diff --git a/src/init.c b/src/init.c
index b934f5fd..e12ac5d6 100644
--- a/src/init.c
+++ b/src/init.c
@@ -132,18 +132,13 @@ static const mi_tld_t tld_empty = {
 // the thread-local default heap for allocation
 mi_decl_thread mi_heap_t* _mi_heap_default = (mi_heap_t*)&_mi_heap_empty;
 
-
-
-#define tld_main_stats  ((mi_stats_t*)((uint8_t*)&tld_main + offsetof(mi_tld_t,stats)))
-#define tld_main_os     ((mi_os_tld_t*)((uint8_t*)&tld_main + offsetof(mi_tld_t,os)))
-
 extern mi_heap_t _mi_heap_main;
 
 static mi_tld_t tld_main = {
   0, false,
   &_mi_heap_main, & _mi_heap_main,
-  { MI_SEGMENT_SPAN_QUEUES_EMPTY, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, NULL, tld_main_stats, tld_main_os }, // segments
-  { 0, tld_main_stats },  // os
+  { MI_SEGMENT_SPAN_QUEUES_EMPTY, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, NULL, &tld_main.stats, &tld_main.os }, // segments
+  { 0, &tld_main.stats },  // os
   { MI_STATS_NULL }       // stats
 };
 
@@ -205,10 +200,15 @@ static bool _mi_heap_init(void) {
   }
   else {
     // use `_mi_os_alloc` to allocate directly from the OS
-    mi_thread_data_t* td = (mi_thread_data_t*)_mi_os_alloc(sizeof(mi_thread_data_t),&_mi_stats_main); // Todo: more efficient allocation?
+    mi_thread_data_t* td = (mi_thread_data_t*)_mi_os_alloc(sizeof(mi_thread_data_t), &_mi_stats_main); // Todo: more efficient allocation?
     if (td == NULL) {
-      _mi_error_message(ENOMEM, "failed to allocate thread local heap memory\n");
-      return false;
+      // if this fails, try once more. (issue #257)
+      td = (mi_thread_data_t*)_mi_os_alloc(sizeof(mi_thread_data_t), &_mi_stats_main);
+      if (td == NULL) {
+        // really out of memory
+        _mi_error_message(ENOMEM, "unable to allocate thread local heap metadata (%zu bytes)\n", sizeof(mi_thread_data_t));
+        return false;
+      }
     }
     // OS allocated so already zero initialized
     mi_tld_t*  tld = &td->tld;
@@ -371,7 +371,8 @@ void mi_thread_init(void) mi_attr_noexcept
   // don't further initialize for the main thread
   if (_mi_is_main_thread()) return;
 
-  _mi_stat_increase(&mi_get_default_heap()->tld->stats.threads, 1);
+  mi_heap_t* heap = mi_get_default_heap();
+  if (mi_heap_is_initialized(heap)) { _mi_stat_increase(&mi_get_default_heap()->tld->stats.threads, 1); }
 
   //_mi_verbose_message("thread init: 0x%zx\n", _mi_thread_id());
 }
diff --git a/src/page.c b/src/page.c
index 8b74c47d..97438d75 100644
--- a/src/page.c
+++ b/src/page.c
@@ -841,6 +841,7 @@ void* _mi_malloc_generic(mi_heap_t* heap, size_t size) mi_attr_noexcept
   if (mi_unlikely(!mi_heap_is_initialized(heap))) {
     mi_thread_init(); // calls `_mi_heap_init` in turn
     heap = mi_get_default_heap();
+    if (mi_unlikely(!mi_heap_is_initialized(heap))) { return NULL; }
   }
   mi_assert_internal(mi_heap_is_initialized(heap));