diff --git a/src/pool.ml b/src/pool.ml
index 8d74ab65..8d0a8a20 100644
--- a/src/pool.ml
+++ b/src/pool.ml
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 module WSQ = Ws_deque_
 module A = Atomic_
+
+module Int_tbl = Hashtbl.Make (struct
+  type t = int
+
+  let equal : t -> t -> bool = ( = )
+  let hash : t -> int = Hashtbl.hash
+end)
+
 include Runner
 
 let ( let@ ) = ( @@ )
@@ -11,6 +19,9 @@ type worker_state = {
   mutable thread: Thread.t;
   q: task WSQ.t;  (** Work stealing queue *)
 }
+(** State for a given worker. Only this worker is
+    allowed to push into the queue, but other workers
+    can come and steal from it if they're idle. *)
 
 type mut_cond = {
   mutex: Mutex.t;
@@ -18,35 +29,27 @@ type mut_cond = {
 }
 
 type state = {
-  active: bool Atomic.t;
-  workers: worker_state array;
-  main_q: task Queue.t;  (** Main queue to block on *)
-  mc: mut_cond;
+  active: bool Atomic.t;  (** Becomes [false] when the pool is shutdown. *)
+  workers: worker_state array;  (** Fixed set of workers. *)
+  worker_by_id: worker_state Int_tbl.t;
+  main_q: task Queue.t;  (** Main queue for tasks coming from the outside *)
+  mc: mut_cond;  (** Used to block on [main_q] *)
 }
 (** internal state *)
 
 let[@inline] size_ (self : state) = Array.length self.workers
 
 let num_tasks_ (self : state) : int =
+  let n = ref 0 in
   Mutex.lock self.mc.mutex;
-  let n = ref (Queue.length self.main_q) in
+  n := Queue.length self.main_q;
   Mutex.unlock self.mc.mutex;
   Array.iter (fun w -> n := !n + WSQ.size w.q) self.workers;
   !n
 
-exception Got_worker of worker_state
-exception Closed = Bb_queue.Closed
-
-let find_current_worker_ (self : state) : worker_state option =
+let[@inline] find_current_worker_ (self : state) : worker_state option =
   let self_id = Thread.id @@ Thread.self () in
-  try
-    (* see if we're in one of the worker threads *)
-    for i = 0 to Array.length self.workers - 1 do
-      let w = self.workers.(i) in
-      if Thread.id w.thread = self_id then raise_notrace (Got_worker w)
-    done;
-    None
-  with Got_worker w -> Some w
+  Int_tbl.find_opt self.worker_by_id self_id
 
 (** Run [task] as is, on the pool. *)
 let run_direct_ (self : state) (w : worker_state option) (task : task) : unit =
@@ -133,14 +136,20 @@ let worker_thread_ (self : state) (runner : t) (w : worker_state) ~on_exn
   let work_steal_offset = ref 0 in
 
   (* get a task from another worker *)
-  let rec try_to_steal_work () : task option =
-    let i = !work_steal_offset in
-    work_steal_offset := (i + 1) mod Array.length self.workers;
-    let w' = self.workers.(i) in
-    if w == w' then
-      try_to_steal_work ()
-    else
-      WSQ.steal w'.q
+  let try_to_steal_work () : task option =
+    assert (size_ self > 1);
+
+    work_steal_offset := (!work_steal_offset + 1) mod Array.length self.workers;
+
+    (* if we're pointing to [w], skip to the next worker as
+       it's useless to steal from oneself *)
+    if self.workers.(!work_steal_offset) == w then
+      work_steal_offset :=
+        (!work_steal_offset + 1) mod Array.length self.workers;
+
+    let w' = self.workers.(!work_steal_offset) in
+    assert (w != w');
+    WSQ.steal w'.q
   in
 
   (*
@@ -161,48 +170,65 @@ let worker_thread_ (self : state) (runner : t) (w : worker_state) ~on_exn
 
   (* try to steal work multiple times *)
   let try_to_steal_work_loop () : bool =
-    try
-      let unsuccessful_steal_attempts = ref 0 in
-      while !unsuccessful_steal_attempts < steal_attempt_max_retry do
-        match try_to_steal_work () with
-        | Some task ->
-          run_task task;
-          raise_notrace Exit
-        | None ->
-          incr unsuccessful_steal_attempts;
-          Domain_.relax ()
-      done;
+    if size_ self = 1 then
+      (* no stealing for single thread pool *)
       false
-    with Exit -> true
+    else (
+      try
+        let unsuccessful_steal_attempts = ref 0 in
+        while !unsuccessful_steal_attempts < steal_attempt_max_retry do
+          match try_to_steal_work () with
+          | Some task ->
+            run_task task;
+            raise_notrace Exit
+          | None ->
+            incr unsuccessful_steal_attempts;
+            Domain_.relax ()
+        done;
+        false
+      with Exit -> true
+    )
   in
 
-  let get_task_from_main_queue_block () : task =
+  let get_task_from_main_queue_block () : task option =
     try
       Mutex.lock self.mc.mutex;
-      while A.get self.active do
+      while true do
         match Queue.pop self.main_q with
-        | exception Queue.Empty -> Condition.wait self.mc.cond self.mc.mutex
+        | exception Queue.Empty ->
+          if A.get self.active then
+            Condition.wait self.mc.cond self.mc.mutex
+          else (
+            (* empty queue and we're closed, time to exit *)
+            Mutex.unlock self.mc.mutex;
+            raise_notrace Exit
+          )
         | task ->
           Mutex.unlock self.mc.mutex;
           raise_notrace (Got_task task)
       done;
-      Mutex.unlock self.mc.mutex;
-      raise Shutdown
-    with Got_task t -> t
+      (* unreachable *)
+      assert false
+    with
+    | Got_task t -> Some t
+    | Exit -> None
   in
 
   let main_loop () =
-    (try
-       while true do
-         run_self_tasks_ ();
+    let continue = ref true in
+    while !continue do
+      run_self_tasks_ ();
 
-         if not (try_to_steal_work_loop ()) then (
-           let task = get_task_from_main_queue_block () in
-           run_task task
-         )
-       done
-     with Shutdown -> ());
-    run_self_tasks_ ()
+      let did_steal = try_to_steal_work_loop () in
+      if not did_steal then (
+        match get_task_from_main_queue_block () with
+        | None ->
+          (* main queue is closed *)
+          continue := false
+        | Some task -> run_task task
+      )
+    done;
+    assert (WSQ.size w.q = 0)
   in
 
   (* handle domain-local await *)
@@ -259,6 +285,7 @@ let create ?(on_init_thread = default_thread_init_exit_)
     {
       active = A.make true;
       workers;
+      worker_by_id = Int_tbl.create 8;
       main_q = Queue.create ();
       mc = { mutex = Mutex.create (); cond = Condition.create () };
     }
@@ -324,7 +351,12 @@ let create ?(on_init_thread = default_thread_init_exit_)
   (* receive the newly created threads back from domains *)
   for _j = 1 to num_threads do
     let i, th = Bb_queue.pop receive_threads in
-    pool.workers.(i).thread <- th
+    let worker_state = pool.workers.(i) in
+    worker_state.thread <- th;
+
+    Mutex.lock pool.mc.mutex;
+    Int_tbl.add pool.worker_by_id (Thread.id th) worker_state;
+    Mutex.unlock pool.mc.mutex
   done;
 
   runner