diff --git a/src/pool.ml b/src/pool.ml
index 43cda564..e8e4c863 100644
--- a/src/pool.ml
+++ b/src/pool.ml
@@ -108,34 +108,55 @@ let worker_thread_ (runner : t) ~on_exn ~around_task (active : bool A.t)
   let num_qs = Array.length qs in
   let (AT_pair (before_task, after_task)) = around_task in
 
+  let get_task_without_blocking () : _ option =
+    try
+      for i = 0 to num_qs - 1 do
+        let q = qs.((offset + i) mod num_qs) in
+        match Bb_queue.try_pop ~force_lock:false q with
+        | Some f -> raise_notrace (Got_task f)
+        | None -> ()
+      done;
+      None
+    with Got_task f -> Some f
+  in
+
+  (* last resort: block on my queue *)
+  let[@inline] pop_blocking () =
+    let my_q = qs.(offset mod num_qs) in
+    Bb_queue.pop my_q
+  in
+
+  let run_task task : unit =
+    let _ctx = before_task runner in
+    (* run the task now, catching errors *)
+    (try task ()
+     with e ->
+       let bt = Printexc.get_raw_backtrace () in
+       on_exn e bt);
+    after_task runner _ctx
+  in
+
+  let run_tasks_already_present () =
+    (* drain the queues from existing tasks *)
+    let continue = ref true in
+    while !continue do
+      match get_task_without_blocking () with
+      | None -> continue := false
+      | Some task -> run_task task
+    done
+  in
+
   let main_loop () =
     while A.get active do
-      (* last resort: block on my queue *)
-      let pop_blocking () =
-        let my_q = qs.(offset mod num_qs) in
-        Bb_queue.pop my_q
-      in
+      run_tasks_already_present ();
 
-      let task =
-        try
-          for i = 0 to num_qs - 1 do
-            let q = qs.((offset + i) mod num_qs) in
-            match Bb_queue.try_pop ~force_lock:false q with
-            | Some f -> raise_notrace (Got_task f)
-            | None -> ()
-          done;
-          pop_blocking ()
-        with Got_task f -> f
-      in
+      (* no task available, block until one comes *)
+      let task = pop_blocking () in
+      run_task task
+    done;
 
-      let _ctx = before_task runner in
-      (* run the task now, catching errors *)
-      (try task ()
-       with e ->
-         let bt = Printexc.get_raw_backtrace () in
-         on_exn e bt);
-      after_task runner _ctx
-    done
+    (* cleanup *)
+    run_tasks_already_present ()
   in
 
   try