diff --git a/taskqueue/taskqueue.go b/taskqueue/taskqueue.go
index 86ba5667..a1414735 100644
--- a/taskqueue/taskqueue.go
+++ b/taskqueue/taskqueue.go
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ package taskqueue
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"sync/atomic"
+	"sync"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/ipfs/go-peertaskqueue"
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ type WorkerTaskQueue struct {
 	cancelFn      func()
 	peerTaskQueue *peertaskqueue.PeerTaskQueue
 	workSignal    chan struct{}
-	noTaskSignal  chan struct{}
+	noTaskCond    *sync.Cond
 	ticker        *time.Ticker
 	activeTasks   int32
 }
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ func NewTaskQueue(ctx context.Context) *WorkerTaskQueue {
 		cancelFn:      cancelFn,
 		peerTaskQueue: peertaskqueue.New(),
 		workSignal:    make(chan struct{}, 1),
-		noTaskSignal:  make(chan struct{}, 1),
+		noTaskCond:    sync.NewCond(&sync.Mutex{}),
 		ticker:        time.NewTicker(thawSpeed),
 	}
 }
@@ -93,13 +93,11 @@ func (tq *WorkerTaskQueue) Shutdown() {
 }
 
 func (tq *WorkerTaskQueue) WaitForNoActiveTasks() {
-	for atomic.LoadInt32(&tq.activeTasks) > 0 {
-		select {
-		case <-tq.ctx.Done():
-			return
-		case <-tq.noTaskSignal:
-		}
+	tq.noTaskCond.L.Lock()
+	for tq.activeTasks > 0 {
+		tq.noTaskCond.Wait()
 	}
+	tq.noTaskCond.L.Unlock()
 }
 
 func (tq *WorkerTaskQueue) worker(executor Executor) {
@@ -118,14 +116,16 @@ func (tq *WorkerTaskQueue) worker(executor Executor) {
 			}
 		}
 		for _, task := range tasks {
-			atomic.AddInt32(&tq.activeTasks, 1)
+			tq.noTaskCond.L.Lock()
+			tq.activeTasks = tq.activeTasks + 1
+			tq.noTaskCond.L.Unlock()
 			terminate := executor.ExecuteTask(tq.ctx, pid, task)
-			if atomic.AddInt32(&tq.activeTasks, -1) == 0 {
-				select {
-				case tq.noTaskSignal <- struct{}{}:
-				default:
-				}
+			tq.noTaskCond.L.Lock()
+			tq.activeTasks = tq.activeTasks - 1
+			if tq.activeTasks == 0 {
+				tq.noTaskCond.Broadcast()
 			}
+			tq.noTaskCond.L.Unlock()
 			if terminate {
 				return
 			}