diff --git a/src/Compilation/Config.zig b/src/Compilation/Config.zig
index 5d64173cb9d72ccdf5d9b78b8d11d2844c475ec0..e01daa6db1f15238de4979cd37230e475112fcad 100644
--- a/src/Compilation/Config.zig
+++ b/src/Compilation/Config.zig
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ pub const ResolveError = error{
     DynamicLibraryPrecludesPie,
     TargetRequiresPie,
     SanitizeThreadRequiresPie,
+    SanitizeThreadRequiresLlvmBackend,
     BackendLacksErrorTracing,
     LlvmLibraryUnavailable,
     LldUnavailable,
@@ -342,6 +343,12 @@ pub fn resolve(options: Options) ResolveError!Config {
             break :b true;
         }
 
+        if (options.any_sanitize_thread) {
+            // Thread sanitization instrumentation requires the LLVM backend.
+            if (options.use_llvm == false) return error.SanitizeThreadRequiresLlvmBackend;
+            break :b true;
+        }
+
         if (options.use_llvm) |x| break :b x;
 
         // If we cannot use LLVM libraries, then our own backends will be a
diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index a0b43b8652f8af2b9620e6264f4b7bd774e92660..0c3c458dd40985f37e8d30f9d7727656b35726f9 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -4131,6 +4131,7 @@ fn createModule(
             error.DynamicLibraryPrecludesPie => fatal("dynamic libraries cannot be position independent executables", .{}),
             error.TargetRequiresPie => fatal("the specified target requires position independent executables", .{}),
             error.SanitizeThreadRequiresPie => fatal("thread sanitization requires position independent executables", .{}),
+            error.SanitizeThreadRequiresLlvmBackend => fatal("thread sanitization requires the LLVM backend", .{}),
             error.BackendLacksErrorTracing => fatal("the selected backend has not yet implemented error return tracing", .{}),
             error.LlvmLibraryUnavailable => fatal("zig was compiled without LLVM libraries", .{}),
             error.LldUnavailable => fatal("zig was compiled without LLD libraries", .{}),