diff --git a/stdlib/Distributed/src/cluster.jl b/stdlib/Distributed/src/cluster.jl
index 9bdfde7f920d4b..eb4fa3183d800c 100644
--- a/stdlib/Distributed/src/cluster.jl
+++ b/stdlib/Distributed/src/cluster.jl
@@ -524,6 +524,7 @@ default_addprocs_params() = Dict{Symbol,Any}(
 
 function setup_launched_worker(manager, wconfig, launched_q)
     pid = create_worker(manager, wconfig)
+    (pid == 0) && return
     push!(launched_q, pid)
 
     # When starting workers on remote multi-core hosts, `launch` can (optionally) start only one
@@ -561,8 +562,10 @@ function launch_n_additional_processes(manager, frompid, fromconfig, cnt, launch
             let wconfig=wconfig
                 @async begin
                     pid = create_worker(manager, wconfig)
-                    remote_do(redirect_output_from_additional_worker, frompid, pid, port)
-                    push!(launched_q, pid)
+                    if pid !== 0
+                        remote_do(redirect_output_from_additional_worker, frompid, pid, port)
+                        push!(launched_q, pid)
+                    end
                 end
             end
         end
@@ -603,7 +606,11 @@ function create_worker(manager, wconfig)
 
     # Start a new task to handle inbound messages from connected worker in master.
     # Also calls `wait_connected` on TCP streams.
-    process_messages(w.r_stream, w.w_stream, false)
+    procmsg_task = process_messages(w.r_stream, w.w_stream, false)
+    Timer(1, interval=1) do timer
+        istaskstarted(procmsg_task) && istaskdone(procmsg_task) && put!(rr_ntfy_join, nothing)
+        isready(rr_ntfy_join) && close(timer)
+    end
 
     # send address information of all workers to the new worker.
     # Cluster managers set the address of each worker in `WorkerConfig.connect_at`.
@@ -675,7 +682,7 @@ function create_worker(manager, wconfig)
         delete!(PGRP.refs, ntfy_oid)
     end
 
-    return w.id
+    return istaskdone(procmsg_task) ? 0 : w.id
 end
 
 
diff --git a/stdlib/Distributed/test/distributed_exec.jl b/stdlib/Distributed/test/distributed_exec.jl
index 379a2b5b46fb5b..0deb446a365965 100644
--- a/stdlib/Distributed/test/distributed_exec.jl
+++ b/stdlib/Distributed/test/distributed_exec.jl
@@ -1583,7 +1583,7 @@ end
 
 # Issue # 22865
 # Must be run on a new cluster, i.e., all workers must be in the same state.
-@assert nprocs() == 1
+(nprocs() > 1) && rmprocs(workers())
 p1,p2 = addprocs_with_testenv(2)
 @everywhere f22865(p) = remotecall_fetch(x->x.*2, p, fill(1.,2))
 @test fill(2.,2) == remotecall_fetch(f22865, p1, p2)
@@ -1622,11 +1622,31 @@ function reuseport_tests()
     @test all(in(results), procs())
 end
 
+# Test failure during worker setup
+old_stderr = stderr
+stderr_out, stderr_in = redirect_stderr()
+try
+    (nprocs() > 1) && rmprocs(workers())
+    npids = addprocs(1; topology=:all_to_all, lazy=false)
+    @test length(npids) == 1
+    @test nprocs() == 2
+    lsock = listenany(ip"127.0.0.1", 20000)
+    Distributed.PGRP.workers[2].config.connect_at=("127.0.0.1", lsock[1])
+    close(lsock[2])
+    npids = addprocs_with_testenv(1; topology=:all_to_all, lazy=false)
+    @test length(npids) == 0
+    @test nprocs() == 2
+    (nprocs() > 1) && rmprocs(workers())
+finally
+    redirect_stderr(old_stderr)
+    close(stderr_in)
+end
+
 # Test that the client port is reused. SO_REUSEPORT may not be supported on
 # all UNIX platforms, Linux kernels prior to 3.9 and older versions of OSX
-@assert nprocs() == 1
-addprocs_with_testenv(4; lazy=false)
 if ccall(:jl_has_so_reuseport, Int32, ()) == 1
+    (nprocs() > 1) && rmprocs(workers())
+    addprocs_with_testenv(4; lazy=false)
     reuseport_tests()
 else
     @info "SO_REUSEPORT is unsupported, skipping reuseport tests"
@@ -1686,5 +1706,5 @@ include("splitrange.jl")
 
 # Run topology tests last after removing all workers, since a given
 # cluster at any time only supports a single topology.
-rmprocs(workers())
+(nprocs() > 1) && rmprocs(workers())
 include("topology.jl")