diff --git a/common/src/main/java/io/netty/util/concurrent/SingleThreadEventExecutor.java b/common/src/main/java/io/netty/util/concurrent/SingleThreadEventExecutor.java
index 510d05aea4..d1de03fe6e 100644
--- a/common/src/main/java/io/netty/util/concurrent/SingleThreadEventExecutor.java
+++ b/common/src/main/java/io/netty/util/concurrent/SingleThreadEventExecutor.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 package io.netty.util.concurrent;
 
 import io.netty.util.internal.ObjectUtil;
+import io.netty.util.internal.PlatformDependent;
 import io.netty.util.internal.SystemPropertyUtil;
 import io.netty.util.internal.UnstableApi;
 import io.netty.util.internal.logging.InternalLogger;
@@ -582,7 +583,18 @@ public abstract class SingleThreadEventExecutor extends AbstractScheduledEventEx
         gracefulShutdownTimeout = unit.toNanos(timeout);
 
         if (oldState == ST_NOT_STARTED) {
-            doStartThread();
+            try {
+                doStartThread();
+            } catch (Throwable cause) {
+                STATE_UPDATER.set(this, ST_TERMINATED);
+                terminationFuture.tryFailure(cause);
+
+                if (!(cause instanceof Exception)) {
+                    // Also rethrow as it may be an OOME for example
+                    PlatformDependent.throwException(cause);
+                }
+                return terminationFuture;
+            }
         }
 
         if (wakeup) {
@@ -634,7 +646,18 @@ public abstract class SingleThreadEventExecutor extends AbstractScheduledEventEx
         }
 
         if (oldState == ST_NOT_STARTED) {
-            doStartThread();
+            try {
+                doStartThread();
+            } catch (Throwable cause) {
+                STATE_UPDATER.set(this, ST_TERMINATED);
+                terminationFuture.tryFailure(cause);
+
+                if (!(cause instanceof Exception)) {
+                    // Also rethrow as it may be an OOME for example
+                    PlatformDependent.throwException(cause);
+                }
+                return;
+            }
         }
 
         if (wakeup) {
@@ -837,7 +860,12 @@ public abstract class SingleThreadEventExecutor extends AbstractScheduledEventEx
     private void startThread() {
         if (state == ST_NOT_STARTED) {
             if (STATE_UPDATER.compareAndSet(this, ST_NOT_STARTED, ST_STARTED)) {
-                doStartThread();
+                try {
+                    doStartThread();
+                } catch (Throwable cause) {
+                    STATE_UPDATER.set(this, ST_NOT_STARTED);
+                    PlatformDependent.throwException(cause);
+                }
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/common/src/test/java/io/netty/util/concurrent/SingleThreadEventExecutorTest.java b/common/src/test/java/io/netty/util/concurrent/SingleThreadEventExecutorTest.java
index 3be7dc8f83..55981b2406 100644
--- a/common/src/test/java/io/netty/util/concurrent/SingleThreadEventExecutorTest.java
+++ b/common/src/test/java/io/netty/util/concurrent/SingleThreadEventExecutorTest.java
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ import org.junit.Test;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.Callable;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
+import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
 import java.util.concurrent.RejectedExecutionException;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
@@ -28,6 +30,48 @@ import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
 
 public class SingleThreadEventExecutorTest {
 
+    @Test
+    public void testWrappedExecutureIsShutdown() {
+        ExecutorService executorService = Executors.newSingleThreadExecutor();
+
+        SingleThreadEventExecutor executor = new SingleThreadEventExecutor(null, executorService, false) {
+            @Override
+            protected void run() {
+                while (!confirmShutdown()) {
+                    Runnable task = takeTask();
+                    if (task != null) {
+                        task.run();
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        };
+
+        executorService.shutdownNow();
+        executeShouldFail(executor);
+        executeShouldFail(executor);
+        try {
+            executor.shutdownGracefully().syncUninterruptibly();
+            Assert.fail();
+        } catch (RejectedExecutionException expected) {
+            // expected
+        }
+        Assert.assertTrue(executor.isShutdown());
+    }
+
+    private static void executeShouldFail(Executor executor) {
+        try {
+            executor.execute(new Runnable() {
+                @Override
+                public void run() {
+                    // Noop.
+                }
+            });
+            Assert.fail();
+        } catch (RejectedExecutionException expected) {
+            // expected
+        }
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testThreadProperties() {
         final AtomicReference<Thread> threadRef = new AtomicReference<Thread>();