diff --git a/src/async/async.c b/src/async/async.c
index 67420618..9548b577 100644
--- a/src/async/async.c
+++ b/src/async/async.c
@@ -37,20 +37,32 @@ async_thread_count(void)
 internal B32
 async_push_work_(ASYNC_WorkFunctionType *work_function, ASYNC_WorkParams *params)
 {
-  B32 result = 0;
+  // rjf: build work package 
   ASYNC_Work work = {0};
   work.work_function = work_function;
   work.input              = params->input;
   work.output             = params->output;
   work.semaphore          = params->semaphore;
   work.completion_counter = params->completion_counter;
+  
+  // rjf: loop; try to write into user -> writer ring buffer. if we're on a
+  // worker thread, determine if we need to execute this task locally on this
+  // thread, and skip ring buffer if so.
+  B32 queued_in_ring_buffer = 0;
+  B32 need_to_execute_on_this_thread = 0;
   OS_MutexScope(async_shared->u2w_ring_mutex) for(;;)
   {
+    U64 num_available_work_threads = (async_shared->work_threads_count - ins_atomic_u64_eval(&async_shared->work_threads_live_count));
+    if(num_available_work_threads == 0 && async_work_thread_depth > 0)
+    {
+      need_to_execute_on_this_thread = 1;
+      break;
+    }
     U64 unconsumed_size = async_shared->u2w_ring_write_pos - async_shared->u2w_ring_read_pos;
     U64 available_size = async_shared->u2w_ring_size - unconsumed_size;
     if(available_size >= sizeof(work))
     {
-      result = 1;
+      queued_in_ring_buffer = 1;
       if(!os_handle_match(params->semaphore, os_handle_zero()))
       {
         os_semaphore_take(params->semaphore, max_U64);
@@ -64,10 +76,23 @@ async_push_work_(ASYNC_WorkFunctionType *work_function, ASYNC_WorkParams *params
     }
     os_condition_variable_wait(async_shared->u2w_ring_cv, async_shared->u2w_ring_mutex, params->endt_us);
   }
-  if(result)
+  
+  // rjf: broadcast ring buffer cv if we wrote successfully
+  if(queued_in_ring_buffer)
   {
     os_condition_variable_broadcast(async_shared->u2w_ring_cv);
   }
+  
+  // rjf: if we did not queue successfully, and we have determined that
+  // we need to execute this work on the current thread, then execute the
+  // work before returning
+  if(need_to_execute_on_this_thread)
+  {
+    async_execute_work(work);
+  }
+  
+  // rjf: return success signal
+  B32 result = (queued_in_ring_buffer || need_to_execute_on_this_thread);
   return result;
 }
 
@@ -114,6 +139,54 @@ async_task_join(ASYNC_Task *task)
   return result;
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////
+//~ rjf: Work Execution
+
+internal ASYNC_Work
+async_pop_work(void)
+{
+  ASYNC_Work work = {0};
+  OS_MutexScope(async_shared->u2w_ring_mutex) for(;;)
+  {
+    U64 unconsumed_size = async_shared->u2w_ring_write_pos - async_shared->u2w_ring_read_pos;
+    if(unconsumed_size >= sizeof(work))
+    {
+      async_shared->u2w_ring_read_pos += ring_read_struct(async_shared->u2w_ring_base, async_shared->u2w_ring_size, async_shared->u2w_ring_read_pos, &work);
+      break;
+    }
+    os_condition_variable_wait(async_shared->u2w_ring_cv, async_shared->u2w_ring_mutex, max_U64);
+  }
+  os_condition_variable_broadcast(async_shared->u2w_ring_cv);
+  return work;
+}
+
+internal void
+async_execute_work(ASYNC_Work work)
+{
+  //- rjf: run work
+  async_work_thread_depth += 1;
+  void *work_out = work.work_function(async_work_thread_idx, work.input);
+  async_work_thread_depth -= 1;
+  
+  //- rjf: store output
+  if(work.output != 0)
+  {
+    ins_atomic_u64_eval_assign((U64 *)work.output, (U64)work_out);
+  }
+  
+  //- rjf: release semaphore
+  if(!os_handle_match(work.semaphore, os_handle_zero()))
+  {
+    os_semaphore_drop(work.semaphore);
+  }
+  
+  //- rjf: increment completion counter
+  if(work.completion_counter != 0)
+  {
+    ins_atomic_u64_inc_eval(work.completion_counter);
+  }
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////
 //~ rjf: Work Thread Entry Point
 
@@ -122,41 +195,12 @@ async_work_thread__entry_point(void *p)
 {
   U64 thread_idx = (U64)p;
   ThreadNameF("[async] work thread #%I64u", thread_idx);
+  async_work_thread_idx = thread_idx;
   for(;;)
   {
-    //- rjf: grab next work
-    ASYNC_Work work = {0};
-    OS_MutexScope(async_shared->u2w_ring_mutex) for(;;)
-    {
-      U64 unconsumed_size = async_shared->u2w_ring_write_pos - async_shared->u2w_ring_read_pos;
-      if(unconsumed_size >= sizeof(work))
-      {
-        async_shared->u2w_ring_read_pos += ring_read_struct(async_shared->u2w_ring_base, async_shared->u2w_ring_size, async_shared->u2w_ring_read_pos, &work);
-        break;
-      }
-      os_condition_variable_wait(async_shared->u2w_ring_cv, async_shared->u2w_ring_mutex, max_U64);
-    }
-    os_condition_variable_broadcast(async_shared->u2w_ring_cv);
-    
-    //- rjf: run work
-    void *work_out = work.work_function(thread_idx, work.input);
-    
-    //- rjf: store output
-    if(work.output != 0)
-    {
-      ins_atomic_u64_eval_assign((U64 *)work.output, (U64)work_out);
-    }
-    
-    //- rjf: release semaphore
-    if(!os_handle_match(work.semaphore, os_handle_zero()))
-    {
-      os_semaphore_drop(work.semaphore);
-    }
-    
-    //- rjf: increment completion counter
-    if(work.completion_counter != 0)
-    {
-      ins_atomic_u64_inc_eval(work.completion_counter);
-    }
+    ASYNC_Work work = async_pop_work();
+    ins_atomic_u64_inc_eval(&async_shared->work_threads_live_count);
+    async_execute_work(work);
+    ins_atomic_u64_dec_eval(&async_shared->work_threads_live_count);
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/async/async.h b/src/async/async.h
index baff742e..5f2b76d0 100644
--- a/src/async/async.h
+++ b/src/async/async.h
@@ -78,11 +78,14 @@ struct ASYNC_Shared
   // rjf: work threads
   OS_Handle *work_threads;
   U64 work_threads_count;
+  U64 work_threads_live_count;
 };
 
 ////////////////////////////////
 //~ rjf: Globals
 
+thread_static B32 async_work_thread_depth = 0;
+thread_static U64 async_work_thread_idx = 0;
 global ASYNC_Shared *async_shared = 0;
 
 ////////////////////////////////
@@ -110,6 +113,12 @@ internal ASYNC_Task *async_task_launch_(Arena *arena, ASYNC_WorkFunctionType *wo
 internal void *async_task_join(ASYNC_Task *task);
 #define async_task_join_struct(task, T) (T *)async_task_join(task)
 
+////////////////////////////////
+//~ rjf: Work Execution
+
+internal ASYNC_Work async_pop_work(void);
+internal void async_execute_work(ASYNC_Work work);
+
 ////////////////////////////////
 //~ rjf: Work Thread Entry Point