diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d15cdb7..bd59a74 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ PID := $(GOBUILD)/.$(PROJECTNAME).pid
 # Make is verbose in Linux. Make it silent.
 MAKEFLAGS += --silent
 
-default: install lint format test compile
+default: lint format test
 
 ci-checks: lint format test
 
@@ -50,9 +50,7 @@ compile:
 	#@cat $(STDERR) | sed -e '1s/.*/\nError:\n/'  | sed 's/make\[.*/ /' | sed "/^/s/^/     /" 1>&2
 
 
-test: install go-test
-
-cover: install go-cover
+test: go-test
 
 clean:
 	@-rm $(GOBIN)/$(PROGRAMNAME)* 2> /dev/null
@@ -71,11 +69,6 @@ go-build: go-get go-build-linux-amd64 go-build-linux-arm64 go-build-darwin-amd64
 go-test:
 	go test $(MODFLAGS) `go list $(MODFLAGS) ./...`
 
-go-cover:
-	go test $(MODFLAGS) -coverprofile=$(GOBUILD)/.coverprof `go list $(MODFLAGS) ./...`
-	go tool cover -html=$(GOBUILD)/.coverprof -o $(GOBUILD)/coverage.html
-	@open $(GOBUILD)/coverage.html
-
 go-build-linux-amd64:
 	@echo "  >  Building linux amd64 binaries..."
 	@GOPATH=$(GOPATH) GOOS=$(GOOS_LINUX) GOARCH=$(GOARCH_AMD64) GOBIN=$(GOBIN) go build $(MODFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) -o $(GOBIN)/$(PROGRAMNAME)-$(GOOS_LINUX)-$(GOARCH_AMD64) $(GOBASE)/internal
diff --git a/spinner.go b/spinner.go
index 660f7bc..9ea452e 100644
--- a/spinner.go
+++ b/spinner.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 )
@@ -56,16 +57,16 @@ func (f *SimpleSpinnerFormatter) CharSeq() []string {
 type Spinner interface {
 	Start() (context.CancelFunc, error)
 	Stop(string) error
-	SetTitle(title string)
+	SetTitle(title string) error
 }
 
 type spinner struct {
 	writer    io.Writer
 	interval  time.Duration
-	mx        *sync.RWMutex
-	titleMx   *sync.RWMutex
+	stateMx   *sync.RWMutex
 	active    bool
 	stopC     chan bool
+	titleC    chan string
 	title     string
 	formatter SpinnerFormatter
 }
@@ -75,10 +76,10 @@ func NewSpinner(writer io.Writer, title string, interval time.Duration, formatte
 	return &spinner{
 		writer:    writer,
 		interval:  interval,
-		mx:        &sync.RWMutex{},
-		titleMx:   &sync.RWMutex{},
+		stateMx:   &sync.RWMutex{},
 		active:    false,
 		stopC:     make(chan bool),
+		titleC:    make(chan string),
 		title:     title,
 		formatter: formatter,
 	}
@@ -86,7 +87,7 @@ func NewSpinner(writer io.Writer, title string, interval time.Duration, formatte
 
 // NewDefaultSpinner creates a new Spinner that writes to Stdout with a default update interval
 func NewDefaultSpinner() Spinner {
-	return NewSpinner(StdoutWriter, "", 500, DefaultSpinnerFormatter())
+	return NewSpinner(StdoutWriter, "", time.Millisecond*100, DefaultSpinnerFormatter())
 }
 
 func (s *spinner) writeString(str string) (n int, err error) {
@@ -95,8 +96,8 @@ func (s *spinner) writeString(str string) (n int, err error) {
 
 // Start starts the spinner in the background and returns a cancellation handle and an error in case the spinner is already running.
 func (s *spinner) Start() (cancel context.CancelFunc, err error) {
-	s.mx.Lock()
-	defer s.mx.Unlock()
+	s.stateMx.Lock()
+	defer s.stateMx.Unlock()
 
 	if s.active {
 		return nil, errors.New("spinner already active")
@@ -115,27 +116,39 @@ func (s *spinner) Start() (cancel context.CancelFunc, err error) {
 
 		defer s.setActiveSafe(false)
 
+		update := func(title string) {
+			indicatorValue := s.formatter.FormatIndicator(fmt.Sprintf("%v", spinring.Value))
+			if title != "" {
+				_, _ = s.writeString(fmt.Sprintf("%s%s %s", TermControlEraseLine, indicatorValue, s.formatter.FormatTitle(title)))
+			} else {
+				_, _ = s.writeString(fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", TermControlEraseLine, indicatorValue))
+			}
+		}
+
 		for {
 			select {
 			case <-context.Done():
 				timer.Stop()
+				close(s.titleC)
+
 				s.printExitMessage("Cancelled...")
+
 				return
 
 			case <-s.stopC:
 				timer.Stop()
+				close(s.titleC)
 				return
 
+			case title := <-s.titleC:
+				// The title is only written by this routine, so we're safe.
+				s.title = title
+				update(title)
+
 			case <-timer.C:
 				spinring = spinring.Next()
-				title := s.getTitle()
-				indicatorValue := s.formatter.FormatIndicator(fmt.Sprintf("%v", spinring.Value))
-				if title != "" {
-					s.writeString(fmt.Sprintf("%s%s %s", TermControlEraseLine, indicatorValue, s.formatter.FormatTitle(title)))
-				} else {
-					s.writeString(fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", TermControlEraseLine, indicatorValue))
-				}
-
+				title := s.title
+				update(title)
 			}
 		}
 	}()
@@ -147,8 +160,8 @@ func (s *spinner) Start() (cancel context.CancelFunc, err error) {
 
 // Stop stops the spinner and displays the specified message
 func (s *spinner) Stop(message string) (err error) {
-	s.mx.Lock()
-	defer s.mx.Unlock()
+	s.stateMx.Lock()
+	defer s.stateMx.Unlock()
 
 	if !s.active {
 		err = errors.New("spinner not active")
@@ -162,23 +175,21 @@ func (s *spinner) Stop(message string) (err error) {
 }
 
 // SetTitle updates the spinner text.
-func (s *spinner) SetTitle(title string) {
-	s.titleMx.Lock()
-	defer s.titleMx.Unlock()
-
-	s.title = title
-}
+func (s *spinner) SetTitle(title string) (err error) {
+	defer func() {
+		if recover() != nil {
+			err = errors.New("spinner not active")
+		}
+	}()
 
-func (s *spinner) getTitle() string {
-	s.titleMx.RLock()
-	defer s.titleMx.RUnlock()
+	s.titleC <- strings.TrimSpace(title)
 
-	return s.title
+	return err
 }
 
 func (s *spinner) printExitMessage(message string) {
-	s.writeString(TermControlEraseLine)
-	s.writeString(message)
+	_, _ = s.writeString(TermControlEraseLine)
+	_, _ = s.writeString(message)
 }
 
 func (s *spinner) createSpinnerRing() *ring.Ring {
@@ -193,15 +204,15 @@ func (s *spinner) createSpinnerRing() *ring.Ring {
 }
 
 func (s *spinner) isActiveSafe() bool {
-	s.mx.RLock()
-	defer s.mx.RUnlock()
+	s.stateMx.RLock()
+	defer s.stateMx.RUnlock()
 
 	return s.active
 }
 
 func (s *spinner) setActiveSafe(active bool) {
-	s.mx.Lock()
-	defer s.mx.Unlock()
+	s.stateMx.Lock()
+	defer s.stateMx.Unlock()
 
 	s.active = active
 }
diff --git a/spinner_test.go b/spinner_test.go
index 85cfa28..12c1eac 100644
--- a/spinner_test.go
+++ b/spinner_test.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func TestSpinnerStopAlreadyStopped(t *testing.T) {
 	emulatedStdout := new(bytes.Buffer)
 
 	spin := NewSpinner(emulatedStdout, "", interval, DefaultSpinnerFormatter())
-	spin.Start()
+	_, _ = spin.Start()
 	err := spin.Stop("")
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
@@ -66,8 +66,10 @@ func TestSpinnerStopMessage(t *testing.T) {
 	emulatedStdout := new(bytes.Buffer)
 
 	spin := NewSpinner(emulatedStdout, "", interval, DefaultSpinnerFormatter())
-	spin.Start()
-	err := spin.Stop(expectedStopMessage)
+	_, err := spin.Start()
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = spin.Stop(expectedStopMessage)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	assertBufferEventuallyContains(t, emulatedStdout, expectedStopMessage)
@@ -96,11 +98,25 @@ func TestSpinnerSetTitle(t *testing.T) {
 
 	assertBufferEventuallyContains(t, emulatedStdout, expectedInitialTitle)
 
-	spin.SetTitle(expectedUpdatedTitle)
+	assert.NoError(t, spin.SetTitle(expectedUpdatedTitle))
 
 	assertBufferEventuallyContains(t, emulatedStdout, expectedUpdatedTitle)
 }
 
+func TestSpinnerSetTitleOnStoppedSpinner(t *testing.T) {
+	expectedInitialTitle := generateRandomString()
+	expectedUpdatedTitle := generateRandomString()
+	emulatedStdout := new(bytes.Buffer)
+
+	spin := NewSpinner(emulatedStdout, expectedInitialTitle, interval, DefaultSpinnerFormatter())
+	_, _ = spin.Start()
+
+	assertBufferEventuallyContains(t, emulatedStdout, expectedInitialTitle)
+
+	assert.NoError(t, spin.Stop(""))
+	assert.Error(t, spin.SetTitle(expectedUpdatedTitle))
+}
+
 func assertBufferEventuallyContains(t *testing.T, outBuffer *bytes.Buffer, expected string) {
 	assert.Eventually(
 		t,
@@ -134,45 +150,35 @@ func assertStoppedEventually(t *testing.T, outBuffer *bytes.Buffer, spinner *spi
 	)
 }
 
-// TODO can this be simplified?
 func assertSpinnerCharSequence(t *testing.T, outBuffer *bytes.Buffer) {
 	charSeq := DefaultSpinnerCharSeq()
-	readChars := make([]string, len(charSeq))
-	readCharsCount := 0
+	readChars := []string{}
 
-	readSequence := func() string {
-		startTime := time.Now()
+	scan := func() {
 		for {
-			s, _ := outBuffer.ReadString(TermControlEraseLine[len(TermControlEraseLine)-1]) // read everything you got
-			if strippedString := strings.Trim(s, TermControlEraseLine+"\x00"); strippedString != "" {
-				return strippedString
+			r, _, e := outBuffer.ReadRune()
+			print(string(r), ",")
+			if e != nil {
+				continue
 			}
-
-			// guard again infinite loop
-			if time.Now().After(startTime.Add(time.Second * 30)) {
-				return ""
+			readChar := string(r)
+			if len(readChars) == 0 && readChar == charSeq[0] {
+				readChars = append(readChars, readChar)
+			} else if len(readChars) > 0 {
+				for _, ch := range charSeq {
+					if ch == readChar {
+						readChars = append(readChars, ch)
+					}
+
+					if len(readChars) == len(charSeq) {
+						return
+					}
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
 
-	// find the first character in the spinner sequence, so we can validate order properly
-	for {
-		strippedString := readSequence()
-		if strippedString != "" && strippedString == charSeq[0] {
-			readChars[0] = strippedString
-			break
-		}
-		// guard against infinite loop caused by bugs
-		readCharsCount++
-		if readCharsCount > len(charSeq)*2 {
-			assert.Fail(t, "something went wrong...")
-		}
-	}
-
-	for i := 1; i < len(charSeq); i++ {
-		readChars[i] = readSequence()
-	}
+	scan()
 
 	assert.Equal(t, charSeq, readChars)
-
 }