diff --git a/src/internal/event_loop/event_loop.mbt b/src/internal/event_loop/event_loop.mbt
index 1f5dff47..d85f39fb 100644
--- a/src/internal/event_loop/event_loop.mbt
+++ b/src/internal/event_loop/event_loop.mbt
@@ -12,12 +12,6 @@
 // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 // limitations under the License.
 
-///|
-priv struct Worker {
-  id : Int64
-  job_slot : Ref[JobForWorker]
-}
-
 ///|
 priv struct EventLoop {
   poll : Instance
@@ -136,10 +130,7 @@ fn EventLoop::run_forever(self : Self) -> Unit raise {
           self.running_workers.remove(job_id)
           match self.job_queue.pop_front() {
             None => self.idle_workers.push_back(worker)
-            Some(job) => {
-              worker.job_slot.val = job
-              wake_worker(worker.id)
-            }
+            Some(job) => wake_worker(worker, job)
           }
           if self.jobs.get(job_id) is Some(coro) {
             self.jobs.remove(job_id)
@@ -325,14 +316,12 @@ async fn perform_job_in_worker(
     None if evloop.running_workers.size() > evloop.max_worker_count =>
       evloop.job_queue.push_back(job)
     None => {
-      let job_slot = @ref.new(job)
-      let id = spawn_worker(job_slot)
-      evloop.running_workers[job.id()] = { id, job_slot }
+      let worker = spawn_worker(job)
+      evloop.running_workers[job.id()] = worker
     }
     Some(worker) => {
-      worker.job_slot.val = job
       evloop.running_workers[job.id()] = worker
-      wake_worker(worker.id)
+      wake_worker(worker, job)
     }
   }
   evloop.jobs[job.id()] = @coroutine.current_coroutine()
diff --git a/src/internal/event_loop/thread_pool.c b/src/internal/event_loop/thread_pool.c
index 2a5c2707..5bc79a14 100644
--- a/src/internal/event_loop/thread_pool.c
+++ b/src/internal/event_loop/thread_pool.c
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@
 
 #ifdef __MACH__
 #include <sys/event.h>
+#define WAKEUP_METHOD_COND_VAR
+#else
+#define WAKEUP_METHOD_SIGNAL
 #endif
 
 extern char **environ;
@@ -130,8 +133,10 @@ struct {
 
   int notify_send;
 
+#ifdef WAKEUP_METHOD_SIGNAL
   sigset_t wakeup_signal;
   sigset_t old_sigmask;
+#endif
   int32_t job_id;
 } pool;
 
@@ -163,16 +168,26 @@ int moonbitlang_async_job_poll_fd(struct job *job) {
   }
 }
 
+struct worker {
+  pthread_t id;
+  struct job *job;
+#ifdef WAKEUP_METHOD_COND_VAR
+  pthread_mutex_t mutex;
+  pthread_cond_t cond;
+#endif
+};
+
 static
-void *worker(void *data) {
+void *worker_loop(void *data) {
   int sig;
-  pthread_t self = pthread_self();
+  struct worker *self = (struct worker*)data;
 
-  sigset_t sigset;
-  sigemptyset(&sigset);
-  sigaddset(&sigset, SIGUSR1);
+  struct job *job = self->job;
 
-  struct job *job = *((struct job**)data);
+#ifdef WAKEUP_METHOD_COND_VAR
+  pthread_mutex_init(&(self->mutex), 0);
+  pthread_cond_init(&(self->cond), 0);
+#endif
 
   while (job) {
     job->ret = 0;
@@ -254,8 +269,12 @@ void *worker(void *data) {
     case OP_SPAWN: {
       posix_spawnattr_t attr;
       posix_spawnattr_init(&attr);
+#ifdef WAKEUP_METHOD_SIGNAL
       posix_spawnattr_setflags(&attr, POSIX_SPAWN_SETSIGMASK | POSIX_SPAWN_SETSIGDEF);
       posix_spawnattr_setsigmask(&attr, &pool.old_sigmask);
+#else
+      posix_spawnattr_setflags(&attr, POSIX_SPAWN_SETSIGDEF);
+#endif
 
       sigset_t sigdefault_set;
       sigemptyset(&sigdefault_set);
@@ -358,24 +377,51 @@ void *worker(void *data) {
       break;
     }
     }
-    write(pool.notify_send, &job, sizeof(struct job*));
+    write(pool.notify_send, &(job->job_id), sizeof(int));
 
     job = 0;
+#ifdef WAKEUP_METHOD_SIGNAL
     sigwait(&pool.wakeup_signal, &sig);
-    job = *(struct job**)data;
+#elif defined(WAKEUP_METHOD_COND_VAR)
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&(self->mutex));
+#ifdef __MACH__
+    // There's a bug in the MacOS's `pthread_cond_wait`,
+    // see https://github.com/graphia-app/graphia/issues/33
+    // We know the arguments must be valid here, so use a loop to work around
+    while (pthread_cond_wait(&(self->cond), &(self->mutex)) == EINVAL) {}
+#else
+    pthread_cond_wait(&(self->cond), &(self->mutex));
+#endif
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&(self->mutex));
+#endif
+    job = self->job;
   }
   return 0;
 }
 
+void moonbitlang_async_wake_worker(struct worker *worker, struct job *job) {
+  moonbit_decref(worker->job);
+  worker->job = job;
+#ifdef WAKEUP_METHOD_SIGNAL
+  pthread_kill(worker->id, SIGUSR1);
+#elif defined(WAKEUP_METHOD_COND_VAR)
+  pthread_mutex_lock(&(worker->mutex));
+  pthread_cond_signal(&(worker->cond));
+  pthread_mutex_unlock(&(worker->mutex));
+#endif
+}
+
 void moonbitlang_async_init_thread_pool(int notify_send) {
   if (pool.initialized)
     abort();
 
   pool.job_id = 0;
 
+#ifdef WAKEUP_METHOD_SIGNAL
   sigemptyset(&pool.wakeup_signal);
   sigaddset(&pool.wakeup_signal, SIGUSR1);
   pthread_sigmask(SIG_BLOCK, &pool.wakeup_signal, &pool.old_sigmask);
+#endif
 
   pool.notify_send = notify_send;
   pool.initialized = 1;
@@ -387,24 +433,37 @@ void moonbitlang_async_destroy_thread_pool() {
 
   pool.initialized = 0;
 
+#ifdef WAKEUP_METHOD_SIGNAL
   pthread_sigmask(SIG_SETMASK, &pool.old_sigmask, 0);
+#endif
 
   pool.job_id = 0;
 }
 
-pthread_t moonbitlang_async_spawn_worker(struct job **job_slot) {
+void free_worker(void *target) {
+  struct worker *worker = (struct worker*)target;
+  // terminate the worker
+  moonbitlang_async_wake_worker(worker, 0);
+  pthread_join(worker->id, 0);
+#ifdef WAKEUP_METHOD_COND_VAR
+  pthread_mutex_destroy(&(worker->mutex));
+  pthread_cond_destroy(&(worker->cond));
+#endif
+}
+
+struct worker *moonbitlang_async_spawn_worker(struct job *init_job) {
   pthread_attr_t attr;
   pthread_attr_init(&attr);
   pthread_attr_setstacksize(&attr, 512);
 
-  pthread_t id;
-  pthread_create(&id, &attr, &worker, job_slot);
+  struct worker *worker = (struct worker*)moonbit_make_external_object(
+    &free_worker,
+    sizeof(struct worker)
+  );
+  worker->job = init_job;
+  pthread_create(&(worker->id), &attr, &worker_loop, worker);
   pthread_attr_destroy(&attr);
-  return id;
-}
-
-void moonbitlang_async_wake_worker(pthread_t worker) {
-  pthread_kill(worker, SIGUSR1);
+  return worker;
 }
 
 int moonbitlang_async_job_id(struct job *job) {
@@ -585,12 +644,10 @@ struct job *moonbitlang_async_make_getaddrinfo_job(
 }
 
 int32_t moonbitlang_async_fetch_completion(int notify_recv) {
-  struct job *job;
-  int32_t ret = read(notify_recv, &job, sizeof(struct job*));
+  int job_id;
+  int32_t ret = read(notify_recv, &job_id, sizeof(int));
   if (ret < 0)
     return ret;
 
-  int job_id = job->job_id;
-  moonbit_decref(job);
   return job_id;
 }
diff --git a/src/internal/event_loop/thread_pool.mbt b/src/internal/event_loop/thread_pool.mbt
index 3cd16ed4..7cb03286 100644
--- a/src/internal/event_loop/thread_pool.mbt
+++ b/src/internal/event_loop/thread_pool.mbt
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@
 // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 // limitations under the License.
 
+///|
+priv type Worker
+
 ///|
 extern "C" fn init_thread_pool_ffi(notify_send : Int) = "moonbitlang_async_init_thread_pool"
 
@@ -19,11 +22,10 @@ extern "C" fn init_thread_pool_ffi(notify_send : Int) = "moonbitlang_async_init_
 extern "C" fn destroy_thread_pool() = "moonbitlang_async_destroy_thread_pool"
 
 ///|
-#borrow(job_slot)
-extern "C" fn spawn_worker(job_slot : Ref[JobForWorker]) -> Int64 = "moonbitlang_async_spawn_worker"
+extern "C" fn spawn_worker(init_job : JobForWorker) -> Worker = "moonbitlang_async_spawn_worker"
 
 ///|
-extern "C" fn wake_worker(worker_id : Int64) = "moonbitlang_async_wake_worker"
+extern "C" fn wake_worker(worker : Worker, job : JobForWorker) = "moonbitlang_async_wake_worker"
 
 ///|
 extern "C" fn fetch_completion_ffi(notify_recv : Int) -> Int = "moonbitlang_async_fetch_completion"