diff --git a/include/h2o.h b/include/h2o.h
index 0801ae77c..d93a00b61 100644
--- a/include/h2o.h
+++ b/include/h2o.h
@@ -1832,9 +1832,9 @@ static void *h2o_context_get_logger_context(h2o_context_t *ctx, h2o_logger_t *lo
  */
 static void **h2o_context_get_storage(h2o_context_t *ctx, size_t *key, void (*dispose_cb)(void *));
 /**
- * provides a new pipe that has O_NONBLOCK set, possibly reusing a cached one that is empty
+ * provides a new pipe that has O_NONBLOCK set, possibly reusing a cached one that is empty; returns a boolean indicating success
  */
-void h2o_context_new_pipe(h2o_context_t *ctx, int fds[2]);
+int h2o_context_new_pipe(h2o_context_t *ctx, int fds[2]);
 /**
  * returns a pipe to the spare pipe cache
  */
diff --git a/lib/core/context.c b/lib/core/context.c
index aa3007478..1eda522a8 100644
--- a/lib/core/context.c
+++ b/lib/core/context.c
@@ -299,27 +299,24 @@ void h2o_conn_set_state(h2o_conn_t *conn, h2o_conn_state_t state)
     }
 }
 
-void h2o_context_new_pipe(h2o_context_t *ctx, int fds[2])
+int h2o_context_new_pipe(h2o_context_t *ctx, int fds[2])
 {
     if (ctx->spare_pipes.count > 0) {
         int *src = ctx->spare_pipes.pipes[--ctx->spare_pipes.count];
         fds[0] = src[0];
         fds[1] = src[1];
-    } else {
-#ifdef __linux__
-        if (pipe2(fds, O_NONBLOCK | O_CLOEXEC) != 0) {
-            char errbuf[256];
-            h2o_fatal("pipe2(2) failed:%s", h2o_strerror_r(errno, errbuf, sizeof(errbuf)));
-        }
-#else
-        if (cloexec_pipe(fds) != 0) {
-            char errbuf[256];
-            h2o_fatal("pipe(2) failed:%s", h2o_strerror_r(errno, errbuf, sizeof(errbuf)));
-        }
-        fcntl(fds[0], F_SETFL, O_NONBLOCK);
-        fcntl(fds[1], F_SETFL, O_NONBLOCK);
-#endif
+        return 1;
     }
+
+#ifdef __linux__
+    return pipe2(fds, O_NONBLOCK | O_CLOEXEC) == 0;
+#else
+    if (cloexec_pipe(fds) != 0)
+        return 0;
+    fcntl(fds[0], F_SETFL, O_NONBLOCK);
+    fcntl(fds[1], F_SETFL, O_NONBLOCK);
+    return 1;
+#endif
 }
 
 static int empty_pipe(int fd)
diff --git a/lib/core/proxy.c b/lib/core/proxy.c
index 3554d27e4..43c12f2e4 100644
--- a/lib/core/proxy.c
+++ b/lib/core/proxy.c
@@ -643,9 +643,13 @@ static h2o_httpclient_body_cb on_head(h2o_httpclient_t *client, const char *errs
 
     /* switch to using pipe reader, if the opportunity is provided */
     if (args->pipe_reader != NULL) {
-        h2o_context_new_pipe(req->conn->ctx, self->pipe_reader.fds);
-        args->pipe_reader->fd = self->pipe_reader.fds[1];
-        args->pipe_reader->on_body_piped = on_body_piped;
+        if (h2o_context_new_pipe(req->conn->ctx, self->pipe_reader.fds)) {
+            args->pipe_reader->fd = self->pipe_reader.fds[1];
+            args->pipe_reader->on_body_piped = on_body_piped;
+        } else {
+            assert(self->pipe_reader.fds[0] == -1); /* check the field remains marked as unused */
+            h2o_req_log_error(req, "lib/core/proxy.c", "failed to allocate zero-copy pipe; falling back to read/write");
+        }
     }
 
     /* if httpclient has no received body at this time, immediately send only headers using zero timeout */
diff --git a/lib/handler/file.c b/lib/handler/file.c
index 7dcc4cf6e..b68f109b9 100644
--- a/lib/handler/file.c
+++ b/lib/handler/file.c
@@ -392,11 +392,13 @@ Opened:
     self->send_etag = (flags & H2O_FILE_FLAG_NO_ETAG) == 0;
     self->gunzip = gunzip;
 #if H2O_USE_IO_URING
-    if ((flags & H2O_FILE_FLAG_IO_URING) != 0 && self->bytesleft != 0) {
+    int try_async_splice = (flags & H2O_FILE_FLAG_IO_URING) != 0 && self->bytesleft != 0;
+    if (try_async_splice && h2o_context_new_pipe(req->conn->ctx, self->splice_fds)) {
         self->super.stop = do_stop_async_splice;
         self->src_req = req;
-        h2o_context_new_pipe(req->conn->ctx, self->splice_fds);
     } else {
+        if (try_async_splice)
+            h2o_req_log_error(req, "lib/handler/file.c", "failed to allocate a pipe for async I/O; falling back to blocking I/O");
         self->splice_fds[0] = -1;
         self->splice_fds[1] = -1;
     }