diff --git a/src/pthread/once.cpp b/src/pthread/once.cpp
index 89c62e7b..2cfe7cd1 100644
--- a/src/pthread/once.cpp
+++ b/src/pthread/once.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include <boost/thread/pthread/pthread_mutex_scoped_lock.hpp>
 #include <boost/thread/once.hpp>
 #include <boost/assert.hpp>
+#include <boost/throw_exception.hpp>
 #include <pthread.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <memory>
@@ -67,6 +68,7 @@ namespace boost
             if(!data)
             {
                 data=malloc(sizeof(thread_detail::uintmax_atomic_t));
+                if(!data) BOOST_THROW_EXCEPTION(std::bad_alloc());
                 BOOST_VERIFY(!pthread_setspecific(epoch_tss_key,data));
                 *static_cast<thread_detail::uintmax_atomic_t*>(data)=BOOST_THREAD_DETAIL_UINTMAX_ATOMIC_MAX_C;
             }