diff --git a/src/vlibapi/api_common.h b/src/vlibapi/api_common.h
index 98fcbde..bb19970 100644
--- a/src/vlibapi/api_common.h
+++ b/src/vlibapi/api_common.h
@@ -340,6 +340,9 @@
   /** List of API client reaper functions */
   _vl_msg_api_function_list_elt_t *reaper_function_registrations;
 
+  /** Bin API thread handle */
+  pthread_t rx_thread_handle;
+
   /** event log */
   elog_main_t *elog_main;
   int elog_trace_api_messages;
diff --git a/src/vlibmemory/memory_client.c b/src/vlibmemory/memory_client.c
index f032ae7..25c01f1 100644
--- a/src/vlibmemory/memory_client.c
+++ b/src/vlibmemory/memory_client.c
@@ -394,6 +394,7 @@
 {
   int rv = 0;
   memory_client_main_t *mm = &memory_client_main;
+  api_main_t *am = &api_main;
 
   if (do_map && (rv = vl_client_api_map (svm_name)))
     {
@@ -415,7 +416,14 @@
       rv = pthread_create (&mm->rx_thread_handle,
 			   NULL /*attr */ , rx_thread_fn, 0);
       if (rv)
-	clib_warning ("pthread_create returned %d", rv);
+	{
+	  clib_warning ("pthread_create returned %d", rv);
+	  am->rx_thread_handle = 0;
+	}
+      else
+	{
+	  am->rx_thread_handle = mm->rx_thread_handle;
+	}
     }
 
   mm->connected_to_vlib = 1;