diff --git a/base-nova/include/base/sleep.h b/base-nova/include/base/sleep.h
index f096ca6fae..26b9b1025d 100644
--- a/base-nova/include/base/sleep.h
+++ b/base-nova/include/base/sleep.h
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 /* NOVA includes */
 #include <nova/syscalls.h>
+#include <nova/util.h>
 
 extern int main_thread_running_semaphore();
 
@@ -32,7 +33,10 @@ namespace Genode {
 		Thread_base *myself = Thread_base::myself();
 		addr_t sem = myself ? myself->tid().exc_pt_sel + SM_SEL_EC :
 		       main_thread_running_semaphore();
-		while (1) { Nova::sm_ctrl(sem, Nova::SEMAPHORE_DOWNZERO); }
+		while (1) {
+			if (Nova::sm_ctrl(sem, SEMAPHORE_DOWNZERO))
+				nova_die();
+		}
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/base-nova/include/nova/util.h b/base-nova/include/nova/util.h
index 956f582cd7..9c1df028c9 100644
--- a/base-nova/include/nova/util.h
+++ b/base-nova/include/nova/util.h
@@ -17,6 +17,17 @@
 #include <base/printf.h>
 #include <base/thread.h>
 
+__attribute__((always_inline))
+inline void nova_die(const char * text = 0)
+{
+	/*
+	 * If thread is de-constructed the sessions are already gone.
+	 * Be careful when enabling printf here.
+         */
+    	while (1)
+		asm volatile ("ud2a" : : "a"(text));
+}
+
 inline void request_event_portal(Genode::Native_capability cap,
                                  Genode::addr_t exc_base, Genode::addr_t event)
 {
@@ -31,7 +42,7 @@ inline void request_event_portal(Genode::Native_capability cap,
 	utcb->msg[0]  = event;
 	utcb->set_msg_word(1);
 
-	uint8_t res = call(pager_cap.local_name());
+	uint8_t res = call(cap.local_name());
 	if (res)
 		PERR("request of event (%lu) capability selector failed",
 		     event);
diff --git a/base-nova/include/signal_session/source_client.h b/base-nova/include/signal_session/source_client.h
index 3788e777a6..86100c7c2d 100644
--- a/base-nova/include/signal_session/source_client.h
+++ b/base-nova/include/signal_session/source_client.h
@@ -21,11 +21,12 @@
 #ifndef _INCLUDE__SIGNAL_SESSION__SOURCE_CLIENT_H_
 #define _INCLUDE__SIGNAL_SESSION__SOURCE_CLIENT_H_
 
-#include <nova/syscalls.h>
 #include <base/rpc_client.h>
 #include <signal_session/nova_source.h>
 
-#include <base/nova_util.h>
+/* NOVA includes */
+#include <nova/syscalls.h>
+#include <nova/util.h>
 
 namespace Genode {
 
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ namespace Genode {
 		private:
 
 			/**
-			 * Capability with 'pt_sel' referring to a NOVA semaphore
+			 * Capability referring to a NOVA semaphore
 			 */
 			Native_capability _sem;
 
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ namespace Genode {
 				 */
 				if (Nova::sm_ctrl(_sem.local_name(),
 				                  Nova::SEMAPHORE_DOWN))
-					nova_die(__FILE__, __LINE__);
+					nova_die();
 
 				/*
 				 * Now that the server has unblocked the semaphore, we are sure
diff --git a/base-nova/src/base/env/cap_sel_alloc.cc b/base-nova/src/base/env/cap_sel_alloc.cc
index 3a9443b628..2265745a96 100644
--- a/base-nova/src/base/env/cap_sel_alloc.cc
+++ b/base-nova/src/base/env/cap_sel_alloc.cc
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 /* NOVA includes */
 #include <nova/syscalls.h>
+#include <nova/util.h>
 
 using namespace Genode;
 
@@ -52,9 +53,17 @@ class Alloc_lock
 		 */
 		Alloc_lock() : _sm_cap(Nova::PD_SEL_CAP_LOCK) { }
 
-		void lock() { Nova::sm_ctrl(_sm_cap, Nova::SEMAPHORE_DOWN); }
+		void lock()
+		{
+			if (Nova::sm_ctrl(_sm_cap, Nova::SEMAPHORE_DOWN))
+				nova_die();
+		}
 
-		void unlock() { Nova::sm_ctrl(_sm_cap, Nova::SEMAPHORE_UP); }
+		void unlock()
+		{
+			if (Nova::sm_ctrl(_sm_cap, Nova::SEMAPHORE_UP))
+				nova_die();
+		}
 };
 
 
diff --git a/base-nova/src/base/lock/lock_helper.h b/base-nova/src/base/lock/lock_helper.h
index 3709227712..5222d81570 100644
--- a/base-nova/src/base/lock/lock_helper.h
+++ b/base-nova/src/base/lock/lock_helper.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 /* NOVA includes */
 #include <nova/syscalls.h>
+#include <nova/util.h>
 
 
 extern int main_thread_running_semaphore();
@@ -100,5 +101,6 @@ static inline void thread_stop_myself()
 	else
 		sem = main_thread_running_semaphore();
 
-	sm_ctrl(sem, SEMAPHORE_DOWNZERO);
+	if (sm_ctrl(sem, SEMAPHORE_DOWNZERO))
+		nova_die();
 }
diff --git a/base-nova/src/base/server/server.cc b/base-nova/src/base/server/server.cc
index e2f0c7cf4d..858f2a4b6a 100644
--- a/base-nova/src/base/server/server.cc
+++ b/base-nova/src/base/server/server.cc
@@ -21,9 +21,8 @@
 
 /* NOVA includes */
 #include <nova/syscalls.h>
-#include <base/nova_util.h>
 #include <nova_cpu_session/connection.h>
-
+#include <nova/util.h>
 
 using namespace Genode;
 
diff --git a/base-nova/src/base/thread/thread_nova.cc b/base-nova/src/base/thread/thread_nova.cc
index e2f2d70814..162a85b1a9 100644
--- a/base-nova/src/base/thread/thread_nova.cc
+++ b/base-nova/src/base/thread/thread_nova.cc
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 
 /* NOVA includes */
 #include <nova/syscalls.h>
-#include <base/nova_util.h>
+#include <nova/util.h>
 #include <nova_cpu_session/connection.h>
 
 using namespace Genode;
@@ -139,5 +139,8 @@ void Thread_base::start()
 
 void Thread_base::cancel_blocking()
 {
-	Nova::sm_ctrl(_tid.exc_pt_sel + Nova::SM_SEL_EC, Nova::SEMAPHORE_UP);
+	using namespace Nova;
+
+	if (sm_ctrl(_tid.exc_pt_sel + SM_SEL_EC, SEMAPHORE_UP))
+		nova_die();
 }
diff --git a/base-nova/src/core/irq_session_component.cc b/base-nova/src/core/irq_session_component.cc
index ac2ff44eac..d994b18a0c 100644
--- a/base-nova/src/core/irq_session_component.cc
+++ b/base-nova/src/core/irq_session_component.cc
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 /* NOVA includes */
 #include <nova/syscalls.h>
+#include <nova/util.h>
 #include <nova_util.h>
 
 using namespace Genode;
@@ -28,7 +29,8 @@ using namespace Genode;
 
 void Irq_session_component::wait_for_irq()
 {
-	Nova::sm_ctrl(_irq_number, Nova::SEMAPHORE_DOWN);
+	if (Nova::sm_ctrl(_irq_number, Nova::SEMAPHORE_DOWN))
+		nova_die();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/base-nova/src/core/thread_start.cc b/base-nova/src/core/thread_start.cc
index 16e9e6d605..e0d2ccef0e 100644
--- a/base-nova/src/core/thread_start.cc
+++ b/base-nova/src/core/thread_start.cc
@@ -92,5 +92,6 @@ void Thread_base::cancel_blocking()
 {
 	using namespace Nova;
 
-	sm_ctrl(_tid.exc_pt_sel + SM_SEL_EC, SEMAPHORE_UP);
+	if (sm_ctrl(_tid.exc_pt_sel + SM_SEL_EC, SEMAPHORE_UP))
+		nova_die();
 }