diff --git a/src/core/ddsc/src/dds_init.c b/src/core/ddsc/src/dds_init.c
index 0ad2486..5e9970d 100644
--- a/src/core/ddsc/src/dds_init.c
+++ b/src/core/ddsc/src/dds_init.c
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ dds_init(void)
   os_mutexInit (&gv.static_logbuf_lock);
   gv.static_logbuf_lock_inited = 1;
   os_mutexInit (&dds_global.m_mutex);
+  thread_states_init_static();
 
   uri = os_getenv (DDSC_PROJECT_NAME_NOSPACE_CAPS"_URI");
   dds_cfgst = config_init (uri);
diff --git a/src/core/ddsi/include/ddsi/q_thread.h b/src/core/ddsi/include/ddsi/q_thread.h
index 4291fd7..8643ceb 100644
--- a/src/core/ddsi/include/ddsi/q_thread.h
+++ b/src/core/ddsi/include/ddsi/q_thread.h
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ struct thread_states {
 extern struct thread_states thread_states;
 extern os_threadLocal struct thread_state1 *tsd_thread_state;
 
+void thread_states_init_static (void);
 void thread_states_init (_In_ unsigned maxthreads);
 void thread_states_fini (void);
 
diff --git a/src/core/ddsi/src/q_log.c b/src/core/ddsi/src/q_log.c
index 1ebd06f..10808cf 100644
--- a/src/core/ddsi/src/q_log.c
+++ b/src/core/ddsi/src/q_log.c
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ static void nn_vlogb (struct thread_state1 *self, const char *fmt, va_list ap)
   logbuf_t lb;
   if (*fmt == 0)
     return;
-  if (self && self->lb)
+  if (self->lb)
     lb = self->lb;
   else
   {
diff --git a/src/core/ddsi/src/q_thread.c b/src/core/ddsi/src/q_thread.c
index 283d724..1aa0419 100644
--- a/src/core/ddsi/src/q_thread.c
+++ b/src/core/ddsi/src/q_thread.c
@@ -56,6 +56,13 @@ static void os_free_aligned ( _Pre_maybenull_ _Post_invalid_ void *ptr)
   }
 }
 
+void thread_states_init_static (void)
+{
+    static struct thread_state1 ts =
+        { .state = THREAD_STATE_ALIVE, .vtime = 1, .watchdog = 1, .lb = NULL, .name = "(anon)" };
+    tsd_thread_state = &ts;
+}
+
 void thread_states_init (_In_ unsigned maxthreads)
 {
   unsigned i;
@@ -324,7 +331,7 @@ void downgrade_main_thread (void)
   logbuf_free (ts1->lb);
   /* no need to sync with service lease: already stopped */
   reap_thread_state (ts1, 0);
-  tsd_thread_state = NULL;
+  thread_states_init_static ();
 }
 
 struct thread_state1 *get_thread_state (_In_ os_threadId id)