diff --git a/panda/src/net/connectionReader.cxx b/panda/src/net/connectionReader.cxx
index 57cb2b0bac..0ce2b4ce07 100644
--- a/panda/src/net/connectionReader.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/net/connectionReader.cxx
@@ -102,15 +102,20 @@ ConnectionReader::
 ConnectionReader(ConnectionManager *manager, int num_threads) :
   _manager(manager)
 {
-#if !defined(HAVE_THREADS) || defined(SIMPLE_THREADS)
+  if (!Thread::is_true_threads()) {
+    // There is no point in using threads for this kind of I/O unless
+    // we actually have real threads available (i.e. HAVE_THREADS is
+    // defined, and SIMPLE_THREADS is not).
 #ifndef NDEBUG
-  if (num_threads != 0) {
-    net_cat.error()
-      << "Threading support is not available.\n";
-  }
+    if (num_threads != 0) {
+      if (net_cat.is_debug()) {
+        net_cat.debug()
+          << "Threading support is not available.\n";
+      }
+    }
 #endif  // NDEBUG
-  num_threads = 0;
-#endif  // HAVE_THREADS
+    num_threads = 0;
+  }
 
   _raw_mode = false;
   _tcp_header_size = datagram_tcp16_header_size;
diff --git a/panda/src/net/connectionWriter.cxx b/panda/src/net/connectionWriter.cxx
index 7937bddc6a..7b20e63911 100644
--- a/panda/src/net/connectionWriter.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/net/connectionWriter.cxx
@@ -67,8 +67,10 @@ ConnectionWriter(ConnectionManager *manager, int num_threads) :
     // defined, and SIMPLE_THREADS is not).
 #ifndef NDEBUG
     if (num_threads != 0) {
-      net_cat.error()
-        << "Threading support is not available.\n";
+      if (net_cat.is_debug()) {
+        net_cat.debug()
+          << "Threading support is not available.\n";
+      }
     }
 #endif  // NDEBUG
     num_threads = 0;