diff --git a/src/ws_pool.ml b/src/ws_pool.ml
index d32c71f8..8683040d 100644
--- a/src/ws_pool.ml
+++ b/src/ws_pool.ml
@@ -170,19 +170,15 @@ let worker_thread_ (self : state) ~(runner : t) (w : worker_state) : unit =
   TLS.get k_worker_state := Some w;
 
   let rec main () : unit =
-    if A.get self.active then (
-      worker_run_self_tasks_ self ~runner w;
-      try_steal ()
-    )
+    worker_run_self_tasks_ self ~runner w;
+    try_steal ()
   and run_task task : unit =
     run_task_now_ self ~runner task;
     main ()
   and try_steal () =
-    if A.get self.active then (
-      match try_to_steal_work_once_ self w with
-      | Some task -> run_task task
-      | None -> wait ()
-    )
+    match try_to_steal_work_once_ self w with
+    | Some task -> run_task task
+    | None -> wait ()
   and wait () =
     Mutex.lock self.mutex;
     match Queue.pop self.main_q with
@@ -191,15 +187,26 @@ let worker_thread_ (self : state) ~(runner : t) (w : worker_state) : unit =
       run_task task
     | exception Queue.Empty ->
       (* wait here *)
-      if A.get self.active then wait_ self;
+      if A.get self.active then (
+        wait_ self;
 
-      (* see if a task became available *)
-      let task = try Some (Queue.pop self.main_q) with Queue.Empty -> None in
-      Mutex.unlock self.mutex;
+        (* see if a task became available *)
+        let task =
+          try Some (Queue.pop self.main_q) with Queue.Empty -> None
+        in
+        Mutex.unlock self.mutex;
 
-      (match task with
-      | Some t -> run_task t
-      | None -> try_steal ())
+        match task with
+        | Some t -> run_task t
+        | None -> try_steal ()
+      ) else
+        (* do nothing more: no task in main queue, and we are shutting
+           down so no new task should arrive.
+           The exception is if another task is creating subtasks
+           that overflow into the main queue, but we can ignore that at
+           the price of slightly decreased performance for the last few
+           tasks *)
+        Mutex.unlock self.mutex
   in
 
   (* handle domain-local await *)