diff --git a/background.go b/background.go
index 0d0cccf..91635bf 100644
--- a/background.go
+++ b/background.go
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ type Background struct {
 	// channel to send state updates.
 	stateCh chan<- string
 
+	// wait group to wait for all goroutines to finish.
+	wg sync.WaitGroup
+
 	rdb         *rdb.RDB
 	scheduler   *scheduler
 	processor   *processor
@@ -211,11 +214,11 @@ func (bg *Background) start(handler Handler) {
 	bg.running = true
 	bg.processor.handler = handler
 
-	bg.heartbeater.start()
-	bg.subscriber.start()
-	bg.syncer.start()
-	bg.scheduler.start()
-	bg.processor.start()
+	bg.heartbeater.start(&bg.wg)
+	bg.subscriber.start(&bg.wg)
+	bg.syncer.start(&bg.wg)
+	bg.scheduler.start(&bg.wg)
+	bg.processor.start(&bg.wg)
 }
 
 // stops the background-task processing.
@@ -234,6 +237,8 @@ func (bg *Background) stop() {
 	bg.subscriber.terminate()
 	bg.heartbeater.terminate()
 
+	bg.wg.Wait()
+
 	bg.rdb.Close()
 	bg.processor.handler = nil
 	bg.running = false
diff --git a/heartbeat.go b/heartbeat.go
index f8fc326..9c78b74 100644
--- a/heartbeat.go
+++ b/heartbeat.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 package asynq
 
 import (
+	"sync"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/hibiken/asynq/internal/base"
@@ -49,10 +50,12 @@ func (h *heartbeater) terminate() {
 	h.done <- struct{}{}
 }
 
-func (h *heartbeater) start() {
+func (h *heartbeater) start(wg *sync.WaitGroup) {
 	h.pinfo.Started = time.Now()
 	h.pinfo.State = "running"
+	wg.Add(1)
 	go func() {
+		defer wg.Done()
 		h.beat()
 		timer := time.NewTimer(h.interval)
 		for {
diff --git a/heartbeat_test.go b/heartbeat_test.go
index ccbd114..cba8f18 100644
--- a/heartbeat_test.go
+++ b/heartbeat_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 package asynq
 
 import (
+	"sync"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/hibiken/asynq/internal/rdb"
 )
 
+// FIXME: Make this test better.
 func TestHeartbeater(t *testing.T) {
 	r := setup(t)
 	rdbClient := rdb.NewRDB(r)
@@ -46,7 +48,8 @@ func TestHeartbeater(t *testing.T) {
 			Started:     time.Now(),
 			State:       "running",
 		}
-		hb.start()
+		var wg sync.WaitGroup
+		hb.start(&wg)
 
 		// allow for heartbeater to write to redis
 		time.Sleep(tc.interval * 2)
diff --git a/processor.go b/processor.go
index dfdd6ae..edf8de6 100644
--- a/processor.go
+++ b/processor.go
@@ -119,11 +119,13 @@ func (p *processor) terminate() {
 	p.restore() // move any unfinished tasks back to the queue.
 }
 
-func (p *processor) start() {
+func (p *processor) start(wg *sync.WaitGroup) {
 	// NOTE: The call to "restore" needs to complete before starting
 	// the processor goroutine.
 	p.restore()
+	wg.Add(1)
 	go func() {
+		defer wg.Done()
 		for {
 			select {
 			case <-p.done:
diff --git a/processor_test.go b/processor_test.go
index 1615571..77224c0 100644
--- a/processor_test.go
+++ b/processor_test.go
@@ -72,7 +72,8 @@ func TestProcessorSuccess(t *testing.T) {
 		p := newProcessor(rdbClient, defaultQueueConfig, false, 10, defaultDelayFunc, nil, workerCh, cancelations)
 		p.handler = HandlerFunc(handler)
 
-		p.start()
+		var wg sync.WaitGroup
+		p.start(&wg)
 		for _, msg := range tc.incoming {
 			err := rdbClient.Enqueue(msg)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -159,7 +160,8 @@ func TestProcessorRetry(t *testing.T) {
 		p := newProcessor(rdbClient, defaultQueueConfig, false, 10, delayFunc, nil, workerCh, cancelations)
 		p.handler = HandlerFunc(handler)
 
-		p.start()
+		var wg sync.WaitGroup
+		p.start(&wg)
 		for _, msg := range tc.incoming {
 			err := rdbClient.Enqueue(msg)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -290,7 +292,8 @@ func TestProcessorWithStrictPriority(t *testing.T) {
 			defaultDelayFunc, nil, workerCh, cancelations)
 		p.handler = HandlerFunc(handler)
 
-		p.start()
+		var wg sync.WaitGroup
+		p.start(&wg)
 		time.Sleep(tc.wait)
 		p.terminate()
 		close(workerCh)
diff --git a/scheduler.go b/scheduler.go
index 7276f4c..c5f28d2 100644
--- a/scheduler.go
+++ b/scheduler.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 package asynq
 
 import (
+	"sync"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/hibiken/asynq/internal/rdb"
@@ -43,8 +44,10 @@ func (s *scheduler) terminate() {
 }
 
 // start starts the "scheduler" goroutine.
-func (s *scheduler) start() {
+func (s *scheduler) start(wg *sync.WaitGroup) {
+	wg.Add(1)
 	go func() {
+		defer wg.Done()
 		for {
 			select {
 			case <-s.done:
diff --git a/scheduler_test.go b/scheduler_test.go
index b16ee04..4f7575f 100644
--- a/scheduler_test.go
+++ b/scheduler_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 package asynq
 
 import (
+	"sync"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -69,7 +70,8 @@ func TestScheduler(t *testing.T) {
 		h.SeedRetryQueue(t, r, tc.initRetry)         // initialize retry queue
 		h.SeedEnqueuedQueue(t, r, tc.initQueue)      // initialize default queue
 
-		s.start()
+		var wg sync.WaitGroup
+		s.start(&wg)
 		time.Sleep(tc.wait)
 		s.terminate()
 
diff --git a/subscriber.go b/subscriber.go
index 220116c..fc50c06 100644
--- a/subscriber.go
+++ b/subscriber.go
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 package asynq
 
 import (
+	"sync"
+
 	"github.com/hibiken/asynq/internal/base"
 	"github.com/hibiken/asynq/internal/rdb"
 )
@@ -33,14 +35,16 @@ func (s *subscriber) terminate() {
 	s.done <- struct{}{}
 }
 
-func (s *subscriber) start() {
+func (s *subscriber) start(wg *sync.WaitGroup) {
 	pubsub, err := s.rdb.CancelationPubSub()
 	cancelCh := pubsub.Channel()
 	if err != nil {
 		logger.error("cannot subscribe to cancelation channel: %v", err)
 		return
 	}
+	wg.Add(1)
 	go func() {
+		defer wg.Done()
 		for {
 			select {
 			case <-s.done:
diff --git a/subscriber_test.go b/subscriber_test.go
index 2b7f5a0..1a67159 100644
--- a/subscriber_test.go
+++ b/subscriber_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 package asynq
 
 import (
+	"sync"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -34,7 +35,8 @@ func TestSubscriber(t *testing.T) {
 		cancelations.Add(tc.registeredID, fakeCancelFunc)
 
 		subscriber := newSubscriber(rdbClient, cancelations)
-		subscriber.start()
+		var wg sync.WaitGroup
+		subscriber.start(&wg)
 
 		if err := rdbClient.PublishCancelation(tc.publishID); err != nil {
 			subscriber.terminate()
diff --git a/syncer.go b/syncer.go
index 2d6c2b0..7494cbf 100644
--- a/syncer.go
+++ b/syncer.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 package asynq
 
 import (
+	"sync"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -39,8 +40,10 @@ func (s *syncer) terminate() {
 	s.done <- struct{}{}
 }
 
-func (s *syncer) start() {
+func (s *syncer) start(wg *sync.WaitGroup) {
+	wg.Add(1)
 	go func() {
+		defer wg.Done()
 		var requests []*syncRequest
 		for {
 			select {
diff --git a/syncer_test.go b/syncer_test.go
index 8eae321..24793df 100644
--- a/syncer_test.go
+++ b/syncer_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 package asynq
 
 import (
+	"sync"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -27,7 +28,8 @@ func TestSyncer(t *testing.T) {
 	const interval = time.Second
 	syncRequestCh := make(chan *syncRequest)
 	syncer := newSyncer(syncRequestCh, interval)
-	syncer.start()
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	syncer.start(&wg)
 	defer syncer.terminate()
 
 	for _, msg := range inProgress {
@@ -66,7 +68,8 @@ func TestSyncerRetry(t *testing.T) {
 	const interval = time.Second
 	syncRequestCh := make(chan *syncRequest)
 	syncer := newSyncer(syncRequestCh, interval)
-	syncer.start()
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	syncer.start(&wg)
 	defer syncer.terminate()
 
 	for _, msg := range inProgress {