diff --git a/datastore/threads/threadproxyds.nim b/datastore/threads/threadproxyds.nim
index 5e11472..e5d2265 100644
--- a/datastore/threads/threadproxyds.nim
+++ b/datastore/threads/threadproxyds.nim
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ type
     ds: D
     res: ThreadResult[T]
     cancelled: bool
-    semaphore: AsyncSemaphore
     signal: ThreadSignalPtr
 
   ThreadDatastore* = ref object of Datastore
@@ -58,59 +57,18 @@ type
     backend: ThreadBackend
     semaphore: AsyncSemaphore # semaphore is used for backpressure \
                               # to avoid exhausting file descriptors
-    withLocks: bool
-    tasks: Table[KeyId, Future[void]]
-    queryLock: AsyncLock      # global query lock, this is only really \
-                              # needed for the fsds, but it is expensive!
 
-template withLocks(
-  self: ThreadDatastore,
-  ctx: TaskCtx,
-  key: ?KeyId = KeyId.none,
-  body: untyped): untyped =
+
+proc dispatchTask[D, T](
+    self: ThreadDatastore,
+    ctx: var TaskCtx[D, T],
+    key: ?KeyId = KeyId.none,
+    runTask: proc
+): Future[?!T] {.async.} =
   try:
-    if key.isSome and key.get in self.tasks:
-      if self.withLocks:
-        await self.tasks[key.get]
+    runTask()
+    let fut = wait(ctx.signal)
 
-    if self.withLocks:
-      await self.queryLock.acquire()  # only lock if it's required (fsds)
-
-    block:
-      body
-  finally:
-    if self.withLocks:
-      if key.isSome and key.get in self.tasks:
-        self.tasks.del(key.get)
-      if self.queryLock.locked:
-        self.queryLock.release()
-
-# TODO: needs rework, we can't use `result` with async
-template dispatchTask[D, T](
-  self: ThreadDatastore,
-  ctx: TaskCtx[D, T],
-  key: ?KeyId = KeyId.none,
-  runTask: proc): auto =
-  try:
-    await self.semaphore.acquire()
-    let signal = ThreadSignalPtr.new()
-    if signal.isErr:
-      failure(signal.error)
-    else:
-      ctx.signal = signal.get()
-      let
-        fut = wait(ctx.signal)
-
-      withLocks(self, ctx, key):
-        runTask()
-        await fut
-        if ctx.res.isErr:
-          failure ctx.res.error
-        else:
-          when result.T isnot void:
-            success result.T(ctx.res.get)
-          else:
-            success()
   except CancelledError as exc:
     trace "Cancelling thread future!", exc = exc.msg
     ctx.cancelled = true
@@ -120,29 +78,12 @@ template dispatchTask[D, T](
     discard ctx.signal.close()
     self.semaphore.release()
 
-proc signalMonitor[T](ctx: ptr TaskCtx, fut: Future[T]) {.async.} =
-  ## Monitor the signal and cancel the future if
-  ## the cancellation flag is set
-  ##
-
-  if ctx.isNil:
-    trace "ctx is nil"
-    return
-
-  try:
-    await ctx[].signal.wait()
-    trace "Received signal"
-
-    if ctx[].cancelled: # there could eventually be other flags
-      trace "Cancelling future"
-      if not fut.finished:
-        await fut.cancelAndWait() # cancel the `has` future
-
-      discard ctx[].signal.fireSync()
-  except CatchableError as exc:
-    trace "Exception in thread signal monitor", exc = exc.msg
-    ctx[].res[].err(exc)
-    discard ctx[].signal.fireSync()
+proc acquireSignal(): ?!ThreadSignalPtr =
+  let signal = ThreadSignalPtr.new()
+  if signal.isErr():
+    failure (ref CatchableError)(msg: "failed to aquire ThreadSignalPtr: " & signal.error())
+  else:
+    success signal.get()
 
 proc hasTask(ctx: ptr TaskCtx, key: KeyId) =
   defer:
@@ -159,11 +100,14 @@ method has*(self: ThreadDatastore, key: Key): Future[?!bool] {.async.} =
   var
     key = KeyId.new key.id()
   
+  await self.semaphore.acquire()
+  let signal = ? acquireSignal()
+
   case self.backend.kind:
   of Sqlite:
     var
       ds = self.backend.sql
-      ctx = TaskCtx[typeof(ds), bool](ds: ds)
+      ctx = TaskCtx[typeof(ds), bool](ds: ds, signal: signal)
 
     proc runTask() =
       self.tp.spawn hasTask(addr ctx, key)