diff --git a/distributed/tests/test_worker_client.py b/distributed/tests/test_worker_client.py
index 468bd90d463..4855a82ca64 100644
--- a/distributed/tests/test_worker_client.py
+++ b/distributed/tests/test_worker_client.py
@@ -180,9 +180,10 @@ def f(i):
 
 
 @gen_cluster(client=True)
-async def test_client_executor(c, s, a, b):
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("separate_thread", [True, False])
+async def test_client_executor(c, s, a, b, separate_thread):
     def mysum():
-        with worker_client() as c:
+        with worker_client(separate_thread=separate_thread) as c:
             with c.get_executor() as e:
                 return sum(e.map(double, range(30)))
 
@@ -339,3 +340,40 @@ def long_running():
     assert len(res) == 2
     assert res[a.address] > 25
     assert res[b.address] > 25
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("separate_thread", [True, False])
+def test_sync_func_on_main_thread(client, separate_thread):
+    """A synchronous client running a worker that calls an async task which submits its own task to
+    the scheduler should not fail"""
+    # https://github.com/dask/distributed/issues/5513
+
+    async def inc(n):
+        return n + 1
+
+    async def f():
+        with worker_client(separate_thread=separate_thread) as c:
+            m = c.submit(inc, 1)
+            return m
+
+    res = client.submit(f)
+    assert res.exception() is None
+
+
+@gen_cluster(client=True)
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("separate_thread", [True, False])
+async def test_async_func_on_main_thread(c, s, a, b, separate_thread):
+    """An asynchronous client running a worker that calls an async task which submits its own task to
+    the scheduler should not fail"""
+    # https://github.com/dask/distributed/issues/5513
+
+    async def inc(n):
+        return n + 1
+
+    async def f():
+        with worker_client(separate_thread=separate_thread) as client:
+            m = await client.submit(inc, 1)
+            return m
+
+    res = await c.submit(f)
+    assert res == 2
diff --git a/distributed/worker_client.py b/distributed/worker_client.py
index 5a775b38191..d76d03b796b 100644
--- a/distributed/worker_client.py
+++ b/distributed/worker_client.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import threading
 import warnings
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 
@@ -50,7 +51,12 @@ def worker_client(timeout=None, separate_thread=True):
 
     worker = get_worker()
     client = get_client(timeout=timeout)
-    if separate_thread:
+
+    # When passing the client an async function, it runs on the event loop
+    # in the main thread instead of a background thread.  This causes secede() to fail,
+    is_main_thread = threading.current_thread() is threading.main_thread()
+    if not is_main_thread and separate_thread:
+
         duration = time() - thread_state.start_time
         secede()  # have this thread secede from the thread pool
         worker.loop.add_callback(
@@ -63,7 +69,7 @@ def worker_client(timeout=None, separate_thread=True):
 
     yield client
 
-    if separate_thread:
+    if not is_main_thread and separate_thread:
         rejoin()