diff --git a/packages/emnapi/src/core/init.ts b/packages/emnapi/src/core/init.ts
index 3989c1f7..17036b14 100644
--- a/packages/emnapi/src/core/init.ts
+++ b/packages/emnapi/src/core/init.ts
@@ -471,6 +471,6 @@ export var PThread = {
     }
     const worker = PThread.allocateUnusedWorker()
     PThread.loadWasmModuleToWorker(worker)
-    return worker
+    return PThread.unusedWorkers.pop()
   }
 }