diff --git a/net/ucx/files/patch-src_ucs_async_thread.c b/net/ucx/files/patch-src_ucs_async_thread.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c02cfcedcd32
--- /dev/null
+++ b/net/ucx/files/patch-src_ucs_async_thread.c
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+--- src/ucs/async/thread.c.orig	2026-02-04 09:52:46 UTC
++++ src/ucs/async/thread.c
+@@ -224,14 +224,23 @@ out_unlock:
+ err:
+     --ucs_async_thread_global_context.use_count;
+ out_unlock:
+-    ucs_assert_always(ucs_async_thread_global_context.thread != NULL);
+-    *thread_p = ucs_async_thread_global_context.thread;
++    if (status == UCS_OK) {
++        ucs_assert_always(ucs_async_thread_global_context.thread != NULL);
++        *thread_p = ucs_async_thread_global_context.thread;
++    } else {
++        *thread_p = NULL;
++    }
++
+     pthread_mutex_unlock(&ucs_async_thread_global_context.lock);
+     return status;
+ }
+ 
+ static int ucs_async_thread_is_from_async()
+ {
++    if (ucs_async_thread_global_context.thread == NULL) {
++        return 0;
++    }
++
+     return pthread_self() == ucs_async_thread_global_context.thread->thread_id;
+ }
+ 
+@@ -346,6 +355,10 @@ static ucs_status_t ucs_async_thread_remove_event_fd(u
+     ucs_async_thread_t *thread = ucs_async_thread_global_context.thread;
+     ucs_status_t status;
+ 
++    if (thread == NULL) {
++        return UCS_ERR_NO_ELEM;
++    }
++
+     status = ucs_event_set_del(thread->event_set, event_fd);
+     if (status != UCS_OK) {
+         return status;
+@@ -359,6 +372,9 @@ ucs_async_thread_modify_event_fd(ucs_async_context_t *
+ ucs_async_thread_modify_event_fd(ucs_async_context_t *async, int event_fd,
+                                  ucs_event_set_types_t events)
+ {
++    if (ucs_async_thread_global_context.thread == NULL) {
++        return UCS_ERR_NO_ELEM;
++    }
+     /* Store file descriptor into void * storage without memory allocation. */
+     return ucs_event_set_mod(ucs_async_thread_global_context.thread->event_set,
+                              event_fd, events, (void *)(uintptr_t)event_fd);
+@@ -421,6 +437,11 @@ static ucs_status_t ucs_async_thread_remove_timer(ucs_
+                                                   int timer_id)
+ {
+     ucs_async_thread_t *thread = ucs_async_thread_global_context.thread;
++
++    if (thread == NULL) {
++        return UCS_ERR_NO_ELEM;
++    }
++
+     ucs_timerq_remove(&thread->timerq, timer_id);
+     ucs_async_pipe_push(&thread->wakeup);
+     ucs_async_thread_stop();