diff --git a/src/evhelper.cpp b/src/evhelper.cpp
index 101c955..f7a19ac 100644
--- a/src/evhelper.cpp
+++ b/src/evhelper.cpp
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ struct evbase::Pvt : public epicsThreadRunable
                 epicsThreadGetStackSize(epicsThreadStackBig),
                 prio)
     {
-        epicsThreadOnce(&evthread_once, &evthread_init, nullptr);
+        threadOnce(&evthread_once, &evthread_init, nullptr);
 
         worker.start();
         start_sync.wait();
diff --git a/src/log.cpp b/src/log.cpp
index a542d43..9645b76 100644
--- a/src/log.cpp
+++ b/src/log.cpp
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ Level logger::init()
         if(this->lvl.compare_exchange_strong(lvl, Level::Warn)) {
             // logger now has default config of Level::Err
             // we will fully initialize
-            epicsThreadOnce(&logger_once, &logger_prepare, nullptr);
+            threadOnce(&logger_once, &logger_prepare, nullptr);
             assert(logger_gbl);
 
             Guard G(logger_gbl->lock);
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ void xerrlogHexPrintf(const void *buf, size_t buflen)
 
 void logger_level_set(const char *name, int lvl)
 {
-    epicsThreadOnce(&logger_once, &logger_prepare, nullptr);
+    threadOnce(&logger_once, &logger_prepare, nullptr);
     assert(logger_gbl);
 
     Guard G(logger_gbl->lock);
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ void logger_level_set(const char *name, int lvl)
 
 void logger_level_clear()
 {
-    epicsThreadOnce(&logger_once, &logger_prepare, nullptr);
+    threadOnce(&logger_once, &logger_prepare, nullptr);
     assert(logger_gbl);
 
     Guard G(logger_gbl->lock);
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ void logger_config_env()
     if(!env || !*env)
         return;
 
-    epicsThreadOnce(&logger_once, &logger_prepare, nullptr);
+    threadOnce(&logger_once, &logger_prepare, nullptr);
 
     Guard G(logger_gbl->lock);
 
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ namespace pvxs {namespace impl {
 
 void logger_shutdown()
 {
-    epicsThreadOnce(&logger_once, &logger_prepare, nullptr);
+    threadOnce(&logger_once, &logger_prepare, nullptr);
 
     errlogFlush();
 
diff --git a/src/udp_collector.cpp b/src/udp_collector.cpp
index 166c580..a7faf67 100644
--- a/src/udp_collector.cpp
+++ b/src/udp_collector.cpp
@@ -491,17 +491,13 @@ epicsThreadOnceId collector_once = EPICS_THREAD_ONCE_INIT;
 void collector_init(void *unused)
 {
     (void)unused;
-    try {
-        udp_gbl = new udp_gbl_t;
-    }catch(std::exception& e){
-        log_exc_printf(logsetup, "Unable to alloc udp_gbl: %s\n", e.what());
-    }
+    udp_gbl = new udp_gbl_t;
 }
 } // namespace
 
 UDPManager UDPManager::instance()
 {
-    epicsThreadOnce(&collector_once, &collector_init, nullptr);
+    threadOnce(&collector_once, &collector_init, nullptr);
     assert(udp_gbl);
 
     Guard G(udp_gbl->lock);
diff --git a/src/util.cpp b/src/util.cpp
index cd10964..18ad8a3 100644
--- a/src/util.cpp
+++ b/src/util.cpp
@@ -439,6 +439,31 @@ std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& strm, const SockAddr& addr)
 
 namespace pvxs {namespace impl {
 
+struct onceArgs {
+    EPICSTHREADFUNC fn;
+    void *arg;
+    std::exception_ptr err;
+};
+
+static
+void onceWrapper(void *raw)
+{
+    auto args = static_cast<onceArgs*>(raw);
+    try {
+        args->fn(args->arg);
+    }catch(...){
+        args->err = std::current_exception();
+    }
+}
+
+void threadOnce(epicsThreadOnceId *id, EPICSTHREADFUNC fn, void *arg)
+{
+    onceArgs args{fn, arg};
+    epicsThreadOnce(id, &onceWrapper, &args);
+    if(args.err)
+        std::rethrow_exception(args.err);
+}
+
 template<>
 double parseTo<double>(const std::string& s) {
     size_t idx=0, L=s.size();
diff --git a/src/utilpvt.h b/src/utilpvt.h
index 254f0c8..31d5742 100644
--- a/src/utilpvt.h
+++ b/src/utilpvt.h
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@
 #  endif
 #endif
 
+#include <epicsThread.h>
+
 namespace pvxs {namespace impl {
 
 //! in-line string builder (eg. for exception messages)
@@ -53,6 +55,9 @@ struct SB {
     SB& operator<<(const T& i) { strm<<i; return *this; }
 };
 
+
+void threadOnce(epicsThreadOnceId *id, EPICSTHREADFUNC fn, void *arg);
+
 namespace idetail {
 template <typename I>
 struct Range {