diff --git a/lib/vector-buffers/src/lib.rs b/lib/vector-buffers/src/lib.rs
index 7031848daafb7..4b5334674ffa3 100644
--- a/lib/vector-buffers/src/lib.rs
+++ b/lib/vector-buffers/src/lib.rs
@@ -147,7 +147,10 @@ where
     T: Send + 'static,
 {
     #[cfg(tokio_unstable)]
-    return tokio::task::Builder::new().name(_name).spawn(task);
+    return tokio::task::Builder::new()
+        .name(_name)
+        .spawn(task)
+        .expect("tokio task should spawn");
 
     #[cfg(not(tokio_unstable))]
     tokio::spawn(task)
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index a6568cf3523a8..b133205c844b9 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -223,7 +223,10 @@ where
     T: Send + 'static,
 {
     #[cfg(tokio_unstable)]
-    return tokio::task::Builder::new().name(_name).spawn(task);
+    return tokio::task::Builder::new()
+        .name(_name)
+        .spawn(task)
+        .expect("tokio task should spawn");
 
     #[cfg(not(tokio_unstable))]
     tokio::spawn(task)