diff --git a/core/iwasm/aot/aot_runtime.c b/core/iwasm/aot/aot_runtime.c
index 63a3c83c9..eb88fa6c3 100644
--- a/core/iwasm/aot/aot_runtime.c
+++ b/core/iwasm/aot/aot_runtime.c
@@ -1560,8 +1560,12 @@ execute_post_instantiate_functions(AOTModuleInstance *module_inst,
     if (is_sub_inst) {
         bh_assert(exec_env_main);
 #ifdef OS_ENABLE_HW_BOUND_CHECK
-        bh_assert(exec_env_tls == exec_env_main);
-        (void)exec_env_tls;
+        /* May come from pthread_create_wrapper, thread_spawn_wrapper and
+           wasm_cluster_spawn_exec_env. If it comes from the former two,
+           the exec_env_tls must be not NULL and equal to exec_env_main,
+           else if it comes from the last one, it may be NULL. */
+        if (exec_env_tls)
+            bh_assert(exec_env_tls == exec_env_main);
 #endif
         exec_env = exec_env_main;
 
diff --git a/core/iwasm/interpreter/wasm_runtime.c b/core/iwasm/interpreter/wasm_runtime.c
index e4142ab88..90299df97 100644
--- a/core/iwasm/interpreter/wasm_runtime.c
+++ b/core/iwasm/interpreter/wasm_runtime.c
@@ -1594,8 +1594,12 @@ execute_post_instantiate_functions(WASMModuleInstance *module_inst,
     if (is_sub_inst) {
         bh_assert(exec_env_main);
 #ifdef OS_ENABLE_HW_BOUND_CHECK
-        bh_assert(exec_env_tls == exec_env_main);
-        (void)exec_env_tls;
+        /* May come from pthread_create_wrapper, thread_spawn_wrapper and
+           wasm_cluster_spawn_exec_env. If it comes from the former two,
+           the exec_env_tls must be not NULL and equal to exec_env_main,
+           else if it comes from the last one, it may be NULL. */
+        if (exec_env_tls)
+            bh_assert(exec_env_tls == exec_env_main);
 #endif
         exec_env = exec_env_main;