diff --git a/src/parallel-route-transforms.ts b/src/parallel-route-transforms.ts
index 3dd61ff..94b3d3c 100644
--- a/src/parallel-route-transforms.ts
+++ b/src/parallel-route-transforms.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
 import { Worker } from 'node:worker_threads';
 import { setBoundedCacheEntry } from './bounded-cache.js';
-import {
-  getAvailableCpuCount,
-  getDefaultConcurrency,
-} from './concurrency.js';
+import { getAvailableCpuCount, getDefaultConcurrency } from './concurrency.js';
 import {
   executeRouteTransformTask,
   type RouteTransformResult,
@@ -123,7 +120,7 @@ class ParallelRouteTransformExecutor implements RouteTransformExecutor {
   #nextRouteModuleWorkerIndex = 0;
   #nextSplitRouteAnalysisWorkerIndex = 0;
   #splitRouteAnalysisWorkers = new Map<string, number>();
-  #workers: WorkerState[] | undefined;
+  #workers: Array<WorkerState | undefined> | undefined;
 
   constructor(
     private readonly workerCount: number,
@@ -155,7 +152,9 @@ class ParallelRouteTransformExecutor implements RouteTransformExecutor {
       return this.#closePromise;
     }
     this.#closed = true;
-    const workers = this.#workers ?? [];
+    const workers = (this.#workers ?? []).filter(
+      (state): state is WorkerState => Boolean(state)
+    );
     this.#workers = [];
     this.#closePromise = Promise.all(
       workers.map(async state => {
@@ -174,7 +173,9 @@ class ParallelRouteTransformExecutor implements RouteTransformExecutor {
       return;
     }
     this.#workersDisabled = true;
-    const workers = this.#workers ?? [];
+    const workers = (this.#workers ?? []).filter(
+      (state): state is WorkerState => Boolean(state)
+    );
     this.#workers = [];
     for (const state of workers) {
       for (const pending of state.pending.values()) {
@@ -225,33 +226,24 @@ class ParallelRouteTransformExecutor implements RouteTransformExecutor {
     return state;
   }
 
-  #getWorkers(): WorkerState[] {
+  #getWorker(index: number): WorkerState | undefined {
     if (this.#closed || this.#workersDisabled) {
-      return [];
+      return undefined;
     }
-    if (this.#workers) {
-      return this.#workers;
-    }
-    const workers: WorkerState[] = [];
-    try {
-      for (let index = 0; index < this.workerCount; index += 1) {
-        workers.push(this.#createWorkerState());
-      }
-    } catch (error) {
-      for (const state of workers) {
-        void state.worker.terminate();
-      }
-      this.#workers = [];
-      throw error;
+    this.#workers ??= new Array(this.workerCount);
+    const existingWorker = this.#workers[index];
+    if (existingWorker) {
+      return existingWorker;
     }
-    this.#workers = workers;
-    return workers;
+
+    const worker = this.#createWorkerState();
+    this.#workers[index] = worker;
+    return worker;
   }
 
   #runInWorker(task: RouteTransformTask): Promise<RouteTransformResult> {
-    const workers = this.#getWorkers();
-    const workerIndex = this.#getWorkerIndex(task, workers.length);
-    const state = workers[workerIndex];
+    const workerIndex = this.#getWorkerIndex(task, this.workerCount);
+    const state = this.#getWorker(workerIndex);
     if (!state) {
       return executeRouteTransformTask(task, this.options);
     }
diff --git a/tests/parallel-route-transforms.test.ts b/tests/parallel-route-transforms.test.ts
index fdc4fe5..0b94840 100644
--- a/tests/parallel-route-transforms.test.ts
+++ b/tests/parallel-route-transforms.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { mapWithConcurrency } from '../src/concurrency';
 import { getExportNames } from '../src/export-utils';
 import {
   executeRouteTransformTask,
+  type RouteTransformResult,
   type RouteModuleTransformTask,
 } from '../src/route-transform-tasks';
 import {
@@ -76,6 +77,18 @@ class FakeRouteTransformWorker {
   }
 }
 
+const resolveWorkerMessage = (
+  worker: FakeRouteTransformWorker,
+  result: RouteTransformResult,
+  messageIndex = worker.messages.length - 1
+): void => {
+  worker.emit('message', {
+    id: worker.messages[messageIndex]!.id,
+    ok: true,
+    result,
+  } satisfies WorkerResponse);
+};
+
 describe('parallel route transforms', () => {
   it.each([
     [1, 0],
@@ -162,17 +175,47 @@ describe('parallel route transforms', () => {
 
     const pending = executor.run(createRouteModuleTask());
     expect(createdWorkers).toBe(1);
-    worker.emit('message', {
-      id: worker.messages[0]!.id,
-      ok: true,
-      result: { code: 'created lazily' },
-    } satisfies WorkerResponse);
+    resolveWorkerMessage(worker, { code: 'created lazily' });
     await expect(pending).resolves.toEqual({ code: 'created lazily' });
 
     await executor.close();
     expect(worker.terminateCalls).toBe(1);
   });
 
+  it('creates only worker slots that receive scheduled work', async () => {
+    const workers: FakeRouteTransformWorker[] = [];
+    const executor = createRouteTransformExecutorForTesting(
+      {
+        parallelTransforms: 4,
+        splitRouteModules: true,
+      },
+      () => {
+        const worker = new FakeRouteTransformWorker();
+        workers.push(worker);
+        return worker;
+      }
+    );
+
+    const first = executor.run(createRouteModuleTask());
+    const second = executor.run(
+      createRouteModuleTask({ resourcePath: '/app/routes/other.tsx' })
+    );
+
+    expect(workers).toHaveLength(2);
+
+    for (const worker of workers) {
+      resolveWorkerMessage(worker, { code: 'done' });
+    }
+
+    await expect(Promise.all([first, second])).resolves.toEqual([
+      { code: 'done' },
+      { code: 'done' },
+    ]);
+
+    await executor.close();
+    expect(workers.map(worker => worker.terminateCalls)).toEqual([1, 1]);
+  });
+
   it('executes route client entry tasks through the shared task executor', async () => {
     await expect(
       executeRouteTransformTask({