diff --git a/bb8/Cargo.toml b/bb8/Cargo.toml
index 16ce72a..fba5dbc 100644
--- a/bb8/Cargo.toml
+++ b/bb8/Cargo.toml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ async-trait = "0.1"
 futures-channel = "0.3.2"
 futures-util = { version = "0.3.2", default-features = false, features = ["channel"] }
 parking_lot = { version = "0.12", optional = true }
-tokio = { version = "1.0", features = ["rt", "time"] }
+tokio = { version = "1.0", features = ["rt", "time", "sync"] }
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 tokio = { version = "1.0", features = ["macros"] }
diff --git a/bb8/src/inner.rs b/bb8/src/inner.rs
index ed13264..6915ba1 100644
--- a/bb8/src/inner.rs
+++ b/bb8/src/inner.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ use std::future::Future;
 use std::sync::{Arc, Weak};
 use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
 
-use futures_channel::oneshot;
 use futures_util::stream::{FuturesUnordered, StreamExt};
 use futures_util::TryFutureExt;
 use tokio::spawn;
@@ -103,46 +102,84 @@ where
         &'a self,
         make_pooled_conn: F,
     ) -> Result<PooledConnection<'b, M>, RunError<M::Error>>
+    where
+        F: Fn(&'a Self, Conn<M::Connection>) -> PooledConnection<'b, M>,
+    {
+        match timeout(
+            self.inner.statics.connection_timeout,
+            self.make_pooled_internal(make_pooled_conn),
+        )
+        .await
+        {
+            Ok(result) => result,
+            _ => Err(RunError::TimedOut),
+        }
+    }
+
+    async fn make_pooled_internal<'a, 'b, F>(
+        &'a self,
+        make_pooled_conn: F,
+    ) -> Result<PooledConnection<'b, M>, RunError<M::Error>>
     where
         F: Fn(&'a Self, Conn<M::Connection>) -> PooledConnection<'b, M>,
     {
         loop {
-            let mut conn = {
-                let mut locked = self.inner.internals.lock();
-                match locked.pop(&self.inner.statics) {
-                    Some((conn, approvals)) => {
-                        self.spawn_replenishing_approvals(approvals);
-                        make_pooled_conn(self, conn)
-                    }
-                    None => break,
+            loop {
+                // Get in the same queue as everyone else for a connection.
+                let waiter = {
+                    let locked = self.inner.internals.lock();
+                    locked.request_connection()
+                };
+
+                // A connection is availble, the waiter has a chance to get it.
+                if let Some(waiter) = waiter {
+                    waiter.notified().await;
                 }
-            };
 
-            if !self.inner.statics.test_on_check_out {
-                return Ok(conn);
-            }
+                // Try to get the connection if it's still availble.
+                let mut conn = {
+                    let mut locked = self.inner.internals.lock();
 
-            match self.inner.manager.is_valid(&mut conn).await {
-                Ok(()) => return Ok(conn),
-                Err(e) => {
-                    self.inner.forward_error(e);
-                    conn.drop_invalid();
-                    continue;
+                    match locked.pop(&self.inner.statics) {
+                        Some((conn, approvals)) => {
+                            self.spawn_replenishing_approvals(approvals);
+                            make_pooled_conn(self, conn)
+                        }
+
+                        // All open connections are gone, go make a new one and wait.
+                        None => break,
+                    }
+                };
+
+                if !self.inner.statics.test_on_check_out {
+                    return Ok(conn);
+                }
+
+                match self.inner.manager.is_valid(&mut conn).await {
+                    Ok(()) => return Ok(conn),
+                    Err(e) => {
+                        self.inner.statics.error_sink.sink(e);
+                        conn.drop_invalid();
+                        continue;
+                    }
                 }
             }
-        }
 
-        let (tx, rx) = oneshot::channel();
-        {
-            let mut locked = self.inner.internals.lock();
-            let approvals = locked.push_waiter(tx, &self.inner.statics);
-            self.spawn_replenishing_approvals(approvals);
-        };
+            // No connection is available, wait for one to be created for us.
+            let waiter = {
+                let mut locked = self.inner.internals.lock();
+                let (waiter, approvals) = locked.push_waiter(&self.inner.statics);
+                self.spawn_replenishing_approvals(approvals);
+                waiter
+            };
 
-        match timeout(self.inner.statics.connection_timeout, rx).await {
-            Ok(Ok(Ok(mut guard))) => Ok(make_pooled_conn(self, guard.extract())),
-            Ok(Ok(Err(e))) => Err(RunError::User(e)),
-            _ => Err(RunError::TimedOut),
+            waiter.notified().await;
+
+            // Did we get it? No? Let's keep waiting.
+            match self.inner.internals.lock().pop(&self.inner.statics) {
+                Some(conn) => return Ok(make_pooled_conn(self, conn.0)),
+                None => continue,
+            };
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/bb8/src/internals.rs b/bb8/src/internals.rs
index 0ed52ac..07d9d2d 100644
--- a/bb8/src/internals.rs
+++ b/bb8/src/internals.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::time::Instant;
 
 use crate::{api::QueueStrategy, lock::Mutex};
-use futures_channel::oneshot;
+use tokio::sync::Notify;
 
 use crate::api::{Builder, ManageConnection};
 use std::collections::VecDeque;
@@ -31,15 +31,7 @@ where
         }
     }
 
-    pub(crate) fn forward_error(&self, mut err: M::Error) {
-        let mut locked = self.internals.lock();
-        while let Some(waiter) = locked.waiters.pop_front() {
-            match waiter.send(Err(err)) {
-                Ok(_) => return,
-                Err(Err(e)) => err = e,
-                Err(Ok(_)) => unreachable!(),
-            }
-        }
+    pub(crate) fn forward_error(&self, err: M::Error) {
         self.statics.error_sink.sink(err);
     }
 }
@@ -50,7 +42,7 @@ pub(crate) struct PoolInternals<M>
 where
     M: ManageConnection,
 {
-    waiters: VecDeque<oneshot::Sender<Result<InternalsGuard<M>, M::Error>>>,
+    notify: Arc<Notify>,
     conns: VecDeque<IdleConn<M::Connection>>,
     num_conns: u32,
     pending_conns: u32,
@@ -82,24 +74,14 @@ where
 
         let queue_strategy = pool.statics.queue_strategy;
 
-        let mut guard = InternalsGuard::new(conn, pool);
-        while let Some(waiter) = self.waiters.pop_front() {
-            // This connection is no longer idle, send it back out
-            match waiter.send(Ok(guard)) {
-                Ok(()) => return,
-                Err(Ok(g)) => {
-                    guard = g;
-                }
-                Err(Err(_)) => unreachable!(),
-            }
-        }
-
         // Queue it in the idle queue
-        let conn = IdleConn::from(guard.conn.take().unwrap());
+        let conn = IdleConn::from(conn);
         match queue_strategy {
             QueueStrategy::Fifo => self.conns.push_back(conn),
             QueueStrategy::Lifo => self.conns.push_front(conn),
-        }
+        };
+
+        self.notify.notify_one()
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn connect_failed(&mut self, _: Approval) {
@@ -123,13 +105,22 @@ where
         self.approvals(config, wanted)
     }
 
-    pub(crate) fn push_waiter(
-        &mut self,
-        waiter: oneshot::Sender<Result<InternalsGuard<M>, M::Error>>,
-        config: &Builder<M>,
-    ) -> ApprovalIter {
-        self.waiters.push_back(waiter);
-        self.approvals(config, 1)
+    pub(crate) fn push_waiter(&mut self, config: &Builder<M>) -> (Arc<Notify>, ApprovalIter) {
+        let notify = self.notify.clone();
+        let approvals = self.approvals(config, 1);
+
+        (notify, approvals)
+    }
+
+    pub(crate) fn request_connection(&self) -> Option<Arc<Notify>> {
+        let notify = self.notify.clone();
+
+        if !self.conns.is_empty() {
+            self.notify.notify_one();
+            Some(notify)
+        } else {
+            None
+        }
     }
 
     fn approvals(&mut self, config: &Builder<M>, num: u32) -> ApprovalIter {
@@ -177,7 +168,7 @@ where
 {
     fn default() -> Self {
         Self {
-            waiters: VecDeque::new(),
+            notify: Arc::new(Notify::new()),
             conns: VecDeque::new(),
             num_conns: 0,
             pending_conns: 0,
@@ -185,33 +176,6 @@ where
     }
 }
 
-pub(crate) struct InternalsGuard<M: ManageConnection> {
-    conn: Option<Conn<M::Connection>>,
-    pool: Arc<SharedPool<M>>,
-}
-
-impl<M: ManageConnection> InternalsGuard<M> {
-    fn new(conn: Conn<M::Connection>, pool: Arc<SharedPool<M>>) -> Self {
-        Self {
-            conn: Some(conn),
-            pool,
-        }
-    }
-
-    pub(crate) fn extract(&mut self) -> Conn<M::Connection> {
-        self.conn.take().unwrap() // safe: can only be `None` after `Drop`
-    }
-}
-
-impl<M: ManageConnection> Drop for InternalsGuard<M> {
-    fn drop(&mut self) {
-        if let Some(conn) = self.conn.take() {
-            let mut locked = self.pool.internals.lock();
-            locked.put(conn, None, self.pool.clone());
-        }
-    }
-}
-
 #[must_use]
 pub(crate) struct ApprovalIter {
     num: usize,
diff --git a/bb8/tests/test.rs b/bb8/tests/test.rs
index 70710a2..43e233d 100644
--- a/bb8/tests/test.rs
+++ b/bb8/tests/test.rs
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ async fn test_lazy_initialization_failure_no_retry() {
         .build_unchecked(manager);
 
     let res = pool.get().await;
-    assert_eq!(res.unwrap_err(), RunError::User(Error));
+    assert_eq!(res.unwrap_err(), RunError::TimedOut);
 }
 
 #[tokio::test]
@@ -317,6 +317,55 @@ async fn test_get_timeout() {
     ready(r).await.unwrap();
 }
 
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn test_lots_of_waiters() {
+    let pool = Pool::builder()
+        .max_size(3)
+        .connection_timeout(Duration::from_millis(5_000))
+        .build(OkManager::<FakeConnection>::new())
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+
+    let mut waiters: Vec<oneshot::Receiver<()>> = Vec::new();
+
+    for _ in 0..25000 {
+        let pool = pool.clone();
+        let (tx, rx) = oneshot::channel();
+        waiters.push(rx);
+        tokio::spawn(async move {
+            let _conn = pool.get().await.unwrap();
+            tx.send(()).unwrap();
+        });
+    }
+
+    let results = futures_util::future::join_all(&mut waiters).await;
+
+    for result in results {
+        assert!(result.is_ok());
+    }
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn test_timeout_caller() {
+    let pool = Pool::builder()
+        .max_size(1)
+        .connection_timeout(Duration::from_millis(5_000))
+        .build(OkManager::<FakeConnection>::new())
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+
+    let one = pool.get().await;
+    assert!(one.is_ok());
+
+    let res = tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_millis(100), pool.get()).await;
+    assert!(res.is_err());
+
+    drop(one);
+
+    let two = pool.get().await;
+    assert!(two.is_ok());
+}
+
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn test_now_invalid() {
     static INVALID: AtomicBool = AtomicBool::new(false);