diff --git a/examples/echo.rs b/examples/echo.rs
index b12943c3d..7827ddc29 100644
--- a/examples/echo.rs
+++ b/examples/echo.rs
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ async fn server(conns: usize) -> Result<()> {
         s.await.unwrap()?;
     }
 
-    client_handle.join().unwrap();
+    client_handle.join().unwrap().unwrap();
     Ok(())
 }
 
@@ -108,6 +108,6 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
     //
     // Now can you adapt it, so it uses multiple executors and all CPUs in your
     // system?
-    server_handle.join().unwrap();
+    server_handle.join().unwrap().unwrap();
     Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/glommio/src/executor/mod.rs b/glommio/src/executor/mod.rs
index a1884ec3b..da0160ca7 100644
--- a/glommio/src/executor/mod.rs
+++ b/glommio/src/executor/mod.rs
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ pub use placement::{CpuSet, Placement, PoolPlacement};
 use tracing::trace;
 
 use std::{
+    any::Any,
     cell::RefCell,
     collections::{hash_map::Entry, BinaryHeap},
     future::Future,
@@ -384,6 +385,27 @@ impl ExecutorQueues {
     }
 }
 
+/// A wrapper around a [`std::thread::JoinHandle`]
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct ExecutorJoinHandle<T: Send + 'static>(JoinHandle<io::Result<T>>);
+
+impl<T: Send + 'static> ExecutorJoinHandle<T> {
+    /// See [`std::thread::JoinHandle::thread()`]
+    #[must_use]
+    pub fn thread(&self) -> &std::thread::Thread {
+        self.0.thread()
+    }
+
+    /// See [`std::thread::JoinHandle::join()`]
+    pub fn join(self) -> std::thread::Result<T> {
+        match self.0.join() {
+            Err(err) => Err(err),
+            Ok(Err(err)) => Err(Box::new(err) as Box<dyn Any + Send>),
+            Ok(Ok(res)) => Ok(res),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /// A factory that can be used to configure and create a [`LocalExecutor`].
 ///
 /// Methods can be chained on it in order to configure it.
@@ -592,10 +614,11 @@ impl LocalExecutorBuilder {
     /// [`LocalExecutor::run`]:struct.LocalExecutor.html#method.run
     #[must_use = "This spawns an executor on a thread, so you may need to call \
                   `JoinHandle::join()` to keep the main thread alive"]
-    pub fn spawn<G, F, T>(self, fut_gen: G) -> Result<JoinHandle<()>>
+    pub fn spawn<G, F, T>(self, fut_gen: G) -> io::Result<ExecutorJoinHandle<T>>
     where
         G: FnOnce() -> F + Send + 'static,
         F: Future<Output = T> + 'static,
+        T: Send + 'static,
     {
         let notifier = sys::new_sleep_notifier()?;
         let name = format!("{}-{}", self.name, notifier.id());
@@ -617,14 +640,12 @@ impl LocalExecutorBuilder {
                     record_io_latencies,
                     cpu_set_gen.next().cpu_binding(),
                     spin_before_park,
-                )
-                .unwrap();
+                )?;
                 le.init();
-                le.run(async move {
-                    fut_gen().await;
-                })
+                le.run(async move { Ok(fut_gen().await) })
             })
             .map_err(Into::into)
+            .map(ExecutorJoinHandle)
     }
 }
 
@@ -828,8 +849,7 @@ impl LocalExecutorPoolBuilder {
                         record_io_latencies,
                         cpu_binding,
                         spin_before_park,
-                    )
-                    .unwrap();
+                    )?;
                     le.init();
                     le.run(async move { Ok(fut_gen().await) })
                 } else {
@@ -987,7 +1007,7 @@ impl LocalExecutor {
                 io_memory,
                 ring_depth,
                 record_io_latencies,
-            )),
+            )?),
         })
     }
 
diff --git a/glommio/src/lib.rs b/glommio/src/lib.rs
index 4764506d0..1d7c108f7 100644
--- a/glommio/src/lib.rs
+++ b/glommio/src/lib.rs
@@ -483,6 +483,7 @@ pub use crate::{
         spawn_scoped_local_into,
         yield_if_needed,
         CpuSet,
+        ExecutorJoinHandle,
         ExecutorProxy,
         ExecutorStats,
         LocalExecutor,
diff --git a/glommio/src/net/tcp_socket.rs b/glommio/src/net/tcp_socket.rs
index 4e48fc768..bf72120d6 100644
--- a/glommio/src/net/tcp_socket.rs
+++ b/glommio/src/net/tcp_socket.rs
@@ -857,7 +857,7 @@ mod tests {
             .spawn(move || async move {
                 let receiver = addr_receiver.connect().await;
                 let addr = receiver.recv().await.unwrap();
-                TcpStream::connect(addr).await.unwrap()
+                TcpStream::connect(addr).await.unwrap();
             })
             .unwrap();
 
diff --git a/glommio/src/reactor.rs b/glommio/src/reactor.rs
index 7fc5985af..ba8ab0a6b 100644
--- a/glommio/src/reactor.rs
+++ b/glommio/src/reactor.rs
@@ -198,11 +198,10 @@ impl Reactor {
         io_memory: usize,
         ring_depth: usize,
         record_io_latencies: bool,
-    ) -> Reactor {
-        let sys = sys::Reactor::new(notifier, io_memory, ring_depth)
-            .expect("cannot initialize I/O event notification");
+    ) -> io::Result<Reactor> {
+        let sys = sys::Reactor::new(notifier, io_memory, ring_depth)?;
         let (preempt_ptr_head, preempt_ptr_tail) = sys.preempt_pointers();
-        Reactor {
+        Ok(Reactor {
             sys,
             timers: RefCell::new(Timers::new()),
             shared_channels: RefCell::new(SharedChannels::new()),
@@ -210,7 +209,7 @@ impl Reactor {
             record_io_latencies,
             preempt_ptr_head,
             preempt_ptr_tail: preempt_ptr_tail as _,
-        }
+        })
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn io_stats(&self) -> IoStats {