diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 67e1439..0cc0a83 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -14,4 +14,4 @@ lint:
 	go tool govulncheck ./...
 
 bench:
-	go test -run=^$ -bench=. -benchmem ./...
+	go test -run=^$$ -bench=. -benchmem ./...
diff --git a/errors.go b/errors.go
index 25e1b51..215b693 100644
--- a/errors.go
+++ b/errors.go
@@ -60,18 +60,18 @@ type customError struct {
 	basePath     string // snapshot of basePath at capture time
 	cause        error
 	wrapped      error // immediate parent for Unwrap() chain; may differ from cause
-	shouldNotify bool
+	shouldNotify atomic.Bool
 	status       *grpcstatus.Status
 }
 
 // ShouldNotify returns true if the error should be reported to notifiers.
 func (c *customError) ShouldNotify() bool {
-	return c.shouldNotify
+	return c.shouldNotify.Load()
 }
 
 // Notified marks the error as having been notified (or not).
 func (c *customError) Notified(status bool) {
-	c.shouldNotify = !status
+	c.shouldNotify.Store(!status)
 }
 
 // Error returns the error message.
@@ -233,30 +233,30 @@ func WrapWithSkipAndStatus(err error, msg string, skip int, status *grpcstatus.S
 	//if we have stack information reuse that
 	if e, ok := err.(ErrorExt); ok {
 		c := &customError{
-			Msg:          msg + e.Error(),
-			cause:        e.Cause(),
-			wrapped:      err, // preserve full chain for errors.Is/errors.As
-			status:       status,
-			shouldNotify: true,
+			Msg:     msg + e.Error(),
+			cause:   e.Cause(),
+			wrapped: err, // preserve full chain for errors.Is/errors.As
+			status:  status,
 		}
+		c.shouldNotify.Store(true)
 
 		c.stack = e.Callers()
 		if ce, ok := e.(*customError); ok {
 			c.basePath = ce.basePath
 		}
 		if n, ok := e.(NotifyExt); ok {
-			c.shouldNotify = n.ShouldNotify()
+			c.shouldNotify.Store(n.ShouldNotify())
 		}
 		return c
 	}
 
 	c := &customError{
-		Msg:          msg + err.Error(),
-		cause:        err,
-		wrapped:      err,
-		shouldNotify: true,
-		status:       status,
+		Msg:     msg + err.Error(),
+		cause:   err,
+		wrapped: err,
+		status:  status,
 	}
+	c.shouldNotify.Store(true)
 	c.captureStack(skip + 1)
 	return c
 
diff --git a/notifier/notifier.go b/notifier/notifier.go
index 165ec9e..3db5480 100644
--- a/notifier/notifier.go
+++ b/notifier/notifier.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 
 	gobrake "github.com/airbrake/gobrake/v5"
@@ -35,12 +36,20 @@ var (
 	hostname           string
 	traceHeader        string = "x-trace-id"
 
-	// asyncSem is a semaphore that bounds the number of concurrent async
-	// notification goroutines. When full, new notifications are dropped
-	// to prevent goroutine explosion under sustained error bursts.
-	asyncSem = make(chan struct{}, 1000)
 )
 
+// asyncSem is a semaphore that bounds the number of concurrent async
+// notification goroutines. When full, new notifications are dropped
+// to prevent goroutine explosion under sustained error bursts.
+// Stored as atomic.Pointer to eliminate the race between SetMaxAsyncNotifications
+// and NotifyAsync goroutines reading the channel variable.
+var asyncSem atomic.Pointer[chan struct{}]
+
+func init() {
+	ch := make(chan struct{}, 20)
+	asyncSem.Store(&ch)
+}
+
 const (
 	tracerID = "tracerId"
 )
@@ -50,11 +59,13 @@ var asyncSemOnce sync.Once
 // SetMaxAsyncNotifications sets the maximum number of concurrent async
 // notification goroutines. When the limit is reached, new async notifications
 // are dropped to prevent goroutine explosion under sustained error bursts.
-// Default is 1000. Can only be called once; subsequent calls are no-ops.
+// Default is 20. The first successful call wins; subsequent calls are no-ops.
+// It is safe to call concurrently with NotifyAsync.
 func SetMaxAsyncNotifications(n int) {
 	if n > 0 {
 		asyncSemOnce.Do(func() {
-			asyncSem = make(chan struct{}, n)
+			ch := make(chan struct{}, n)
+			asyncSem.Store(&ch)
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -67,7 +78,7 @@ func NotifyAsync(err error, rawData ...interface{}) error {
 	if err == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
-	sem := asyncSem
+	sem := *asyncSem.Load()
 	select {
 	case sem <- struct{}{}:
 		data := append([]interface{}(nil), rawData...)
@@ -553,7 +564,9 @@ func SetTraceId(ctx context.Context) context.Context {
 func GetTraceId(ctx context.Context) string {
 	if o := options.FromContext(ctx); o != nil {
 		if data, found := o.Get(tracerID); found {
-			return data.(string)
+			if traceID, ok := data.(string); ok {
+				return traceID
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	if logCtx := loggers.FromContext(ctx); logCtx != nil {
diff --git a/notifier/notifier_test.go b/notifier/notifier_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..29b1589
--- /dev/null
+++ b/notifier/notifier_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+package notifier
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"sync"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/go-coldbrew/errors"
+	"github.com/go-coldbrew/options"
+)
+
+func TestGetTraceId_NonStringValue(t *testing.T) {
+	// Regression test: GetTraceId must not panic when the tracerID
+	// option holds a non-string value.
+	ctx := options.AddToOptions(context.Background(), tracerID, 12345)
+
+	// Before the fix this panicked with "interface conversion: interface {} is int, not string".
+	got := GetTraceId(ctx)
+	if got != "" {
+		t.Errorf("expected empty string for non-string tracerID, got %q", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestGetTraceId_StringValue(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := options.AddToOptions(context.Background(), tracerID, "abc-123")
+
+	got := GetTraceId(ctx)
+	if got != "abc-123" {
+		t.Errorf("expected 'abc-123', got %q", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNotifyAsync_BoundedConcurrency(t *testing.T) {
+	// Use a 1-slot semaphore and pre-fill it to simulate a full pool.
+	ch := make(chan struct{}, 1)
+	ch <- struct{}{} // pre-fill: pool is now full
+	asyncSem.Store(&ch)
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		// Restore default. Drain first so cleanup is safe.
+		for len(ch) > 0 {
+			<-ch
+		}
+		def := make(chan struct{}, 20)
+		asyncSem.Store(&def)
+	})
+
+	// With the semaphore full, NotifyAsync must drop (hit default branch).
+	// It should not block and should not spawn a goroutine.
+	NotifyAsync(errors.New("should-drop"))
+
+	// Verify the semaphore is still exactly full (1 token, capacity 1).
+	// If NotifyAsync had somehow acquired a slot, len would be < cap.
+	if len(ch) != cap(ch) {
+		t.Errorf("expected semaphore to remain full (len=%d, cap=%d); NotifyAsync should have dropped", len(ch), cap(ch))
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSetMaxAsyncNotifications_ConcurrentAccess(t *testing.T) {
+	// Regression test: SetMaxAsyncNotifications and NotifyAsync must not
+	// race on the asyncSem variable. Run with -race to verify.
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+
+	wg.Add(2)
+	go func() {
+		defer wg.Done()
+		for i := 0; i < 100; i++ {
+			SetMaxAsyncNotifications(50)
+		}
+	}()
+	go func() {
+		defer wg.Done()
+		for i := 0; i < 20; i++ {
+			NotifyAsync(errors.New("race test"))
+		}
+	}()
+	wg.Wait()
+}