diff --git a/responsemanager/client.go b/responsemanager/client.go
index dec66152..62f1dca9 100644
--- a/responsemanager/client.go
+++ b/responsemanager/client.go
@@ -224,7 +224,12 @@ func (rm *ResponseManager) GetUpdates(p peer.ID, requestID graphsync.RequestID,
 
 // FinishTask marks a task from the task queue as done
 func (rm *ResponseManager) FinishTask(task *peertask.Task, err error) {
-	rm.send(&finishTaskRequest{task, err}, nil)
+	done := make(chan struct{}, 1)
+	rm.send(&finishTaskRequest{task, err, done}, nil)
+	select {
+	case <-rm.ctx.Done():
+	case <-done:
+	}
 }
 
 // CloseWithNetworkError closes a request due to a network error
diff --git a/responsemanager/messages.go b/responsemanager/messages.go
index 65340724..0dad608d 100644
--- a/responsemanager/messages.go
+++ b/responsemanager/messages.go
@@ -85,10 +85,15 @@ func (rur *responseUpdateRequest) handle(rm *ResponseManager) {
 type finishTaskRequest struct {
 	task *peertask.Task
 	err  error
+	done chan struct{}
 }
 
 func (ftr *finishTaskRequest) handle(rm *ResponseManager) {
 	rm.finishTask(ftr.task, ftr.err)
+	select {
+	case <-rm.ctx.Done():
+	case ftr.done <- struct{}{}:
+	}
 }
 
 type startTaskRequest struct {
diff --git a/responsemanager/responsemanager_test.go b/responsemanager/responsemanager_test.go
index b05582d4..fd2e6b21 100644
--- a/responsemanager/responsemanager_test.go
+++ b/responsemanager/responsemanager_test.go
@@ -1111,6 +1111,7 @@ func (td *testData) newQueryExecutor(manager queryexecutor.Manager) *queryexecut
 func (td *testData) assertPausedRequest() {
 	var pausedRequest pausedRequest
 	testutil.AssertReceive(td.ctx, td.t, td.pausedRequests, &pausedRequest, "should pause request")
+	td.taskqueue.WaitForNoActiveTasks()
 }
 
 func (td *testData) getAllBlocks() []blocks.Block {
@@ -1147,6 +1148,7 @@ func (td *testData) assertCompleteRequestWith(expectedCode graphsync.ResponseSta
 	var status graphsync.ResponseStatusCode
 	testutil.AssertReceive(td.ctx, td.t, td.completedResponseStatuses, &status, "should receive status")
 	require.Equal(td.t, expectedCode, status)
+	td.taskqueue.WaitForNoActiveTasks()
 }
 
 func (td *testData) assertOnlyCompleteProcessingWith(expectedCode graphsync.ResponseStatusCode) {