diff --git a/lib/common/pool.c b/lib/common/pool.c
index aeaca7e79..e140f1e88 100644
--- a/lib/common/pool.c
+++ b/lib/common/pool.c
@@ -39,6 +39,12 @@ struct POOL_ctx_s {
     size_t queueHead;
     size_t queueTail;
     size_t queueSize;
+
+    /* The number of threads working on jobs */
+    size_t numThreadsBusy;
+    /* Indicates if the queue is empty */
+    int queueEmpty;
+
     /* The mutex protects the queue */
     pthread_mutex_t queueMutex;
     /* Condition variable for pushers to wait on when the queue is full */
@@ -60,21 +66,37 @@ static void* POOL_thread(void* opaque) {
     for (;;) {
         /* Lock the mutex and wait for a non-empty queue or until shutdown */
         pthread_mutex_lock(&ctx->queueMutex);
-        while (ctx->queueHead == ctx->queueTail && !ctx->shutdown) {
+
+        while (ctx->queueEmpty && !ctx->shutdown) {
             pthread_cond_wait(&ctx->queuePopCond, &ctx->queueMutex);
         }
         /* empty => shutting down: so stop */
-        if (ctx->queueHead == ctx->queueTail) {
+        if (ctx->queueEmpty) {
             pthread_mutex_unlock(&ctx->queueMutex);
             return opaque;
         }
         /* Pop a job off the queue */
-        {   POOL_job const job = ctx->queue[ctx->queueHead];
+        {
+            POOL_job const job = ctx->queue[ctx->queueHead];
             ctx->queueHead = (ctx->queueHead + 1) % ctx->queueSize;
+            ctx->numThreadsBusy++;
+            ctx->queueEmpty = ctx->queueHead == ctx->queueTail;
             /* Unlock the mutex, signal a pusher, and run the job */
             pthread_mutex_unlock(&ctx->queueMutex);
-            pthread_cond_signal(&ctx->queuePushCond);
+
+            if (ctx->queueSize > 1) {
+                pthread_cond_signal(&ctx->queuePushCond);
+            }
+
             job.function(job.opaque);
+
+            /* If the intended queue size was 0, signal after finishing job */
+            if (ctx->queueSize == 1) {
+                pthread_mutex_lock(&ctx->queueMutex);
+                ctx->numThreadsBusy--;
+                pthread_mutex_unlock(&ctx->queueMutex);
+                pthread_cond_signal(&ctx->queuePushCond);
+            }
         }
     }
     /* Unreachable */
@@ -83,7 +105,7 @@ static void* POOL_thread(void* opaque) {
 POOL_ctx *POOL_create(size_t numThreads, size_t queueSize) {
     POOL_ctx *ctx;
     /* Check the parameters */
-    if (!numThreads || !queueSize) { return NULL; }
+    if (!numThreads) { return NULL; }
     /* Allocate the context and zero initialize */
     ctx = (POOL_ctx *)calloc(1, sizeof(POOL_ctx));
     if (!ctx) { return NULL; }
@@ -95,6 +117,8 @@ POOL_ctx *POOL_create(size_t numThreads, size_t queueSize) {
     ctx->queue = (POOL_job*) malloc(ctx->queueSize * sizeof(POOL_job));
     ctx->queueHead = 0;
     ctx->queueTail = 0;
+    ctx->numThreadsBusy = 0;
+    ctx->queueEmpty = 1;
     (void)pthread_mutex_init(&ctx->queueMutex, NULL);
     (void)pthread_cond_init(&ctx->queuePushCond, NULL);
     (void)pthread_cond_init(&ctx->queuePopCond, NULL);
@@ -153,22 +177,37 @@ size_t POOL_sizeof(POOL_ctx *ctx) {
         + ctx->numThreads * sizeof(pthread_t);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Returns 1 if the queue is full and 0 otherwise.
+ *
+ * If the queueSize is 1 (the pool was created with an intended queueSize of 0),
+ * then a queue is empty if there is a thread free and no job is waiting.
+ */
+static int isQueueFull(POOL_ctx const* ctx) {
+    if (ctx->queueSize > 1) {
+        return ctx->queueHead == ((ctx->queueTail + 1) % ctx->queueSize);
+    } else {
+        return ctx->numThreadsBusy == ctx->numThreads ||
+               !ctx->queueEmpty;
+    }
+}
+
 void POOL_add(void* ctxVoid, POOL_function function, void *opaque) {
     POOL_ctx* const ctx = (POOL_ctx*)ctxVoid;
     if (!ctx) { return; }
 
     pthread_mutex_lock(&ctx->queueMutex);
     {   POOL_job const job = {function, opaque};
+
         /* Wait until there is space in the queue for the new job */
-        size_t newTail = (ctx->queueTail + 1) % ctx->queueSize;
-        while (ctx->queueHead == newTail && !ctx->shutdown) {
+        while (isQueueFull(ctx) && !ctx->shutdown) {
           pthread_cond_wait(&ctx->queuePushCond, &ctx->queueMutex);
-          newTail = (ctx->queueTail + 1) % ctx->queueSize;
         }
         /* The queue is still going => there is space */
         if (!ctx->shutdown) {
+            ctx->queueEmpty = 0;
             ctx->queue[ctx->queueTail] = job;
-            ctx->queueTail = newTail;
+            ctx->queueTail = (ctx->queueTail + 1) % ctx->queueSize;
         }
     }
     pthread_mutex_unlock(&ctx->queueMutex);
diff --git a/lib/common/pool.h b/lib/common/pool.h
index 957100f46..ed2711950 100644
--- a/lib/common/pool.h
+++ b/lib/common/pool.h
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ typedef struct POOL_ctx_s POOL_ctx;
  *  Create a thread pool with at most `numThreads` threads.
  * `numThreads` must be at least 1.
  *  The maximum number of queued jobs before blocking is `queueSize`.
- * `queueSize` must be at least 1.
  * @return : POOL_ctx pointer on success, else NULL.
 */
 POOL_ctx *POOL_create(size_t numThreads, size_t queueSize);
diff --git a/tests/poolTests.c b/tests/poolTests.c
index adc5947df..9e11281ba 100644
--- a/tests/poolTests.c
+++ b/tests/poolTests.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include "pool.h"
 #include "threading.h"
+#include "util.h"
 #include <stddef.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 
@@ -50,21 +51,45 @@ int testOrder(size_t numThreads, size_t queueSize) {
   return 0;
 }
 
+void waitFn(void *opaque) {
+  (void)opaque;
+  UTIL_sleepMilli(1);
+}
+
+/* Tests for deadlock */
+int testWait(size_t numThreads, size_t queueSize) {
+  struct data data;
+  POOL_ctx *ctx = POOL_create(numThreads, queueSize);
+  ASSERT_TRUE(ctx);
+  {
+    size_t i;
+    for (i = 0; i < 16; ++i) {
+        POOL_add(ctx, &waitFn, &data);
+    }
+  }
+  POOL_free(ctx);
+  return 0;
+}
+
 int main(int argc, const char **argv) {
   size_t numThreads;
   for (numThreads = 1; numThreads <= 4; ++numThreads) {
     size_t queueSize;
-    for (queueSize = 1; queueSize <= 2; ++queueSize) {
+    for (queueSize = 0; queueSize <= 2; ++queueSize) {
       if (testOrder(numThreads, queueSize)) {
         printf("FAIL: testOrder\n");
         return 1;
       }
+      if (testWait(numThreads, queueSize)) {
+        printf("FAIL: testWait\n");
+        return 1;
+      }
     }
   }
   printf("PASS: testOrder\n");
   (void)argc;
   (void)argv;
-  return (POOL_create(0, 1) || POOL_create(1, 0)) ? printf("FAIL: testInvalid\n"), 1
-                                                  : printf("PASS: testInvalid\n"), 0;
+  return (POOL_create(0, 1)) ? printf("FAIL: testInvalid\n"), 1
+                             : printf("PASS: testInvalid\n"), 0;
   return 0;
 }