diff --git a/src/d_pool_.ml b/src/d_pool_.ml
index 2dedc339..13468359 100644
--- a/src/d_pool_.ml
+++ b/src/d_pool_.ml
@@ -2,15 +2,14 @@ type domain = Domain_.t
 
 type event =
   | Run of (unit -> unit)  (** Run this function *)
-  | Decr
-      (** decrement number of threads on this domain. If it reaches 0,
-    wind down *)
+  | Die  (** Nudge the domain, asking it to die *)
 
 (* State for a domain worker. It should not do too much except for starting
     new threads for pools. *)
 type worker_state = {
   q: event Bb_queue.t;
   th_count: int Atomic_.t;  (** Number of threads on this *)
+  mutable domain: domain option;
 }
 
 (** Array of (optional) workers.
@@ -22,37 +21,53 @@ let domains_ : worker_state option Lock.t array =
   let n = max 1 (Domain_.recommended_number () - 1) in
   Array.init n (fun _ -> Lock.create None)
 
-let work_ idx (st : worker_state) : unit =
+let work_ (st : worker_state) : unit =
   Dla_.setup_domain ();
-  while Atomic_.get st.th_count > 0 do
+  let continue = ref true in
+  while !continue do
     match Bb_queue.pop st.q with
     | Run f -> (try f () with _ -> ())
-    | Decr ->
-      if Atomic_.fetch_and_add st.th_count (-1) = 1 then
-        Lock.set domains_.(idx) None
+    | Die -> continue := false
   done
 
 let[@inline] n_domains () : int = Array.length domains_
 
 let run_on (i : int) (f : unit -> unit) : unit =
   assert (i < Array.length domains_);
+  let w =
+    Lock.update_map domains_.(i) (function
+      | Some w as st ->
+        Atomic_.incr w.th_count;
+        st, w
+      | None ->
+        let w =
+          { th_count = Atomic_.make 1; q = Bb_queue.create (); domain = None }
+        in
+        let worker : domain = Domain_.spawn (fun () -> work_ w) in
+        w.domain <- Some worker;
+        Some w, w)
+  in
+  Bb_queue.push w.q (Run f)
 
-  Lock.update domains_.(i) (function
-    | Some w as st ->
-      Atomic_.incr w.th_count;
-      Bb_queue.push w.q (Run f);
-      st
-    | None ->
-      let st = { th_count = Atomic_.make 1; q = Bb_queue.create () } in
-      let _domain : domain = Domain_.spawn (fun () -> work_ i st) in
-      Bb_queue.push st.q (Run f);
-      Some st)
-
-let decr_on (i : int) : unit =
+let decr_on (i : int) ~(domain_to_join : Domain_.t -> unit) : unit =
   assert (i < Array.length domains_);
-  match Lock.get domains_.(i) with
+  let st_to_kill =
+    Lock.update_map domains_.(i) (function
+      | None -> assert false
+      | Some st ->
+        if Atomic_.fetch_and_add st.th_count (-1) = 1 then
+          None, Some st
+        else
+          Some st, None)
+  in
+
+  (* prepare for domain termination outside of critical section *)
+  match st_to_kill with
   | None -> ()
-  | Some st -> Bb_queue.push st.q Decr
+  | Some st ->
+    (* ask the domain to die *)
+    Bb_queue.push st.q Die;
+    Option.iter domain_to_join st.domain
 
 let run_on_and_wait (i : int) (f : unit -> 'a) : 'a =
   let q = Bb_queue.create () in
diff --git a/src/d_pool_.mli b/src/d_pool_.mli
index dd0902af..378c065a 100644
--- a/src/d_pool_.mli
+++ b/src/d_pool_.mli
@@ -15,8 +15,10 @@ val run_on : int -> (unit -> unit) -> unit
 (** [run_on i f] runs [f()] on the domain with index [i].
     Precondition: [0 <= i < n_domains()] *)
 
-val decr_on : int -> unit
-(** Signal that a thread is stopping on the domain with index [i] *)
+val decr_on : int -> domain_to_join:(Domain_.t -> unit) -> unit
+(** Signal that a thread is stopping on the domain with index [i].
+    @param domain_to_join called with a domain if this domain shuts down
+      because no one is using it anymore *)
 
 val run_on_and_wait : int -> (unit -> 'a) -> 'a
 (** [run_on_and_wait i f] runs [f()] on the domain with index [i],
diff --git a/src/domain_.ml b/src/domain_.ml
index 1878ab6d..60d1e669 100644
--- a/src/domain_.ml
+++ b/src/domain_.ml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ type t = unit Domain.t
 let get_id (self : t) : int = (Domain.get_id self :> int)
 let spawn : _ -> t = Domain.spawn
 let relax = Domain.cpu_relax
+let join = Domain.join
 
 [@@@ocaml.alert "+unstable"]
 [@@@else_]
@@ -19,5 +20,6 @@ type t = Thread.t
 let get_id (self : t) : int = Thread.id self
 let spawn f : t = Thread.create f ()
 let relax () = Thread.yield ()
+let join = Thread.join
 
 [@@@endif]
diff --git a/src/pool.ml b/src/pool.ml
index eded6b24..5faefc4d 100644
--- a/src/pool.ml
+++ b/src/pool.ml
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ type state = {
   active: bool A.t;
   threads: Thread.t array;
   qs: task Bb_queue.t array;
+  domains_to_join: Domain_.t Bb_queue.t;
   cur_q: int A.t;  (** Selects queue into which to push *)
 }
 (** internal state *)
@@ -158,7 +159,19 @@ let shutdown_ ~wait (self : state) : unit =
   (* close the job queues, which will fail future calls to [run],
      and wake up the subset of [self.threads] that are waiting on them. *)
   if was_active then Array.iter Bb_queue.close self.qs;
-  if wait then Array.iter Thread.join self.threads
+  if wait then Array.iter Thread.join self.threads;
+  Bb_queue.close self.domains_to_join;
+
+  (* now join domains which need to be joined *)
+  while
+    match Bb_queue.pop self.domains_to_join with
+    | exception Bb_queue.Closed -> false
+    | d ->
+      Domain_.join d;
+      true
+  do
+    ()
+  done
 
 type ('a, 'b) create_args =
   ?on_init_thread:(dom_id:int -> t_id:int -> unit -> unit) ->
@@ -199,7 +212,13 @@ let create ?(on_init_thread = default_thread_init_exit_)
 
   let pool =
     let dummy = Thread.self () in
-    { active; threads = Array.make num_threads dummy; qs; cur_q = A.make 0 }
+    {
+      active;
+      threads = Array.make num_threads dummy;
+      qs;
+      cur_q = A.make 0;
+      domains_to_join = Bb_queue.create ();
+    }
   in
 
   let runner =
@@ -241,7 +260,10 @@ let create ?(on_init_thread = default_thread_init_exit_)
       in
 
       (* now run the main loop *)
-      Fun.protect run' ~finally:(fun () -> D_pool_.decr_on dom_idx);
+      Fun.protect run' ~finally:(fun () ->
+          (* on termination, decrease refcount of underlying domain *)
+          D_pool_.decr_on dom_idx
+            ~domain_to_join:(Bb_queue.push pool.domains_to_join));
       on_exit_thread ~dom_id:dom_idx ~t_id ()
     in