diff --git a/tokio-util/tests/task_join_map.rs b/tokio-util/tests/task_join_map.rs
index 3896f7617..70c33d8a9 100644
--- a/tokio-util/tests/task_join_map.rs
+++ b/tokio-util/tests/task_join_map.rs
@@ -438,6 +438,24 @@ async fn duplicate_keys_drop() {
 mod spawn_local {
     use super::*;
 
+    #[test]
+    #[should_panic(
+        expected = "`spawn_local` called from outside of a `task::LocalSet` or `runtime::LocalRuntime`"
+    )]
+    fn panic_outside_any_runtime() {
+        let mut map = JoinMap::new();
+        map.spawn_local((), async {});
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread")]
+    #[should_panic(
+        expected = "`spawn_local` called from outside of a `task::LocalSet` or `runtime::LocalRuntime`"
+    )]
+    async fn panic_in_multi_thread_runtime() {
+        let mut map = JoinMap::new();
+        map.spawn_local((), async {});
+    }
+
     #[cfg(tokio_unstable)]
     mod local_runtime {
         use super::*;
diff --git a/tokio-util/tests/task_join_queue.rs b/tokio-util/tests/task_join_queue.rs
index cf29260bb..a61a968f2 100644
--- a/tokio-util/tests/task_join_queue.rs
+++ b/tokio-util/tests/task_join_queue.rs
@@ -359,3 +359,21 @@ async fn test_join_queue_try_join_next_with_id_disabled_coop() {
     assert_eq!(count, TASK_NUM);
     assert_eq!(joined, spawned);
 }
+
+#[test]
+#[should_panic(
+    expected = "`spawn_local` called from outside of a `task::LocalSet` or `runtime::LocalRuntime`"
+)]
+fn spawn_local_panic_outside_any_runtime() {
+    let mut queue = JoinQueue::new();
+    queue.spawn_local(async {});
+}
+
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread")]
+#[should_panic(
+    expected = "`spawn_local` called from outside of a `task::LocalSet` or `runtime::LocalRuntime`"
+)]
+async fn spawn_local_panic_in_multi_thread_runtime() {
+    let mut queue = JoinQueue::new();
+    queue.spawn_local(async {});
+}
diff --git a/tokio-util/tests/task_tracker.rs b/tokio-util/tests/task_tracker.rs
index b51dcd233..26c935217 100644
--- a/tokio-util/tests/task_tracker.rs
+++ b/tokio-util/tests/task_tracker.rs
@@ -213,6 +213,24 @@ mod spawn {
 mod spawn_local {
     use super::*;
 
+    #[test]
+    #[should_panic(
+        expected = "`spawn_local` called from outside of a `task::LocalSet` or `runtime::LocalRuntime`"
+    )]
+    fn panic_outside_any_runtime() {
+        let tracker = TaskTracker::new();
+        tracker.spawn_local(async {});
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread")]
+    #[should_panic(
+        expected = "`spawn_local` called from outside of a `task::LocalSet` or `runtime::LocalRuntime`"
+    )]
+    async fn panic_in_multi_thread_runtime() {
+        let tracker = TaskTracker::new();
+        tracker.spawn_local(async {});
+    }
+
     /// Spawn several tasks, and then close the [`TaskTracker`].
     #[tokio::test(flavor = "local")]
     async fn spawn_then_close() {
diff --git a/tokio/tests/task_join_set.rs b/tokio/tests/task_join_set.rs
index b2b0463e2..0c2de0969 100644
--- a/tokio/tests/task_join_set.rs
+++ b/tokio/tests/task_join_set.rs
@@ -407,6 +407,24 @@ async fn try_join_next_with_id() {
 mod spawn_local {
     use super::*;
 
+    #[test]
+    #[should_panic(
+        expected = "`spawn_local` called from outside of a `task::LocalSet` or `runtime::LocalRuntime`"
+    )]
+    fn panic_outside_any_runtime() {
+        let mut set = JoinSet::new();
+        set.spawn_local(async {});
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread")]
+    #[should_panic(
+        expected = "`spawn_local` called from outside of a `task::LocalSet` or `runtime::LocalRuntime`"
+    )]
+    async fn panic_in_multi_thread_runtime() {
+        let mut set = JoinSet::new();
+        set.spawn_local(async {});
+    }
+
     #[cfg(tokio_unstable)]
     mod local_runtime {
         use super::*;