diff --git a/src/job_token.rs b/src/job_token.rs
index c485f8b..97867e5 100644
--- a/src/job_token.rs
+++ b/src/job_token.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use jobserver::{Acquired, Client, HelperThread};
+use jobserver::{Acquired, Client};
 use std::{
     env,
     sync::{
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ impl JobToken {
 /// Furthermore, instead of giving up job tokens, it keeps them around
 /// for reuse if we know we're going to request another token after freeing the current one.
 pub(crate) struct JobTokenServer {
-    helper: HelperThread,
+    client: Client,
     tx: Sender<Option<Acquired>>,
     rx: Receiver<Option<Acquired>>,
 }
@@ -52,26 +52,21 @@ impl JobTokenServer {
         // Push the implicit token. Since JobTokens only give back what they got,
         // there should be at most one global implicit token in the wild.
         tx.send(None).unwrap();
-        let pool = tx.clone();
-        let helper = client.into_helper_thread(move |acq| {
-            let _ = pool.send(Some(acq.unwrap()));
-        })?;
-        Ok(Self { helper, tx, rx })
+        Ok(Self { client, tx, rx })
     }
 
-    pub(crate) fn acquire(&mut self) -> JobToken {
+    pub(crate) fn acquire(&mut self) -> Result<JobToken, crate::Error> {
         let token = if let Ok(token) = self.rx.try_recv() {
             // Opportunistically check if there's a token that can be reused.
             token
         } else {
             // Cold path, request a token and block
-            self.helper.request_token();
-            self.rx.recv().unwrap()
+            Some(self.client.acquire()?)
         };
-        JobToken {
+        Ok(JobToken {
             token,
             pool: Some(self.tx.clone()),
-        }
+        })
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 4be1367..b4e40e4 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -1429,7 +1429,7 @@ impl Build {
         let mut tokens = crate::job_token::JobTokenServer::new(server)?;
         for obj in objs {
             let (mut cmd, program) = self.create_compile_object_cmd(obj)?;
-            let token = tokens.acquire();
+            let token = tokens.acquire()?;
             let child = spawn(&mut cmd, &program, print.pipe_writer_cloned()?.unwrap())?;
 
             tx.send((cmd, program, KillOnDrop(child), token))