diff --git a/apps/effectcraft-web/js/host.js b/apps/effectcraft-web/js/host.js
index 486865ae..702c5d33 100644
--- a/apps/effectcraft-web/js/host.js
+++ b/apps/effectcraft-web/js/host.js
@@ -348,7 +348,9 @@ export function workerRun(id, json, files, base, onMessage) {
     }
     w.worker.postMessage({ type: "job", json });
   }, (e) => {
+    // The worker didn't start (#216): the job fails and the worker goes.
     running.delete(id);
+    w.worker.terminate();
     onMessage("error", String(e.message || e), null, null);
   });
 }
diff --git a/apps/effectcraft-web/tests/workers.mjs b/apps/effectcraft-web/tests/workers.mjs
index 96e3f1f0..15a77f1d 100644
--- a/apps/effectcraft-web/tests/workers.mjs
+++ b/apps/effectcraft-web/tests/workers.mjs
@@ -1,19 +1,24 @@
-// Job-worker plumbing of the web app (js/host.js) under Node with a fake Worker,
+// Job-worker plumbing of the web app (js/host.js, web/worker.js) under Node with a fake Worker,
 // no browser or Wasm build needed:
 //
 //   node apps/effectcraft-web/tests/workers.mjs
 //
 // - A reused worker is sent a file again when it was replaced, even by one of the same size
 //   (#218), and not when it is unchanged.
+// - A worker whose start fails fails its job and is terminated, instead of the job waiting for
+//   "ready" forever (#216): host.js on the worker's error, worker.js re-raising the failed start.
 // Exits non-zero on failure.
 import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { copyFileSync, mkdtempSync, writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
 import { dirname, join } from "node:path";
 import { fileURLToPath, pathToFileURL } from "node:url";
 
 const here = dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
+const tick = () => new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 0));
 globalThis.self = globalThis;
 
-// A Worker that starts on "init" and finishes each job at once.
+// A Worker that starts (or fails to) on "init" and finishes each job at once.
 let failStart = false;
 const workers = [];
 class FakeWorker {
@@ -53,4 +58,44 @@ assert.equal((await run(3, [["/collision.png", blue, 2]])).kind, "reply");
 assert.equal(workers.length, 1, "the worker is reused");
 assert.deepEqual(sent(workers[0]), [1, 2], "the replacement is sent once, the unchanged file not again");
 
+// #216: a worker that fails to start.
+failStart = true;
+const slow = run(4, []); // the idle worker takes this one
+const failed = await run(5, []);
+await slow;
+assert.equal(failed.kind, "error");
+assert.ok(workers[1].terminated, "the failed worker is terminated");
+assert.equal(host.workerStats().running, 0);
+
+// #216, worker side: a rejected start is re-raised where the page's `onerror` sees it.
+const dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "ec-worker-"));
+copyFileSync(join(here, "../web/worker.js"), join(dir, "worker.js"));
+writeFileSync(
+  join(dir, "effectcraft_web.js"),
+  `export default async function init() {}
+export function workerInit() {}
+export async function workerJobInit() { throw new Error("no device"); }
+export async function workerFrameInit() {}`,
+);
+const posted = [];
+globalThis.postMessage = (m) => posted.push(m);
+// A browser's Worker `error` event only sees thrown errors, not unhandled rejections (Node would
+// turn one into an uncaught exception unless it is listened to).
+const unhandled = [];
+process.on("unhandledRejection", (e) => unhandled.push(e));
+const raised = new Promise((resolve) => {
+  process.once("uncaughtException", resolve);
+  setTimeout(() => resolve(new Error("nothing was raised")), 1000);
+});
+await import(pathToFileURL(join(dir, "worker.js")));
+self.onmessage({ data: { type: "init", base: "http://localhost/" } });
+const err = await raised;
+await tick();
+// (So a failed assertion below fails the run.)
+process.removeAllListeners("unhandledRejection");
+process.removeAllListeners("uncaughtException");
+assert.deepEqual(unhandled, [], "the failed start is handled, not left as an unhandled rejection");
+assert.equal(err.message, "no device");
+assert.ok(!posted.some((m) => m.type === "ready"), "no ready after a failed start");
+
 console.log("workers: ok");
diff --git a/apps/effectcraft-web/web/worker.js b/apps/effectcraft-web/web/worker.js
index 7c6752e5..2d2c154b 100644
--- a/apps/effectcraft-web/web/worker.js
+++ b/apps/effectcraft-web/web/worker.js
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ self.onmessage = (e) => {
       else await ec.workerJobInit(!!m.gpu);
       self.postMessage({ type: "ready" });
     })();
+    // A failed start is re-raised outside the promise so the page's `onerror` sees it: its job
+    // fails instead of waiting for "ready" forever (#216).
+    ready.catch((err) => setTimeout(() => { throw err; }));
     return;
   }
   // A failure (a panic) is re-raised outside the queue so the page's `onerror` sees it, as
diff --git a/docs/web.md b/docs/web.md
index 104cbc2c..12d2b24d 100644
--- a/docs/web.md
+++ b/docs/web.md
@@ -413,6 +413,11 @@ cargo xtask web --serve 8765 &
 node apps/effectcraft-web/tests/smoke.mjs --url http://127.0.0.1:8765/ --out target/web/smoke
 ```
 
+`apps/effectcraft-web/tests/workers.mjs` checks the job-worker plumbing (`js/host.js`,
+`web/worker.js`) under Node with a fake `Worker`, without a build: a replaced file is sent to a
+reused worker again even at the same size, and a worker that fails to start fails its job and is
+terminated (`node apps/effectcraft-web/tests/workers.mjs`).
+
 It also checks the M13.10 paths: viewer frames rendered in frame workers while scrubbing with the
 CPU renderer (project synced as diffs, event-loop gaps under 400 ms), a `wait: true` render that
 replies when done while the page keeps running, and the Media Browser over browser storage; and