diff --git a/backends/postgres/postgres_backend.go b/backends/postgres/postgres_backend.go
index 860b590..ca78ca1 100644
--- a/backends/postgres/postgres_backend.go
+++ b/backends/postgres/postgres_backend.go
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ var (
 	// DefaultConnectionTimeout defines the default amount of time that Neoq waits for connections to become available.
 	DefaultConnectionTimeout         = 30 * time.Second
 	txCtxVarKey                      contextKey
+	reconnectWaitTime                = 5 * time.Second
 	shutdownJobID                    = "-1" // job ID announced when triggering a shutdown
 	shutdownAnnouncementAllowance    = 100  // ms
 	ErrCnxString                     = errors.New("invalid connecton string: see documentation for valid connection strings")
@@ -210,16 +211,23 @@ func (p *PgBackend) listenerManager(ctx context.Context) {
 				p.logger.Error("listener connection is down, and unable to reconnect", slog.Any("error", err))
 				continue
 			}
+
 			p.listenerConnMu.Lock()
 			p.listenerConn = lc
-			for queue := range p.handlers {
+			p.mu.Lock()
+			handlers := p.handlers
+			p.mu.Unlock()
+
+			for queue := range handlers {
 				_, err = p.listenerConn.Exec(ctx, fmt.Sprintf(`LISTEN %q`, queue))
 				if err != nil {
 					p.logger.Error("unable to listen on queue", slog.Any("error", err), slog.String("queue", queue))
 				}
 			}
+
 			p.listenerConnMu.Unlock()
 
+			p.logger.Debug("worker database connection established")
 		case newQueue := <-p.newQueues:
 			p.logger.Debug("configure new handler", "queue", newQueue)
 		setup_listeners:
@@ -232,6 +240,16 @@ func (p *PgBackend) listenerManager(ctx context.Context) {
 			default:
 			}
 
+			p.listenerConnMu.Lock()
+			lc := p.listenerConn
+			p.listenerConnMu.Unlock()
+			if lc == nil || lc.IsClosed() {
+				p.logger.Error("worker database connection closed and will attempt to reconnect periodically. jobs are not being processed")
+				p.listenConnDown <- true
+				time.Sleep(reconnectWaitTime)
+				continue
+			}
+
 			p.listenerConnMu.Lock()
 			// note: 'LISTEN, channel' is idempotent
 			_, err = p.listenerConn.Exec(ctx, fmt.Sprintf(`LISTEN %q`, newQueue))
@@ -965,13 +983,17 @@ func (p *PgBackend) listen(ctx context.Context) (c chan *pgconn.Notification, er
 					continue
 				}
 
-				if p.listenerConn.IsClosed() {
-					p.logger.Error("worker connection closed and will attempt to reconnect periodically. jobs are not being processed")
+				p.logger.Error("failed to wait for notification", slog.Any("error", waitErr))
+
+				p.listenerConnMu.Lock()
+				lc := p.listenerConn
+				p.listenerConnMu.Unlock()
+				if lc == nil || lc.IsClosed() {
+					p.logger.Error("worker database connection closed and will attempt to reconnect periodically. jobs are not being processed")
 					p.listenConnDown <- true
-					time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
+					time.Sleep(reconnectWaitTime)
 				}
 
-				p.logger.Error("failed to wait for notification", slog.Any("error", waitErr))
 				continue
 			}