diff --git a/src/baseTrie.ts b/src/baseTrie.ts
index fbb660f..59d4bd8 100644
--- a/src/baseTrie.ts
+++ b/src/baseTrie.ts
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ export class Trie {
               const childRef = child[1] as Buffer
               const childKey = key.concat(keyExtension)
               const priority = childKey.length
-              taskExecutor.execute(priority, async (taskCallback: Function) => {
+              await taskExecutor.execute(priority, async (taskCallback: Function) => {
                 const childNode = await self._lookupNode(childRef)
                 taskCallback()
                 if (childNode) {
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ export class Trie {
             const childKey = key.slice()
             childKey.push(childIndex)
             const priority = childKey.length
-            taskExecutor.execute(priority, async (taskCallback: Function) => {
+            await taskExecutor.execute(priority, async (taskCallback: Function) => {
               const childNode = await self._lookupNode(childRef)
               taskCallback()
               if (childNode) {
diff --git a/src/prioritizedTaskExecutor.ts b/src/prioritizedTaskExecutor.ts
index a8ada41..ad88b6d 100644
--- a/src/prioritizedTaskExecutor.ts
+++ b/src/prioritizedTaskExecutor.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import Semaphore from 'semaphore-async-await'
+
 interface Task {
   priority: number
   fn: Function
@@ -10,6 +12,8 @@ export class PrioritizedTaskExecutor {
   private currentPoolSize: number
   /** The task queue */
   private queue: Task[]
+  /** The Lock */
+  private lock: Semaphore
 
   /**
    * Executes tasks up to maxPoolSize at a time, other items are put in a priority queue.
@@ -21,6 +25,7 @@ export class PrioritizedTaskExecutor {
     this.maxPoolSize = maxPoolSize
     this.currentPoolSize = 0
     this.queue = []
+    this.lock = new Semaphore(1)
   }
 
   /**
@@ -29,17 +34,22 @@ export class PrioritizedTaskExecutor {
    * @param priority The priority of the task
    * @param fn The function that accepts the callback, which must be called upon the task completion.
    */
-  execute(priority: number, fn: Function) {
-    if (this.currentPoolSize < this.maxPoolSize) {
-      this.currentPoolSize++
-      fn(() => {
-        this.currentPoolSize--
-        if (this.queue.length > 0) {
-          const item = this.queue.shift()
-          this.execute(item!.priority, item!.fn)
+  async execute(priority: number, fn: Function) {
+    let self = this
+    function runTask() {
+      self.currentPoolSize++
+      fn(async () => {
+        self.currentPoolSize--
+        if (self.queue.length > 0) {
+          const item = self.queue.shift()
+          await self.execute(item!.priority, item!.fn)
         }
       })
+    }
+    if (this.currentPoolSize < this.maxPoolSize) {
+      runTask()
     } else {
+      await this.lock.wait()
       if (this.queue.length == 0) {
         this.queue.push({ priority, fn })
       } else {
@@ -50,15 +60,24 @@ export class PrioritizedTaskExecutor {
           return Math.floor(left + (right - left) / 2)
         }
         while (true) {
+          // note that there is a special case: it could be that during sorting, a Task is finished (reducing currentPoolSize by 1), but this Task was not yet inserted
+          // therefore, if we want to insert the item we explicitly check that we indeed should Queue it, if not, we execute it and do not insert it.
           let index = mid()
           let value = this.queue[index].priority
-          console.log(left, right, index, value)
           if (value == priority) {
-            this.queue.splice(index, 0, { priority, fn })
+            if (this.currentPoolSize < this.maxPoolSize) {
+              runTask()
+            } else {
+              this.queue.splice(index, 0, { priority, fn })
+            }
             break
           }
           if (left == right) {
-            this.queue.splice(left, 0, { priority, fn })
+            if (this.currentPoolSize < this.maxPoolSize) {
+              runTask()
+            } else {
+              this.queue.splice(left, 0, { priority, fn })
+            }
             break
           }
 
@@ -69,6 +88,7 @@ export class PrioritizedTaskExecutor {
           }
         }
       }
+      this.lock.signal()
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/test/prioritizedTaskExecutor.spec.ts b/test/prioritizedTaskExecutor.spec.ts
index dac2b7d..f283457 100644
--- a/test/prioritizedTaskExecutor.spec.ts
+++ b/test/prioritizedTaskExecutor.spec.ts
@@ -2,33 +2,33 @@ import * as tape from 'tape'
 import { PrioritizedTaskExecutor } from '../src/prioritizedTaskExecutor'
 
 tape('prioritized task executor test', function (t: any) {
-  t.test('should execute tasks in the right order', (st: any) => {
+  t.test('should execute tasks in the right order', async (st: any) => {
     const taskExecutor = new PrioritizedTaskExecutor(2)
     const tasks = [1, 2, 3, 4]
     const callbacks = [] as any
     const executionOrder = [] as any
-    tasks.forEach(function (task) {
-      taskExecutor.execute(task, function (cb: Function) {
+    for (let task of tasks) {
+      await taskExecutor.execute(task, function (cb: Function) {
         executionOrder.push(task)
         callbacks.push(cb)
       })
-    })
+    }
 
-    callbacks.forEach(function (callback: Function) {
-      callback()
-    })
+    for (let callback of callbacks) {
+      await callback()
+    }
 
     const expectedExecutionOrder = [1, 2, 4, 3]
     st.deepEqual(executionOrder, expectedExecutionOrder)
     st.end()
   })
 
-  t.test('should queue tasks in the right order', (st: any) => {
+  t.test('should queue tasks in the right order', async (st: any) => {
     const priorityList = [0, 1, 0, 2, 0, 1, 0, 2, 2, 1]
     const PTE = new PrioritizedTaskExecutor(0) // this ensures that no task actually gets executed, so this essentially just checks the sort algorithm
-    priorityList.map((priority) => {
-      PTE.execute(priority, () => {})
-    })
+    for (let priority of priorityList) {
+      await PTE.execute(priority, () => {})
+    }
     // have to cast the PTE as <any> to access the private queue
     st.deepEqual(
       (<any>PTE).queue.map((task: any) => task.priority),