diff --git a/src/api/l_event.c b/src/api/l_event.c
index 1a792610..1a38d52b 100644
--- a/src/api/l_event.c
+++ b/src/api/l_event.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include "api.h"
 #include "event/event.h"
+#include "thread/thread.h"
 #include "core/platform.h"
 #include "core/ref.h"
 #include <stdlib.h>
@@ -105,7 +106,7 @@ static int nextEvent(lua_State* L) {
     case EVENT_THREAD_ERROR:
       luax_pushtype(L, Thread, event.data.thread.thread);
       lua_pushstring(L, event.data.thread.error);
-      free(event.data.thread.error);
+      lovrRelease(Thread, event.data.thread.thread);
       return 3;
 
     case EVENT_CUSTOM:
diff --git a/src/api/l_thread_module.c b/src/api/l_thread_module.c
index 2c96ade5..ff3ff7b4 100644
--- a/src/api/l_thread_module.c
+++ b/src/api/l_thread_module.c
@@ -13,10 +13,8 @@ static int threadRunner(void* data) {
   lovrRetain(thread);
   mtx_lock(&thread->lock);
   thread->running = true;
-  thread->error = NULL;
   mtx_unlock(&thread->lock);
 
-  // Lua state
   lua_State* L = luaL_newstate();
   luaL_openlibs(L);
   lovrSetErrorCallback((errorFn*) luax_vthrow, L);
@@ -27,23 +25,28 @@ static int threadRunner(void* data) {
   lua_pop(L, 2);
 
   if (luaL_loadbuffer(L, thread->body->data, thread->body->size, "thread") || lua_pcall(L, 0, 0, 0)) {
-    thread->error = lua_tostring(L, -1);
+    size_t length;
+    const char* error = lua_tolstring(L, -1, &length);
+    mtx_lock(&thread->lock);
+    thread->error = malloc(length + 1);
+    if (thread->error) {
+      memcpy(thread->error, error, length + 1);
+      lovrEventPush((Event) {
+        .type = EVENT_THREAD_ERROR,
+        .data.thread = { thread, thread->error }
+      });
+    }
+    thread->running = false;
+    mtx_unlock(&thread->lock);
+    lovrRelease(Thread, thread);
+    lua_close(L);
+    return 1;
   }
 
   mtx_lock(&thread->lock);
   thread->running = false;
   mtx_unlock(&thread->lock);
   lovrRelease(Thread, thread);
-
-  if (thread->error) {
-    lovrEventPush((Event) {
-      .type = EVENT_THREAD_ERROR,
-      .data.thread = { thread, strdup(thread->error) }
-    });
-    lua_close(L);
-    return 1;
-  }
-
   lua_close(L);
   return 0;
 }
@@ -54,10 +57,13 @@ static int l_lovrThreadNewThread(lua_State* L) {
     size_t length;
     const char* str = lua_tolstring(L, 1, &length);
     if (memchr(str, '\n', MIN(1024, length))) {
-      blob = lovrBlobCreate(strdup(str), length, "thread code");
+      void* data = malloc(length + 1);
+      lovrAssert(data, "Out of memory");
+      memcpy(data, str, length + 1);
+      blob = lovrBlobCreate(data, length, "thread code");
     } else {
       void* code = lovrFilesystemRead(str, -1, &length);
-      lovrAssert(code, "Could not read thread code from %s", str);
+      lovrAssert(code, "Could not read thread code from file '%s'", str);
       blob = lovrBlobCreate(code, length, str);
     }
   } else {
diff --git a/src/modules/event/event.c b/src/modules/event/event.c
index c9edc17e..75f92608 100644
--- a/src/modules/event/event.c
+++ b/src/modules/event/event.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include "platform.h"
 #include "core/arr.h"
 #include "core/ref.h"
+#include "core/util.h"
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
@@ -36,6 +37,10 @@ void lovrEventPump() {
 }
 
 void lovrEventPush(Event event) {
+  if (event.type == EVENT_THREAD_ERROR) {
+    lovrRetain(event.data.thread.thread);
+  }
+
   arr_push(&state.events, event);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/modules/headset/oculus_mobile.c b/src/modules/headset/oculus_mobile.c
index 95d5cba3..dc7012eb 100644
--- a/src/modules/headset/oculus_mobile.c
+++ b/src/modules/headset/oculus_mobile.c
@@ -432,7 +432,10 @@ void bridgeLovrInit(BridgeLovrInitData *initData) {
   bridgeLovrMobileData.deviceType = initData->deviceType;
 
   free(apkPath);
-  apkPath = strdup(initData->apkPath);
+  size_t length = strlen(initData->apkPath);
+  apkPath = malloc(length + 1);
+  lovrAssert(apkPath, "Out of memory");
+  memcpy(apkPath, initData->apkPath, length + 1);
 
   bridgeLovrInitState();
 
diff --git a/src/modules/thread/thread.c b/src/modules/thread/thread.c
index 994afad7..46deace4 100644
--- a/src/modules/thread/thread.c
+++ b/src/modules/thread/thread.c
@@ -44,8 +44,6 @@ Thread* lovrThreadInit(Thread* thread, int (*runner)(void*), Blob* body) {
   lovrRetain(body);
   thread->runner = runner;
   thread->body = body;
-  thread->error = NULL;
-  thread->running = false;
   mtx_init(&thread->lock, mtx_plain);
   return thread;
 }
@@ -55,6 +53,7 @@ void lovrThreadDestroy(void* ref) {
   mtx_destroy(&thread->lock);
   thrd_detach(thread->handle);
   lovrRelease(Blob, thread->body);
+  free(thread->error);
 }
 
 void lovrThreadStart(Thread* thread) {
@@ -64,10 +63,9 @@ void lovrThreadStart(Thread* thread) {
     return;
   }
 
-  if (thrd_create(&thread->handle, thread->runner, thread) != thrd_success) {
-    lovrThrow("Could not create thread...sorry");
-    return;
-  }
+  free(thread->error);
+  thread->error = NULL;
+  lovrAssert(thrd_create(&thread->handle, thread->runner, thread) == thrd_success, "Could not create thread...sorry");
 }
 
 void lovrThreadWait(Thread* thread) {
diff --git a/src/modules/thread/thread.h b/src/modules/thread/thread.h
index 96fc4db8..78dfc8ff 100644
--- a/src/modules/thread/thread.h
+++ b/src/modules/thread/thread.h
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ typedef struct Thread {
   mtx_t lock;
   Blob* body;
   int (*runner)(void*);
-  const char* error;
+  char* error;
   bool running;
 } Thread;