diff --git a/library/std/src/rt.rs b/library/std/src/rt.rs
index b2492238bd37b..24a362072ab61 100644
--- a/library/std/src/rt.rs
+++ b/library/std/src/rt.rs
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ macro_rules! rtunwrap {
     };
 }
 
-fn handle_rt_panic(e: Box<dyn Any + Send>) {
+fn handle_rt_panic<T>(e: Box<dyn Any + Send>) -> T {
     mem::forget(e);
     rtabort!("initialization or cleanup bug");
 }
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ fn lang_start_internal(
     argc: isize,
     argv: *const *const u8,
     sigpipe: u8,
-) -> Result<isize, !> {
+) -> isize {
     // Guard against the code called by this function from unwinding outside of the Rust-controlled
     // code, which is UB. This is a requirement imposed by a combination of how the
     // `#[lang="start"]` attribute is implemented as well as by the implementation of the panicking
@@ -168,19 +168,33 @@ fn lang_start_internal(
     // panic is a std implementation bug. A quite likely one too, as there isn't any way to
     // prevent std from accidentally introducing a panic to these functions. Another is from
     // user code from `main` or, more nefariously, as described in e.g. issue #86030.
-    // SAFETY: Only called once during runtime initialization.
-    panic::catch_unwind(move || unsafe { init(argc, argv, sigpipe) })
-        .unwrap_or_else(handle_rt_panic);
-    let ret_code = panic::catch_unwind(move || panic::catch_unwind(main).unwrap_or(101) as isize)
-        .map_err(move |e| {
-            mem::forget(e);
-            rtabort!("drop of the panic payload panicked");
+    //
+    // We use `catch_unwind` with `handle_rt_panic` instead of `abort_unwind` to make the error in
+    // case of a panic a bit nicer.
+    panic::catch_unwind(move || {
+        // SAFETY: Only called once during runtime initialization.
+        unsafe { init(argc, argv, sigpipe) };
+
+        let ret_code = panic::catch_unwind(main).unwrap_or_else(move |payload| {
+            // Carefully dispose of the panic payload.
+            let payload = panic::AssertUnwindSafe(payload);
+            panic::catch_unwind(move || drop({ payload }.0)).unwrap_or_else(move |e| {
+                mem::forget(e); // do *not* drop the 2nd payload
+                rtabort!("drop of the panic payload panicked");
+            });
+            // Return error code for panicking programs.
+            101
         });
-    panic::catch_unwind(cleanup).unwrap_or_else(handle_rt_panic);
-    // Guard against multiple threads calling `libc::exit` concurrently.
-    // See the documentation for `unique_thread_exit` for more information.
-    panic::catch_unwind(crate::sys::exit_guard::unique_thread_exit).unwrap_or_else(handle_rt_panic);
-    ret_code
+        let ret_code = ret_code as isize;
+
+        cleanup();
+        // Guard against multiple threads calling `libc::exit` concurrently.
+        // See the documentation for `unique_thread_exit` for more information.
+        crate::sys::exit_guard::unique_thread_exit();
+
+        ret_code
+    })
+    .unwrap_or_else(handle_rt_panic)
 }
 
 #[cfg(not(any(test, doctest)))]
@@ -191,11 +205,10 @@ fn lang_start<T: crate::process::Termination + 'static>(
     argv: *const *const u8,
     sigpipe: u8,
 ) -> isize {
-    let Ok(v) = lang_start_internal(
+    lang_start_internal(
         &move || crate::sys::backtrace::__rust_begin_short_backtrace(main).report().to_i32(),
         argc,
         argv,
         sigpipe,
-    );
-    v
+    )
 }
diff --git a/src/tools/miri/tests/fail/tail_calls/cc-mismatch.stderr b/src/tools/miri/tests/fail/tail_calls/cc-mismatch.stderr
index b416f0eb68976..5061c9e8dc3f0 100644
--- a/src/tools/miri/tests/fail/tail_calls/cc-mismatch.stderr
+++ b/src/tools/miri/tests/fail/tail_calls/cc-mismatch.stderr
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@ LL |     extern "rust-call" fn call_once(self, args: Args) -> Self::Output;
    = note: inside `std::panicking::r#try::<i32, &dyn std::ops::Fn() -> i32 + std::marker::Sync + std::panic::RefUnwindSafe>` at RUSTLIB/std/src/panicking.rs:LL:CC
    = note: inside `std::panic::catch_unwind::<&dyn std::ops::Fn() -> i32 + std::marker::Sync + std::panic::RefUnwindSafe, i32>` at RUSTLIB/std/src/panic.rs:LL:CC
    = note: inside closure at RUSTLIB/std/src/rt.rs:LL:CC
-   = note: inside `std::panicking::r#try::do_call::<{closure@std::rt::lang_start_internal::{closure#1}}, isize>` at RUSTLIB/std/src/panicking.rs:LL:CC
-   = note: inside `std::panicking::r#try::<isize, {closure@std::rt::lang_start_internal::{closure#1}}>` at RUSTLIB/std/src/panicking.rs:LL:CC
-   = note: inside `std::panic::catch_unwind::<{closure@std::rt::lang_start_internal::{closure#1}}, isize>` at RUSTLIB/std/src/panic.rs:LL:CC
+   = note: inside `std::panicking::r#try::do_call::<{closure@std::rt::lang_start_internal::{closure#0}}, isize>` at RUSTLIB/std/src/panicking.rs:LL:CC
+   = note: inside `std::panicking::r#try::<isize, {closure@std::rt::lang_start_internal::{closure#0}}>` at RUSTLIB/std/src/panicking.rs:LL:CC
+   = note: inside `std::panic::catch_unwind::<{closure@std::rt::lang_start_internal::{closure#0}}, isize>` at RUSTLIB/std/src/panic.rs:LL:CC
    = note: inside `std::rt::lang_start_internal` at RUSTLIB/std/src/rt.rs:LL:CC
    = note: inside `std::rt::lang_start::<()>` at RUSTLIB/std/src/rt.rs:LL:CC
 
diff --git a/src/tools/miri/tests/pass/backtrace/backtrace-api-v1.stderr b/src/tools/miri/tests/pass/backtrace/backtrace-api-v1.stderr
index 48d9649c9201f..1ee5298f17d63 100644
--- a/src/tools/miri/tests/pass/backtrace/backtrace-api-v1.stderr
+++ b/src/tools/miri/tests/pass/backtrace/backtrace-api-v1.stderr
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ RUSTLIB/core/src/ops/function.rs:LL:CC (std::ops::function::impls::call_once)
 RUSTLIB/std/src/panicking.rs:LL:CC (std::panicking::r#try::do_call)
 RUSTLIB/std/src/panicking.rs:LL:CC (std::panicking::r#try)
 RUSTLIB/std/src/panic.rs:LL:CC (std::panic::catch_unwind)
-RUSTLIB/std/src/rt.rs:LL:CC (std::rt::lang_start_internal::{closure#1})
+RUSTLIB/std/src/rt.rs:LL:CC (std::rt::lang_start_internal::{closure#0})
 RUSTLIB/std/src/panicking.rs:LL:CC (std::panicking::r#try::do_call)
 RUSTLIB/std/src/panicking.rs:LL:CC (std::panicking::r#try)
 RUSTLIB/std/src/panic.rs:LL:CC (std::panic::catch_unwind)
diff --git a/src/tools/miri/tests/pass/backtrace/backtrace-global-alloc.stderr b/src/tools/miri/tests/pass/backtrace/backtrace-global-alloc.stderr
index 667ee04e62413..26cdee18e3c23 100644
--- a/src/tools/miri/tests/pass/backtrace/backtrace-global-alloc.stderr
+++ b/src/tools/miri/tests/pass/backtrace/backtrace-global-alloc.stderr
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
  at RUSTLIB/std/src/panicking.rs:LL:CC
    7: std::panic::catch_unwind
  at RUSTLIB/std/src/panic.rs:LL:CC
-   8: std::rt::lang_start_internal::{closure#1}
+   8: std::rt::lang_start_internal::{closure#0}
  at RUSTLIB/std/src/rt.rs:LL:CC
    9: std::panicking::r#try::do_call
  at RUSTLIB/std/src/panicking.rs:LL:CC
diff --git a/src/tools/miri/tests/pass/backtrace/backtrace-std.stderr b/src/tools/miri/tests/pass/backtrace/backtrace-std.stderr
index b3a3a9d654a78..d89ae3837b981 100644
--- a/src/tools/miri/tests/pass/backtrace/backtrace-std.stderr
+++ b/src/tools/miri/tests/pass/backtrace/backtrace-std.stderr
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
  at RUSTLIB/std/src/panicking.rs:LL:CC
   11: std::panic::catch_unwind
  at RUSTLIB/std/src/panic.rs:LL:CC
-  12: std::rt::lang_start_internal::{closure#1}
+  12: std::rt::lang_start_internal::{closure#0}
  at RUSTLIB/std/src/rt.rs:LL:CC
   13: std::panicking::r#try::do_call
  at RUSTLIB/std/src/panicking.rs:LL:CC