status = apr_pollset_add(pollset, &pfd);
+        if (status != APR_SUCCESS) {
+            ap_log_error(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_EMERG, status, ap_server_conf,
+                         "Couldn't add listener to pollset; check system or user limits");
+            clean_child_exit(APEXIT_CHILDSICK);
+        }
     }
 
     mpm_state = AP_MPMQ_RUNNING;
diff --git a/server/mpm/worker/worker.c b/server/mpm/worker/worker.c
index accf4c7..c2bb5eb 100644
--- a/server/mpm/worker/worker.c
+++ b/server/mpm/worker/worker.c
@@ -593,8 +593,13 @@ static void * APR_THREAD_FUNC listener_thread(apr_thread_t *thd, void * dummy)
 
     free(ti);
 
-    /* ### check the status */
-    (void) apr_pollset_create(&pollset, num_listensocks, tpool, 0);
+    rv = apr_pollset_create(&pollset, num_listensocks, tpool, 0);
+    if (rv != APR_SUCCESS) {
+        ap_log_error(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_EMERG, rv, ap_server_conf,
+                     "Couldn't create pollset in thread; check system or user limits");
+        clean_child_exit(APEXIT_CHILDSICK); /* assume temporary resource issue */
+    }
+
 
     for (lr = ap_listeners; lr != NULL; lr = lr->next) {
         apr_pollfd_t pfd = { 0 };
@@ -604,8 +609,12 @@ static void * APR_THREAD_FUNC listener_thread(apr_thread_t *thd, void * dummy)
         pfd.reqevents = APR_POLLIN;
         pfd.client_data = lr;
 
-        /* ### check the status */
-        (void) apr_pollset_add(pollset, &pfd);
+        rv = apr_pollset_add(pollset, &pfd);
+        if (rv != APR_SUCCESS) {
+            ap_log_error(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_EMERG, rv, ap_server_conf,
+                         "Couldn't create add listener to pollset; check system or user limits");
+            clean_child_exit(APEXIT_CHILDSICK);
+        }
     }
 
     /* Unblock the signal used to wake this thread up, and set a handler for