diff --git a/doc/api/errors.md b/doc/api/errors.md
index 2e2033a1e583ad..8de1b49e260ea1 100644
--- a/doc/api/errors.md
+++ b/doc/api/errors.md
@@ -2007,6 +2007,11 @@ meaning of the error depends on the specific function.
 
 The WASI instance has already started.
 
+<a id="ERR_WORKER_INIT_FAILED"></a>
+### `ERR_WORKER_INIT_FAILED`
+
+The `Worker` initialization failed.
+
 <a id="ERR_WORKER_INVALID_EXEC_ARGV"></a>
 ### `ERR_WORKER_INVALID_EXEC_ARGV`
 
diff --git a/lib/internal/errors.js b/lib/internal/errors.js
index ac42b07f095b44..7611e461ad69f7 100644
--- a/lib/internal/errors.js
+++ b/lib/internal/errors.js
@@ -1344,11 +1344,12 @@ E('ERR_VM_MODULE_NOT_MODULE',
   'Provided module is not an instance of Module', Error);
 E('ERR_VM_MODULE_STATUS', 'Module status %s', Error);
 E('ERR_WASI_ALREADY_STARTED', 'WASI instance has already started', Error);
+E('ERR_WORKER_INIT_FAILED', 'Worker initialization failure: %s', Error);
 E('ERR_WORKER_INVALID_EXEC_ARGV', (errors, msg = 'invalid execArgv flags') =>
   `Initiated Worker with ${msg}: ${errors.join(', ')}`,
   Error);
-E('ERR_WORKER_OUT_OF_MEMORY', 'Worker terminated due to reaching memory limit',
-  Error);
+E('ERR_WORKER_OUT_OF_MEMORY',
+  'Worker terminated due to reaching memory limit: %s', Error);
 E('ERR_WORKER_PATH',
   'The worker script filename must be an absolute path or a relative ' +
   'path starting with \'./\' or \'../\'. Received "%s"',
diff --git a/lib/internal/worker.js b/lib/internal/worker.js
index 1c02f3a8f5b9e6..9924554ff96c8d 100644
--- a/lib/internal/worker.js
+++ b/lib/internal/worker.js
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ const {
   ERR_WORKER_UNSUPPORTED_EXTENSION,
   ERR_WORKER_INVALID_EXEC_ARGV,
   ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE,
+  // eslint-disable-next-line no-unused-vars
+  ERR_WORKER_INIT_FAILED,
 } = errorCodes;
 const { validateString } = require('internal/validators');
 const { getOptionValue } = require('internal/options');
@@ -135,7 +137,9 @@ class Worker extends EventEmitter {
       throw new ERR_WORKER_INVALID_EXEC_ARGV(
         this[kHandle].invalidNodeOptions, 'invalid NODE_OPTIONS env variable');
     }
-    this[kHandle].onexit = (code, customErr) => this[kOnExit](code, customErr);
+    this[kHandle].onexit = (code, customErr, customErrReason) => {
+      this[kOnExit](code, customErr, customErrReason);
+    };
     this[kPort] = this[kHandle].messagePort;
     this[kPort].on('message', (data) => this[kOnMessage](data));
     this[kPort].start();
@@ -180,14 +184,15 @@ class Worker extends EventEmitter {
     this[kHandle].startThread();
   }
 
-  [kOnExit](code, customErr) {
+  [kOnExit](code, customErr, customErrReason) {
     debug(`[${threadId}] hears end event for Worker ${this.threadId}`);
     drainMessagePort(this[kPublicPort]);
     drainMessagePort(this[kPort]);
     this[kDispose]();
     if (customErr) {
-      debug(`[${threadId}] failing with custom error ${customErr}`);
-      this.emit('error', new errorCodes[customErr]());
+      debug(`[${threadId}] failing with custom error ${customErr} \
+        and with reason {customErrReason}`);
+      this.emit('error', new errorCodes[customErr](customErrReason));
     }
     this.emit('exit', code);
     this.removeAllListeners();
diff --git a/src/node_worker.cc b/src/node_worker.cc
index 30d3a138b16cf7..1cf02b19619984 100644
--- a/src/node_worker.cc
+++ b/src/node_worker.cc
@@ -138,7 +138,16 @@ class WorkerThreadData {
  public:
   explicit WorkerThreadData(Worker* w)
     : w_(w) {
-    CHECK_EQ(uv_loop_init(&loop_), 0);
+    int ret = uv_loop_init(&loop_);
+    if (ret != 0) {
+      char err_buf[128];
+      uv_err_name_r(ret, err_buf, sizeof(err_buf));
+      w->custom_error_ = "ERR_WORKER_INIT_FAILED";
+      w->custom_error_str_ = err_buf;
+      w->loop_init_failed_ = true;
+      w->stopped_ = true;
+      return;
+    }
 
     Isolate::CreateParams params;
     SetIsolateCreateParamsForNode(&params);
@@ -149,6 +158,8 @@ class WorkerThreadData {
     Isolate* isolate = Isolate::Allocate();
     if (isolate == nullptr) {
       w->custom_error_ = "ERR_WORKER_OUT_OF_MEMORY";
+      w->custom_error_str_ = "Failed to create new Isolate";
+      w->stopped_ = true;
       return;
     }
 
@@ -206,11 +217,14 @@ class WorkerThreadData {
       isolate->Dispose();
 
       // Wait until the platform has cleaned up all relevant resources.
-      while (!platform_finished)
+      while (!platform_finished) {
+        CHECK(!w_->loop_init_failed_);
         uv_run(&loop_, UV_RUN_ONCE);
+      }
+    }
+    if (!w_->loop_init_failed_) {
+      CheckedUvLoopClose(&loop_);
     }
-
-    CheckedUvLoopClose(&loop_);
   }
 
  private:
@@ -225,6 +239,7 @@ size_t Worker::NearHeapLimit(void* data, size_t current_heap_limit,
                              size_t initial_heap_limit) {
   Worker* worker = static_cast<Worker*>(data);
   worker->custom_error_ = "ERR_WORKER_OUT_OF_MEMORY";
+  worker->custom_error_str_ = "JS heap out of memory";
   worker->Exit(1);
   // Give the current GC some extra leeway to let it finish rather than
   // crash hard. We are not going to perform further allocations anyway.
@@ -244,6 +259,7 @@ void Worker::Run() {
 
   WorkerThreadData data(this);
   if (isolate_ == nullptr) return;
+  CHECK(!data.w_->loop_init_failed_);
 
   Debug(this, "Starting worker with id %llu", thread_id_);
   {
@@ -289,9 +305,8 @@ void Worker::Run() {
         TryCatch try_catch(isolate_);
         context = NewContext(isolate_);
         if (context.IsEmpty()) {
-          // TODO(addaleax): Inform the target about the actual underlying
-          // failure.
           custom_error_ = "ERR_WORKER_OUT_OF_MEMORY";
+          custom_error_str_ = "Failed to create new Context";
           return;
         }
       }
@@ -421,10 +436,14 @@ void Worker::JoinThread() {
                   Undefined(env()->isolate())).Check();
 
     Local<Value> args[] = {
-      Integer::New(env()->isolate(), exit_code_),
-      custom_error_ != nullptr ?
-          OneByteString(env()->isolate(), custom_error_).As<Value>() :
-          Null(env()->isolate()).As<Value>(),
+        Integer::New(env()->isolate(), exit_code_),
+        custom_error_ != nullptr
+            ? OneByteString(env()->isolate(), custom_error_).As<Value>()
+            : Null(env()->isolate()).As<Value>(),
+        !custom_error_str_.empty()
+            ? OneByteString(env()->isolate(), custom_error_str_.c_str())
+                  .As<Value>()
+            : Null(env()->isolate()).As<Value>(),
     };
 
     MakeCallback(env()->onexit_string(), arraysize(args), args);
diff --git a/src/node_worker.h b/src/node_worker.h
index 3a15a1d3dbbd7f..ff2864e3193174 100644
--- a/src/node_worker.h
+++ b/src/node_worker.h
@@ -87,6 +87,8 @@ class Worker : public AsyncWrap {
 
   bool thread_joined_ = true;
   const char* custom_error_ = nullptr;
+  std::string custom_error_str_;
+  bool loop_init_failed_ = false;
   int exit_code_ = 0;
   uint64_t thread_id_ = -1;
   uintptr_t stack_base_ = 0;
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-worker-resource-limits.js b/test/parallel/test-worker-resource-limits.js
index 2d4ebbc0ce6011..9332a132694e78 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-worker-resource-limits.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-worker-resource-limits.js
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ if (!process.env.HAS_STARTED_WORKER) {
   }));
   w.on('error', common.expectsError({
     code: 'ERR_WORKER_OUT_OF_MEMORY',
-    message: 'Worker terminated due to reaching memory limit'
+    message: 'Worker terminated due to reaching memory limit: ' +
+    'JS heap out of memory'
   }));
   return;
 }