diff --git a/library/src/main/kotlin/com/connectrpc/UnaryBlockingCall.kt b/library/src/main/kotlin/com/connectrpc/UnaryBlockingCall.kt
index b27c55ce..f69701d3 100644
--- a/library/src/main/kotlin/com/connectrpc/UnaryBlockingCall.kt
+++ b/library/src/main/kotlin/com/connectrpc/UnaryBlockingCall.kt
@@ -14,57 +14,18 @@
 
 package com.connectrpc
 
-import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch
-import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference
-
 /**
  * A [UnaryBlockingCall] contains the way to make a blocking RPC call and cancelling the RPC.
  */
-class UnaryBlockingCall<Output> {
-    private var executable: ((ResponseMessage<Output>) -> Unit) -> Unit = { }
-    private var cancelFn: () -> Unit = { }
-
+interface UnaryBlockingCall<Output> {
     /**
-     * Execute the underlying request.
-     * Subsequent calls will create a new request.
+     * Execute the underlying request. Can only be called once.
+     * Subsequent calls will throw IllegalStateException.
      */
-    fun execute(): ResponseMessage<Output> {
-        val countDownLatch = CountDownLatch(1)
-        val reference = AtomicReference<ResponseMessage<Output>>()
-        executable { responseMessage ->
-            reference.set(responseMessage)
-            countDownLatch.countDown()
-        }
-        countDownLatch.await()
-        return reference.get()
-    }
+    fun execute(): ResponseMessage<Output>
 
     /**
      * Cancel the underlying request.
      */
-    fun cancel() {
-        cancelFn()
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Gives the blocking call a cancellation function to cancel the
-     * underlying request.
-     *
-     * @param cancel The function to call in order to cancel the
-     * underlying request.
-     */
-    internal fun setCancel(cancel: () -> Unit) {
-        this.cancelFn = cancel
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Gives the blocking call the execution function to initiate
-     * the underlying request.
-     *
-     * @param executable The function to call in order to initiate
-     * a request.
-     */
-    internal fun setExecute(executable: ((ResponseMessage<Output>) -> Unit) -> Unit) {
-        this.executable = executable
-    }
+    fun cancel()
 }
diff --git a/library/src/main/kotlin/com/connectrpc/impl/ProtocolClient.kt b/library/src/main/kotlin/com/connectrpc/impl/ProtocolClient.kt
index 909b5be8..6a00be13 100644
--- a/library/src/main/kotlin/com/connectrpc/impl/ProtocolClient.kt
+++ b/library/src/main/kotlin/com/connectrpc/impl/ProtocolClient.kt
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ import kotlinx.coroutines.runBlocking
 import kotlinx.coroutines.suspendCancellableCoroutine
 import kotlinx.coroutines.withContext
 import java.net.URI
-import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch
 import kotlin.coroutines.resume
 
 /**
@@ -170,18 +169,9 @@ class ProtocolClient(
         headers: Headers,
         methodSpec: MethodSpec<Input, Output>,
     ): UnaryBlockingCall<Output> {
-        val countDownLatch = CountDownLatch(1)
-        val call = UnaryBlockingCall<Output>()
-        // Set the unary synchronous executable.
-        call.setExecute { callback: (ResponseMessage<Output>) -> Unit ->
-            val cancellationFn = unary(request, headers, methodSpec) { responseMessage ->
-                callback(responseMessage)
-                countDownLatch.countDown()
-            }
-            // Set the cancellation function .
-            call.setCancel(cancellationFn)
+        return UnaryCall { callback ->
+            unary(request, headers, methodSpec, callback)
         }
-        return call
     }
 
     override suspend fun <Input : Any, Output : Any> serverStream(
diff --git a/library/src/main/kotlin/com/connectrpc/impl/UnaryCall.kt b/library/src/main/kotlin/com/connectrpc/impl/UnaryCall.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..32f21dc0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/library/src/main/kotlin/com/connectrpc/impl/UnaryCall.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+// Copyright 2022-2023 The Connect Authors
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package com.connectrpc.impl
+
+import com.connectrpc.ResponseMessage
+import com.connectrpc.UnaryBlockingCall
+import com.connectrpc.http.Cancelable
+import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference
+
+/**
+ * Concrete implementation of [UnaryBlockingCall].
+ */
+class UnaryCall<Output>(
+    private val block: ((ResponseMessage<Output>) -> Unit) -> Cancelable,
+) : UnaryBlockingCall<Output> {
+    private val executed = AtomicBoolean()
+
+    /**
+     * initialized to null and then replaced with non-null
+     * function when [execute] or [cancel] is called.
+     */
+    private var cancelFunc = AtomicReference<Cancelable>()
+
+    /**
+     * Execute the underlying request.
+     */
+    override fun execute(): ResponseMessage<Output> {
+        check(executed.compareAndSet(false, true)) { "already executed" }
+
+        val resultReady = CountDownLatch(1)
+        val result = AtomicReference<ResponseMessage<Output>>()
+        val cancelFn = block { responseMessage ->
+            result.set(responseMessage)
+            resultReady.countDown()
+        }
+
+        if (!cancelFunc.compareAndSet(null, cancelFn)) {
+            // concurrently cancelled before we could set the
+            // cancel function, so we need to cancel what we
+            // just started
+            cancelFn()
+        }
+        resultReady.await()
+        return result.get()
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Cancel the underlying request.
+     */
+    override fun cancel() {
+        val cancelFn = cancelFunc.getAndSet {} // set to (non-null) no-op
+        if (cancelFn != null) {
+            cancelFn()
+        }
+    }
+}