diff --git a/src/wasm.cc b/src/wasm.cc
index de1e8e72..823218d8 100644
--- a/src/wasm.cc
+++ b/src/wasm.cc
@@ -517,11 +517,18 @@ getOrCreateThreadLocalWasm(std::shared_ptr<WasmHandleBase> base_wasm,
                            WasmHandleCloneFactory clone_factory) {
   auto wasm_handle = getThreadLocalWasm(base_wasm->wasm()->vm_key());
   if (wasm_handle) {
-    auto root_context = wasm_handle->wasm()->getOrCreateRootContext(plugin);
-    if (!wasm_handle->wasm()->configure(root_context, plugin)) {
-      base_wasm->wasm()->fail(FailState::ConfigureFailed,
-                              "Failed to configure thread-local Wasm code");
-      return nullptr;
+    auto root_context = wasm_handle->wasm()->getRootContext(plugin->key());
+    if (!root_context) {
+      root_context = wasm_handle->wasm()->start(plugin);
+      if (!root_context) {
+        base_wasm->wasm()->fail(FailState::StartFailed, "Failed to start thread-local Wasm");
+        return nullptr;
+      }
+      if (!wasm_handle->wasm()->configure(root_context, plugin)) {
+        base_wasm->wasm()->fail(FailState::ConfigureFailed,
+                                "Failed to configure thread-local Wasm plugin");
+        return nullptr;
+      }
     }
     return wasm_handle;
   }