diff --git a/lib/common/pool.c b/lib/common/pool.c
index 7a8294543..f57593507 100644
--- a/lib/common/pool.c
+++ b/lib/common/pool.c
@@ -127,9 +127,13 @@ POOL_ctx* POOL_create_advanced(size_t numThreads, size_t queueSize,
     ctx->queueTail = 0;
     ctx->numThreadsBusy = 0;
     ctx->queueEmpty = 1;
-    (void)ZSTD_pthread_mutex_init(&ctx->queueMutex, NULL);
-    (void)ZSTD_pthread_cond_init(&ctx->queuePushCond, NULL);
-    (void)ZSTD_pthread_cond_init(&ctx->queuePopCond, NULL);
+    {
+        int error = 0;
+        error |= ZSTD_pthread_mutex_init(&ctx->queueMutex, NULL);
+        error |= ZSTD_pthread_cond_init(&ctx->queuePushCond, NULL);
+        error |= ZSTD_pthread_cond_init(&ctx->queuePopCond, NULL);
+        if (error) { POOL_free(ctx); return NULL; }
+    }
     ctx->shutdown = 0;
     /* Allocate space for the thread handles */
     ctx->threads = (ZSTD_pthread_t*)ZSTD_malloc(numThreads * sizeof(ZSTD_pthread_t), customMem);
diff --git a/lib/common/threading.c b/lib/common/threading.c
index f3d4fa841..482664bd9 100644
--- a/lib/common/threading.c
+++ b/lib/common/threading.c
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
  * This file will hold wrapper for systems, which do not support pthreads
  */
 
+#include "threading.h"
+
 /* create fake symbol to avoid empty translation unit warning */
 int g_ZSTD_threading_useless_symbol;
 
@@ -28,7 +30,6 @@ int g_ZSTD_threading_useless_symbol;
 /* ===  Dependencies  === */
 #include <process.h>
 #include <errno.h>
-#include "threading.h"
 
 
 /* ===  Implementation  === */
@@ -73,3 +74,47 @@ int ZSTD_pthread_join(ZSTD_pthread_t thread, void **value_ptr)
 }
 
 #endif   /* ZSTD_MULTITHREAD */
+
+#if defined(ZSTD_MULTITHREAD) && DEBUGLEVEL >= 1 && !defined(_WIN32)
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+int ZSTD_pthread_mutex_init(ZSTD_pthread_mutex_t* mutex, pthread_mutexattr_t const* attr)
+{
+    *mutex = (pthread_mutex_t*)malloc(sizeof(pthread_mutex_t));
+    if (!*mutex)
+        return 1;
+    return pthread_mutex_init(*mutex, attr);
+}
+
+int ZSTD_pthread_mutex_destroy(ZSTD_pthread_mutex_t* mutex)
+{
+    if (!*mutex)
+        return 0;
+    {
+        int const ret = pthread_mutex_destroy(*mutex);
+        free(*mutex);
+        return ret;
+    }
+}
+
+int ZSTD_pthread_cond_init(ZSTD_pthread_cond_t* cond, pthread_condattr_t const* attr)
+{
+    *cond = (pthread_cond_t*)malloc(sizeof(pthread_cond_t));
+    if (!*cond)
+        return 1;
+    return pthread_cond_init(*cond, attr);
+}
+
+int ZSTD_pthread_cond_destroy(ZSTD_pthread_cond_t* cond)
+{
+    if (!*cond)
+        return 0;
+    {
+        int const ret = pthread_cond_destroy(*cond);
+        free(*cond);
+        return ret;
+    }
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/lib/common/threading.h b/lib/common/threading.h
index d806c89d0..3193ca7db 100644
--- a/lib/common/threading.h
+++ b/lib/common/threading.h
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
 #ifndef THREADING_H_938743
 #define THREADING_H_938743
 
+#include "debug.h"
+
 #if defined (__cplusplus)
 extern "C" {
 #endif
@@ -75,10 +77,12 @@ int ZSTD_pthread_join(ZSTD_pthread_t thread, void** value_ptr);
  */
 
 
-#elif defined(ZSTD_MULTITHREAD)   /* posix assumed ; need a better detection method */
+#elif defined(ZSTD_MULTITHREAD)    /* posix assumed ; need a better detection method */
 /* ===   POSIX Systems   === */
 #  include <pthread.h>
 
+#if DEBUGLEVEL < 1
+
 #define ZSTD_pthread_mutex_t            pthread_mutex_t
 #define ZSTD_pthread_mutex_init(a, b)   pthread_mutex_init((a), (b))
 #define ZSTD_pthread_mutex_destroy(a)   pthread_mutex_destroy((a))
@@ -96,6 +100,33 @@ int ZSTD_pthread_join(ZSTD_pthread_t thread, void** value_ptr);
 #define ZSTD_pthread_create(a, b, c, d) pthread_create((a), (b), (c), (d))
 #define ZSTD_pthread_join(a, b)         pthread_join((a),(b))
 
+#else /* DEBUGLEVEL >= 1 */
+
+/* Debug implementation of threading.
+ * In this implementation we use pointers for mutexes and condition variables.
+ * This way, if we forget to init/destroy them the program will crash or ASAN
+ * will report leaks.
+ */
+
+#define ZSTD_pthread_mutex_t            pthread_mutex_t*
+int ZSTD_pthread_mutex_init(ZSTD_pthread_mutex_t* mutex, pthread_mutexattr_t const* attr);
+int ZSTD_pthread_mutex_destroy(ZSTD_pthread_mutex_t* mutex);
+#define ZSTD_pthread_mutex_lock(a)      pthread_mutex_lock(*(a))
+#define ZSTD_pthread_mutex_unlock(a)    pthread_mutex_unlock(*(a))
+
+#define ZSTD_pthread_cond_t             pthread_cond_t*
+int ZSTD_pthread_cond_init(ZSTD_pthread_cond_t* cond, pthread_condattr_t const* attr);
+int ZSTD_pthread_cond_destroy(ZSTD_pthread_cond_t* cond);
+#define ZSTD_pthread_cond_wait(a, b)    pthread_cond_wait(*(a), *(b))
+#define ZSTD_pthread_cond_signal(a)     pthread_cond_signal(*(a))
+#define ZSTD_pthread_cond_broadcast(a)  pthread_cond_broadcast(*(a))
+
+#define ZSTD_pthread_t                  pthread_t
+#define ZSTD_pthread_create(a, b, c, d) pthread_create((a), (b), (c), (d))
+#define ZSTD_pthread_join(a, b)         pthread_join((a),(b))
+
+#endif
+
 #else  /* ZSTD_MULTITHREAD not defined */
 /* No multithreading support */
 
diff --git a/tests/poolTests.c b/tests/poolTests.c
index 26d57fb5c..02ec62af9 100644
--- a/tests/poolTests.c
+++ b/tests/poolTests.c
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ static int testOrder(size_t numThreads, size_t queueSize)
   POOL_ctx* const ctx = POOL_create(numThreads, queueSize);
   ASSERT_TRUE(ctx);
   data.i = 0;
-  (void)ZSTD_pthread_mutex_init(&data.mutex, NULL);
+  ASSERT_FALSE(ZSTD_pthread_mutex_init(&data.mutex, NULL));
   { size_t i;
     for (i = 0; i < 16; ++i) {
       POOL_add(ctx, &fn, &data);