diff --git a/tokio-util/src/task/spawn_pinned.rs b/tokio-util/src/task/spawn_pinned.rs
index 3f692d3cf2c..31efafa1673 100644
--- a/tokio-util/src/task/spawn_pinned.rs
+++ b/tokio-util/src/task/spawn_pinned.rs
@@ -4,19 +4,18 @@ use std::fmt::{Debug, Formatter};
 use std::future::Future;
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicUsize, Ordering};
 use std::sync::Arc;
-use tokio::runtime::Builder;
 use tokio::sync::mpsc::{unbounded_channel, UnboundedReceiver, UnboundedSender};
 use tokio::sync::oneshot;
-use tokio::task::{spawn_local, JoinHandle, LocalSet};
+use tokio::task::{spawn_local, JoinHandle};
 
 /// A cloneable handle to a local pool, used for spawning `!Send` tasks.
 ///
-/// Internally the local pool uses a [`tokio::task::LocalSet`] for each worker thread
+/// Internally the local pool uses a [`tokio::runtime::LocalRuntime`] for each worker thread
 /// in the pool. Consequently you can also use [`tokio::task::spawn_local`] (which will
 /// execute on the same thread) inside the Future you supply to the various spawn methods
 /// of `LocalPoolHandle`.
 ///
-/// [`tokio::task::LocalSet`]: tokio::task::LocalSet
+/// [`tokio::runtime::LocalRuntime`]: tokio::runtime::LocalRuntime
 /// [`tokio::task::spawn_local`]: tokio::task::spawn_local
 ///
 /// # Examples
@@ -238,10 +237,10 @@ impl LocalPool {
             let _abort_guard = AbortGuard(abort_handle);
 
             // Inside the future we can't run spawn_local yet because we're not
-            // in the context of a LocalSet. We need to send create_task to the
-            // LocalSet task for spawning.
+            // in the context of a LocalRuntime. We need to send create_task to the
+            // LocalRuntime task for spawning.
             let spawn_task = Box::new(move || {
-                // Once we're in the LocalSet context we can call spawn_local
+                // Once we're in the LocalRuntime context we can call spawn_local
                 let join_handle =
                     spawn_local(
                         async move { Abortable::new(create_task(), abort_registration).await },
@@ -255,7 +254,7 @@ impl LocalPool {
                 }
             });
 
-            // Send the callback to the LocalSet task
+            // Send the callback to the LocalRuntime task
             if let Err(e) = worker_spawner.send(spawn_task) {
                 // Propagate the error as a panic in the join handle.
                 panic!("Failed to send job to worker: {e}");
@@ -379,15 +378,17 @@ impl LocalWorkerHandle {
     /// Create a new worker for executing pinned tasks
     fn new_worker() -> LocalWorkerHandle {
         let (sender, receiver) = unbounded_channel();
-        let runtime = Builder::new_current_thread()
-            .enable_all()
-            .build()
-            .expect("Failed to start a pinned worker thread runtime");
-        let runtime_handle = runtime.handle().clone();
+        let (handle_sender, handle_receiver) = std::sync::mpsc::channel();
+
         let task_count = Arc::new(AtomicUsize::new(0));
         let task_count_clone = Arc::clone(&task_count);
 
-        std::thread::spawn(|| Self::run(runtime, receiver, task_count_clone));
+        std::thread::spawn(|| Self::run(handle_sender, receiver, task_count_clone));
+
+        let runtime_handle = handle_receiver
+            .recv()
+            .expect("Failed to recv local runtime init result")
+            .expect("Failed to start local runtime");
 
         LocalWorkerHandle {
             runtime_handle,
@@ -397,28 +398,37 @@ impl LocalWorkerHandle {
     }
 
     fn run(
-        runtime: tokio::runtime::Runtime,
+        handle_sender: std::sync::mpsc::Sender<std::io::Result<tokio::runtime::Handle>>,
         mut task_receiver: UnboundedReceiver<PinnedFutureSpawner>,
         task_count: Arc<AtomicUsize>,
     ) {
-        let local_set = LocalSet::new();
-        local_set.block_on(&runtime, async {
+        let runtime = match tokio::runtime::LocalRuntime::new() {
+            Ok(runtime) => runtime,
+            Err(err) => {
+                let _ = handle_sender.send(Err(err));
+                return;
+            }
+        };
+
+        let runtime_handle = runtime.handle().clone();
+
+        handle_sender
+            .send(Ok(runtime_handle))
+            .expect("Failed to send local runtime handle");
+
+        runtime.block_on(async {
             while let Some(spawn_task) = task_receiver.recv().await {
                 // Calls spawn_local(future)
                 (spawn_task)();
             }
         });
 
-        // If there are any tasks on the runtime associated with a LocalSet task
-        // that has already completed, but whose output has not yet been
-        // reported, let that task complete.
+        // If there are any tasks on the runtime that has already completed,
+        // but whose output has not yet been reported, let that task complete.
         //
         // Since the task_count is decremented when the runtime task exits,
         // reading that counter lets us know if any such tasks completed during
         // the call to `block_on`.
-        //
-        // Tasks on the LocalSet can't complete during this loop since they're
-        // stored on the LocalSet and we aren't accessing it.
         let mut previous_task_count = task_count.load(Ordering::SeqCst);
         loop {
             // This call will also run tasks spawned on the runtime.
@@ -431,15 +441,10 @@ impl LocalWorkerHandle {
             }
         }
 
-        // It's now no longer possible for a task on the runtime to be
-        // associated with a LocalSet task that has completed. Drop both the
-        // LocalSet and runtime to let tasks on the runtime be cancelled if and
-        // only if they are still on the LocalSet.
-        //
-        // Drop the LocalSet task first so that anyone awaiting the runtime
-        // JoinHandle will see the cancelled error after the LocalSet task
-        // destructor has completed.
-        drop(local_set);
+        // It's now no longer possible for a task on the local runtime
+        // associated with task that has completed. Drop both
+        // local runtime to let tasks on the runtime be cancelled if and
+        // only if they are still on the runtime.
         drop(runtime);
     }
 }