diff --git a/srtcore/api.cpp b/srtcore/api.cpp
index 665593c39..7eda3f2bf 100644
--- a/srtcore/api.cpp
+++ b/srtcore/api.cpp
@@ -236,6 +236,8 @@ string srt::CUDTUnited::CONID(SRTSOCKET sock)
 int srt::CUDTUnited::startup()
 {
     ScopedLock gcinit(m_InitLock);
+    if (m_bGCStatus)
+        return 1;
 
     if (m_iInstanceCount++ > 0)
         return 1;
@@ -254,9 +256,6 @@ int srt::CUDTUnited::startup()
 
     PacketFilter::globalInit();
 
-    if (m_bGCStatus)
-        return 1;
-
     m_bClosing = false;
 
     if (!StartThread(m_GCThread, garbageCollect, this, "SRT:GC"))
@@ -3390,8 +3389,7 @@ int srt::CUDT::cleanup()
 
 SRTSOCKET srt::CUDT::socket()
 {
-    if (!uglobal().m_bGCStatus)
-        uglobal().startup();
+    uglobal().startup();
 
     try
     {
@@ -3441,8 +3439,7 @@ srt::CUDTGroup& srt::CUDT::newGroup(const int type)
 SRTSOCKET srt::CUDT::createGroup(SRT_GROUP_TYPE gt)
 {
     // Doing the same lazy-startup as with srt_create_socket()
-    if (!uglobal().m_bGCStatus)
-        uglobal().startup();
+    uglobal().startup();
 
     try
     {