diff --git a/src/core/worker.c b/src/core/worker.c
index 6338834413..db9977a91f 100644
--- a/src/core/worker.c
+++ b/src/core/worker.c
@@ -96,13 +96,10 @@ QuicWorkerInitialize(
     Worker->ExecutionContext.NextTimeUs = UINT64_MAX;
     Worker->ExecutionContext.Ready = TRUE;
 
-#ifndef _KERNEL_MODE // Not supported on kernel mode
     if (ExecProfile != QUIC_EXECUTION_PROFILE_TYPE_MAX_THROUGHPUT) {
         Worker->IsExternal = TRUE;
         CxPlatAddExecutionContext(&MsQuicLib.WorkerPool, &Worker->ExecutionContext, PartitionIndex);
-    } else
-#endif // _KERNEL_MODE
-    {
+    } else {
         uint16_t ThreadFlags;
         switch (ExecProfile) {
         default:
diff --git a/src/inc/quic_platform.h b/src/inc/quic_platform.h
index 4b265bf302..a0643d3110 100644
--- a/src/inc/quic_platform.h
+++ b/src/inc/quic_platform.h
@@ -436,11 +436,13 @@ typedef struct CXPLAT_WORKER_POOL {
 
 } CXPLAT_WORKER_POOL;
 
+_IRQL_requires_max_(PASSIVE_LEVEL)
 void
 CxPlatWorkerPoolInit(
     _In_ CXPLAT_WORKER_POOL* WorkerPool
     );
 
+_IRQL_requires_max_(PASSIVE_LEVEL)
 void
 CxPlatWorkerPoolUninit(
     _In_ CXPLAT_WORKER_POOL* WorkerPool
@@ -519,6 +521,7 @@ typedef struct CXPLAT_EXECUTION_CONTEXT {
 
 } CXPLAT_EXECUTION_CONTEXT;
 
+_IRQL_requires_max_(PASSIVE_LEVEL)
 void
 CxPlatAddExecutionContext(
     _In_ CXPLAT_WORKER_POOL* WorkerPool,
@@ -526,6 +529,7 @@ CxPlatAddExecutionContext(
     _In_ uint16_t Index // Into the execution config processor array
     );
 
+_IRQL_requires_max_(PASSIVE_LEVEL)
 void
 CxPlatWakeExecutionContext(
     _In_ CXPLAT_EXECUTION_CONTEXT* Context
diff --git a/src/inc/quic_platform_winkernel.h b/src/inc/quic_platform_winkernel.h
index 18840d5be6..60fbdecc4b 100644
--- a/src/inc/quic_platform_winkernel.h
+++ b/src/inc/quic_platform_winkernel.h
@@ -514,6 +514,7 @@ typedef struct CXPLAT_SQE {
     XDP_OVERLAPPED Overlapped;
 } CXPLAT_SQE;
 
+_IRQL_requires_max_(PASSIVE_LEVEL)
 inline
 BOOLEAN
 CxPlatEventQInitialize(
@@ -526,6 +527,7 @@ CxPlatEventQInitialize(
     return TRUE;
 }
 
+_IRQL_requires_max_(PASSIVE_LEVEL)
 inline
 void
 CxPlatEventQCleanup(
@@ -537,6 +539,7 @@ CxPlatEventQCleanup(
     CxPlatLockUninitialize(&queue->Lock);
 }
 
+_IRQL_requires_max_(PASSIVE_LEVEL)
 inline
 BOOLEAN
 CxPlatEventQAssociateHandle(
@@ -578,6 +581,7 @@ CxPlatEventQEnqueue(
     return TRUE;
 }
 
+_IRQL_requires_max_(PASSIVE_LEVEL)
 inline
 uint32_t
 CxPlatEventQDequeue(
@@ -617,6 +621,7 @@ CxPlatEventQDequeue(
     return EventsDequeued;
 }
 
+_IRQL_requires_max_(PASSIVE_LEVEL)
 inline
 void
 CxPlatEventQReturn(
diff --git a/src/platform/datapath_winkernel.c b/src/platform/datapath_winkernel.c
index d06ec1e963..f61bda2ff8 100644
--- a/src/platform/datapath_winkernel.c
+++ b/src/platform/datapath_winkernel.c
@@ -688,6 +688,11 @@ DataPathInitialize(
         goto Exit;
     }
 
+    if (!CxPlatWorkerPoolLazyStart(WorkerPool, Config)) {
+        Status = QUIC_STATUS_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
+        goto Exit;
+    }
+
     DatapathLength =
         sizeof(CXPLAT_DATAPATH) +
         CxPlatProcCount() * sizeof(CXPLAT_DATAPATH_PROC_CONTEXT);
diff --git a/src/platform/platform.kernel.vcxproj b/src/platform/platform.kernel.vcxproj
index 03e1df6a61..5676ee7fb6 100644
--- a/src/platform/platform.kernel.vcxproj
+++ b/src/platform/platform.kernel.vcxproj
@@ -30,10 +30,10 @@
     <ClCompile Include="datapath_raw_socket_common.c" />
     <ClCompile Include="datapath_raw_socket_win.c" />
     <ClCompile Include="datapath_raw_xdp_winkernel.c" />
-    <ClCompile Include="platform_worker.c" />
     <ClCompile Include="hashtable.c" />
     <ClCompile Include="pcp.c" />
     <ClCompile Include="platform_winkernel.c" />
+    <ClCompile Include="platform_worker.c" />
     <ClCompile Include="storage_winkernel.c" />
     <ClCompile Include="tls_schannel.c" />
     <ClCompile Include="toeplitz.c" />
diff --git a/src/platform/platform_internal.h b/src/platform/platform_internal.h
index e5815aba69..50a7b6adfd 100644
--- a/src/platform/platform_internal.h
+++ b/src/platform/platform_internal.h
@@ -802,8 +802,9 @@ CxPlatCryptUninitialize(
 
 //
 // Platform Worker APIs
-// 
+//
 
+_IRQL_requires_max_(PASSIVE_LEVEL)
 BOOLEAN
 CxPlatWorkerPoolLazyStart(
     _In_ CXPLAT_WORKER_POOL* WorkerPool,
diff --git a/src/platform/platform_worker.c b/src/platform/platform_worker.c
index 8645efb626..d65fab8c6a 100644
--- a/src/platform/platform_worker.c
+++ b/src/platform/platform_worker.c
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ typedef struct QUIC_CACHEALIGN CXPLAT_WORKER {
 
 CXPLAT_THREAD_CALLBACK(CxPlatWorkerThread, Context);
 
+_IRQL_requires_max_(PASSIVE_LEVEL)
 void
 CxPlatWorkerPoolInit(
     _In_ CXPLAT_WORKER_POOL* WorkerPool
@@ -323,7 +324,7 @@ CxPlatWorkerPoolUninit(
     CxPlatLockUninitialize(&WorkerPool->WorkerLock);
 }
 
-#ifndef _KERNEL_MODE
+#ifndef _KERNEL_MODE // Not supported on kernel mode
 
 #define DYNAMIC_POOL_PROCESSING_PERIOD  1000000 // 1 second
 #define DYNAMIC_POOL_PRUNE_COUNT        8
@@ -387,7 +388,7 @@ CxPlatProcessDynamicPoolAllocators(
     CxPlatLockRelease(&Worker->ECLock);
 }
 
-#endif
+#endif // _KERNEL_MODE
 
 CXPLAT_EVENTQ*
 CxPlatWorkerPoolGetEventQ(
@@ -400,6 +401,7 @@ CxPlatWorkerPoolGetEventQ(
     return &WorkerPool->Workers[Index].EventQ;
 }
 
+_IRQL_requires_max_(PASSIVE_LEVEL)
 void
 CxPlatAddExecutionContext(
     _In_ CXPLAT_WORKER_POOL* WorkerPool,
@@ -426,6 +428,7 @@ CxPlatAddExecutionContext(
     }
 }
 
+_IRQL_requires_max_(PASSIVE_LEVEL)
 void
 CxPlatWakeExecutionContext(
     _In_ CXPLAT_EXECUTION_CONTEXT* Context
@@ -437,6 +440,7 @@ CxPlatWakeExecutionContext(
     }
 }
 
+_IRQL_requires_max_(PASSIVE_LEVEL)
 void
 CxPlatUpdateExecutionContexts(
     _In_ CXPLAT_WORKER* Worker
@@ -458,6 +462,7 @@ CxPlatUpdateExecutionContexts(
     }
 }
 
+_IRQL_requires_max_(PASSIVE_LEVEL)
 void
 CxPlatRunExecutionContexts(
     _In_ CXPLAT_WORKER* Worker,
@@ -515,6 +520,7 @@ CxPlatRunExecutionContexts(
     }
 }
 
+_IRQL_requires_max_(PASSIVE_LEVEL)
 BOOLEAN
 CxPlatProcessEvents(
     _In_ CXPLAT_WORKER* Worker,
@@ -599,12 +605,12 @@ CXPLAT_THREAD_CALLBACK(CxPlatWorkerThread, Context)
             State.NoWorkCount = 0;
         }
 
-#ifndef _KERNEL_MODE
+#ifndef _KERNEL_MODE // Unnecessary on kernel mode
         if (State.TimeNow - State.LastPoolProcessTime > DYNAMIC_POOL_PROCESSING_PERIOD) {
             CxPlatProcessDynamicPoolAllocators(Worker);
             State.LastPoolProcessTime = State.TimeNow;
         }
-#endif
+#endif // _KERNEL_MODE
     }
 
 Shutdown: