diff --git a/common/throttle_timer.go b/common/throttle_timer.go
index 38ef4e9a3..e260e01bd 100644
--- a/common/throttle_timer.go
+++ b/common/throttle_timer.go
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 package common
 
 import (
-	"sync"
+	"fmt"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -12,54 +12,88 @@ If a long continuous burst of .Set() calls happens, ThrottleTimer fires
 at most once every "dur".
 */
 type ThrottleTimer struct {
-	Name string
-	Ch   chan struct{}
-	quit chan struct{}
-	dur  time.Duration
+	Name  string
+	Ch    chan struct{}
+	input chan command
+	dur   time.Duration
 
-	mtx   sync.Mutex
 	timer *time.Timer
 	isSet bool
 }
 
+type command int32
+
+const (
+	Set command = iota
+	Unset
+	Quit
+)
+
 func NewThrottleTimer(name string, dur time.Duration) *ThrottleTimer {
-	var ch = make(chan struct{})
-	var quit = make(chan struct{})
-	var t = &ThrottleTimer{Name: name, Ch: ch, dur: dur, quit: quit}
-	t.mtx.Lock()
-	t.timer = time.AfterFunc(dur, t.fireRoutine)
-	t.mtx.Unlock()
+	var t = &ThrottleTimer{
+		Name:  name,
+		Ch:    make(chan struct{}, 1),
+		dur:   dur,
+		input: make(chan command),
+		timer: time.NewTimer(dur),
+	}
 	t.timer.Stop()
+	go t.run()
 	return t
 }
 
-func (t *ThrottleTimer) fireRoutine() {
-	t.mtx.Lock()
-	defer t.mtx.Unlock()
-	select {
-	case t.Ch <- struct{}{}:
-		t.isSet = false
-	case <-t.quit:
-		// do nothing
+func (t *ThrottleTimer) run() {
+	for {
+		select {
+		case cmd := <-t.input:
+			// stop goroutine if the input says so
+			if t.processInput(cmd) {
+				// TODO: do we want to close the channels???
+				// close(t.Ch)
+				// close(t.input)
+				return
+			}
+		case <-t.timer.C:
+			t.isSet = false
+			t.Ch <- struct{}{}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// all modifications of the internal state of ThrottleTimer
+// happen in this method. It is only called from the run goroutine
+// so we avoid any race conditions
+func (t *ThrottleTimer) processInput(cmd command) (shutdown bool) {
+	fmt.Printf("processInput: %d\n", cmd)
+	switch cmd {
+	case Set:
+		if !t.isSet {
+			t.isSet = true
+			t.timer.Reset(t.dur)
+		}
+	case Quit:
+		shutdown = true
+		fallthrough
+	case Unset:
+		if t.isSet {
+			t.isSet = false
+			if !t.timer.Stop() {
+				<-t.timer.C
+			}
+		}
 	default:
-		t.timer.Reset(t.dur)
+		panic("unknown command!")
 	}
+	// return true
+	return shutdown
 }
 
 func (t *ThrottleTimer) Set() {
-	t.mtx.Lock()
-	defer t.mtx.Unlock()
-	if !t.isSet {
-		t.isSet = true
-		t.timer.Reset(t.dur)
-	}
+	t.input <- Set
 }
 
 func (t *ThrottleTimer) Unset() {
-	t.mtx.Lock()
-	defer t.mtx.Unlock()
-	t.isSet = false
-	t.timer.Stop()
+	t.input <- Unset
 }
 
 // For ease of .Stop()'ing services before .Start()'ing them,
@@ -68,8 +102,6 @@ func (t *ThrottleTimer) Stop() bool {
 	if t == nil {
 		return false
 	}
-	close(t.quit)
-	t.mtx.Lock()
-	defer t.mtx.Unlock()
-	return t.timer.Stop()
+	t.input <- Quit
+	return true
 }
diff --git a/common/throttle_timer_test.go b/common/throttle_timer_test.go
index 00f5abdec..014f9dcdc 100644
--- a/common/throttle_timer_test.go
+++ b/common/throttle_timer_test.go
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ func TestThrottle(test *testing.T) {
 
 	ms := 50
 	delay := time.Duration(ms) * time.Millisecond
+	shortwait := time.Duration(ms/2) * time.Millisecond
 	longwait := time.Duration(2) * delay
 	t := NewThrottleTimer("foo", delay)
 
@@ -65,6 +66,21 @@ func TestThrottle(test *testing.T) {
 	time.Sleep(longwait)
 	assert.Equal(2, c.Count())
 
+	// keep cancelling before it is ready
+	for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
+		t.Set()
+		time.Sleep(shortwait)
+		t.Unset()
+	}
+	time.Sleep(longwait)
+	assert.Equal(2, c.Count())
+
+	// a few unsets do nothing...
+	for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
+		t.Unset()
+	}
+	assert.Equal(2, c.Count())
+
 	// send 12, over 2 delay sections, adds 3
 	short := time.Duration(ms/5) * time.Millisecond
 	for i := 0; i < 13; i++ {
@@ -74,5 +90,6 @@ func TestThrottle(test *testing.T) {
 	time.Sleep(longwait)
 	assert.Equal(5, c.Count())
 
-	close(t.Ch)
+	stopped := t.Stop()
+	assert.True(stopped)
 }