diff --git a/src/worker/mod.rs b/src/worker/mod.rs
index 3057b3cf..1e76196e 100644
--- a/src/worker/mod.rs
+++ b/src/worker/mod.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ use std::time::Duration;
 use std::{error::Error as StdError, sync::atomic::AtomicUsize};
 use tokio::io::{AsyncBufRead, AsyncWrite};
 use tokio::net::TcpStream;
-use tokio::sync::Mutex;
 use tokio::task::{spawn_blocking, AbortHandle, JoinError, JoinSet};
 use tokio::time::sleep as tokio_sleep;
 
@@ -165,7 +164,10 @@ pub struct Worker<S: AsyncWrite + Send + Unpin, E> {
     terminated: bool,
     forever: bool,
     shutdown_timeout: Option<Duration>,
-    shutdown_signal: Option<Arc<Mutex<ShutdownSignal>>>,
+
+    // NOTE: this is always `Some` if `self.terminated == false` whenever any `pub` function
+    // on this type returns. it is `Some(std::future::pending())` if no shutdown signaler is set.
+    shutdown_signal: Option<ShutdownSignal>,
 }
 
 impl Worker<TcpStream, ()> {
@@ -198,7 +200,9 @@ impl<S: AsyncWrite + Send + Unpin, E> Worker<S, E> {
             terminated: false,
             forever: false,
             shutdown_timeout,
-            shutdown_signal: shutdown_signal.map(|signal| Arc::new(Mutex::new(signal))),
+            shutdown_signal: Some(
+                shutdown_signal.unwrap_or_else(|| Box::pin(std::future::pending())),
+            ),
         }
     }
 }
@@ -360,7 +364,7 @@ impl<
             terminated: self.terminated,
             forever: self.forever,
             shutdown_timeout: self.shutdown_timeout,
-            shutdown_signal: None,
+            shutdown_signal: Some(Box::pin(std::future::pending())),
         })
     }
 
@@ -429,15 +433,20 @@ impl<
                 .await?;
         }
 
-        let maybe_shutdown_signal = self.shutdown_signal.clone();
+        // the only place `shutdown_signal` is set to `None` is when we `.take()` it here.
+        // later on, we maintain the invariant that either `self.terminated` is set to `true` OR we
+        // restore `shutdown_signal` to `Some` (such as if the heartbeat future fails). in the
+        // former case, we'll never hit this `.take()` again due to the `assert` above, and in the
+        // latter case the `take()` will yet again succeed.
+        let mut shutdown_signal = self
+            .shutdown_signal
+            .take()
+            .expect("see shutdown_signal comment");
         let maybe_shutdown_timeout = self.shutdown_timeout;
 
         let report = tokio::select! {
             // A signal from the user space received.
-            _ = async {
-                let signal = maybe_shutdown_signal.unwrap();
-                signal.lock().await.as_mut().await;
-            }, if maybe_shutdown_signal.is_some() => {
+            _ = &mut shutdown_signal => {
                 let nrunning = tokio::select! {
                      _ = async { tokio_sleep(maybe_shutdown_timeout.unwrap()).await; }, if maybe_shutdown_timeout.is_some() => {
                         0
@@ -462,6 +471,8 @@ impl<
                 // note that if it is an error from heartbeat(), the worker will _not_ be marked as
                 // terminated and _can_ be restarted
                 self.terminated = exit.is_ok();
+                // restore shutdown signal since it has not resolved
+                self.shutdown_signal = Some(shutdown_signal);
 
                 if let Ok(true) = exit {
                     let nrunning = self.force_fail_all_workers("terminated").await;