diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 871d9de2..d9e97ef4 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -46,7 +46,10 @@ ntex-compio = { path = "ntex-compio" }
 ntex-tokio = { path = "ntex-tokio" }
 
 [workspace.dependencies]
+async-channel = "2"
 async-task = "4.5.0"
+atomic-waker = "1.1"
+core_affinity = "0.8"
 bitflags = "2"
 cfg_aliases = "0.2.1"
 cfg-if = "1.0.0"
@@ -57,7 +60,8 @@ fxhash = "0.2"
 libc = "0.2.164"
 log = "0.4"
 io-uring = "0.7.4"
-polling = "3.3.0"
+oneshot = "0.1"
+polling = "3.7.4"
 nohash-hasher = "0.2.0"
 scoped-tls = "1.0.1"
 slab = "0.4.9"
diff --git a/ntex-net/Cargo.toml b/ntex-net/Cargo.toml
index c800c00b..46cf5cc4 100644
--- a/ntex-net/Cargo.toml
+++ b/ntex-net/Cargo.toml
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ ntex-util = "2.5"
 
 ntex-tokio = { version = "0.5.3", optional = true }
 ntex-compio = { version = "0.2.4", optional = true }
-ntex-neon = { version = "0.1.13", optional = true }
+ntex-neon = { version = "0.1.14", optional = true }
 
 bitflags = { workspace = true }
 cfg-if = { workspace = true }
diff --git a/ntex-rt/Cargo.toml b/ntex-rt/Cargo.toml
index 2b5aa5d0..a5966d76 100644
--- a/ntex-rt/Cargo.toml
+++ b/ntex-rt/Cargo.toml
@@ -42,4 +42,4 @@ tok-io = { version = "1", package = "tokio", default-features = false, features
     "net",
 ], optional = true }
 
-ntex-neon = { version = "0.1.11", optional = true }
+ntex-neon = { version = "0.1.14", optional = true }
diff --git a/ntex-server/CHANGES.md b/ntex-server/CHANGES.md
index 0d8dabc5..546a92ff 100644
--- a/ntex-server/CHANGES.md
+++ b/ntex-server/CHANGES.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # Changes
 
+## [2.7.3] - 2025-03-28
+
+* Better worker availability handling
+
 ## [2.7.2] - 2025-03-27
 
 * Handle paused state
diff --git a/ntex-server/Cargo.toml b/ntex-server/Cargo.toml
index bca5f8b2..dcfa8332 100644
--- a/ntex-server/Cargo.toml
+++ b/ntex-server/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "ntex-server"
-version = "2.7.2"
+version = "2.7.3"
 authors = ["ntex contributors <team@ntex.rs>"]
 description = "Server for ntex framework"
 keywords = ["network", "framework", "async", "futures"]
@@ -22,13 +22,13 @@ ntex-service = "3.4"
 ntex-rt = "0.4"
 ntex-util = "2.8"
 
-async-channel = "2"
-async-broadcast = "0.7"
-core_affinity = "0.8"
-polling = "3.3"
-log = "0.4"
-socket2 = "0.5"
-oneshot = { version = "0.1", default-features = false, features = ["async"] }
+async-channel = { workspace = true }
+atomic-waker = { workspace = true }
+core_affinity = { workspace = true }
+oneshot = { workspace = true }
+polling = { workspace = true }
+log = { workspace = true }
+socket2 = { workspace = true }
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 ntex = "2"
diff --git a/ntex-server/src/manager.rs b/ntex-server/src/manager.rs
index ca558a54..f0719750 100644
--- a/ntex-server/src/manager.rs
+++ b/ntex-server/src/manager.rs
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ impl<F: ServerConfiguration> ServerManager<F> {
 
         let no_signals = cfg.no_signals;
         let shared = Arc::new(ServerShared {
-            paused: AtomicBool::new(false),
+            paused: AtomicBool::new(true),
         });
         let mgr = ServerManager(Rc::new(Inner {
             cfg,
@@ -139,7 +139,6 @@ impl<F: ServerConfiguration> ServerManager<F> {
 fn start_worker<F: ServerConfiguration>(mgr: ServerManager<F>, cid: Option<CoreId>) {
     let _ = ntex_rt::spawn(async move {
         let id = mgr.next_id();
-
         let mut wrk = Worker::start(id, mgr.factory(), cid);
 
         loop {
@@ -212,10 +211,9 @@ impl<F: ServerConfiguration> HandleCmdState<F> {
         match upd {
             Update::Available(worker) => {
                 self.workers.push(worker);
-                if !self.workers.is_empty() {
+                self.workers.sort();
+                if self.workers.len() == 1 {
                     self.mgr.resume();
-                } else {
-                    self.workers.sort();
                 }
             }
             Update::Unavailable(worker) => {
@@ -234,6 +232,9 @@ impl<F: ServerConfiguration> HandleCmdState<F> {
                 if let Err(item) = self.workers[0].send(item) {
                     self.backlog.push_back(item);
                     self.workers.remove(0);
+                    if self.workers.is_empty() {
+                        self.mgr.pause();
+                    }
                     break;
                 }
             }
diff --git a/ntex-server/src/net/accept.rs b/ntex-server/src/net/accept.rs
index 31793d82..7694d286 100644
--- a/ntex-server/src/net/accept.rs
+++ b/ntex-server/src/net/accept.rs
@@ -203,14 +203,10 @@ impl Accept {
         let mut timeout = Some(Duration::ZERO);
         loop {
             if let Err(e) = self.poller.wait(&mut events, timeout) {
-                if e.kind() == io::ErrorKind::Interrupted {
-                    continue;
-                } else {
+                if e.kind() != io::ErrorKind::Interrupted {
                     panic!("Cannot wait for events in poller: {}", e)
                 }
-            }
-
-            if timeout.is_some() {
+            } else if timeout.is_some() {
                 timeout = None;
                 let _ = self.tx.take().unwrap().send(());
             }
diff --git a/ntex-server/src/wrk.rs b/ntex-server/src/wrk.rs
index b9092d0f..b791817d 100644
--- a/ntex-server/src/wrk.rs
+++ b/ntex-server/src/wrk.rs
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
 use std::task::{ready, Context, Poll};
 use std::{cmp, future::poll_fn, future::Future, hash, pin::Pin, sync::Arc};
 
-use async_broadcast::{self as bus, broadcast};
 use async_channel::{unbounded, Receiver, Sender};
+use atomic_waker::AtomicWaker;
 use core_affinity::CoreId;
 
 use ntex_rt::{spawn, Arbiter};
@@ -151,10 +151,8 @@ impl<T> Worker<T> {
         if self.failed.load(Ordering::Acquire) {
             WorkerStatus::Failed
         } else {
-            // cleanup updates
-            while self.avail.notify.try_recv().is_ok() {}
-
-            if self.avail.notify.recv_direct().await.is_err() {
+            self.avail.wait_for_update().await;
+            if self.avail.failed() {
                 self.failed.store(true, Ordering::Release);
             }
             self.status()
@@ -196,46 +194,79 @@ impl Future for WorkerStop {
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
 struct WorkerAvailability {
-    notify: bus::Receiver<()>,
-    available: Arc<AtomicBool>,
+    inner: Arc<Inner>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
 struct WorkerAvailabilityTx {
-    notify: bus::Sender<()>,
-    available: Arc<AtomicBool>,
+    inner: Arc<Inner>,
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+struct Inner {
+    waker: AtomicWaker,
+    updated: AtomicBool,
+    available: AtomicBool,
+    failed: AtomicBool,
 }
 
 impl WorkerAvailability {
     fn create() -> (Self, WorkerAvailabilityTx) {
-        let (mut tx, rx) = broadcast(16);
-        tx.set_overflow(true);
+        let inner = Arc::new(Inner {
+            waker: AtomicWaker::new(),
+            updated: AtomicBool::new(false),
+            available: AtomicBool::new(false),
+            failed: AtomicBool::new(false),
+        });
 
         let avail = WorkerAvailability {
-            notify: rx,
-            available: Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false)),
-        };
-        let avail_tx = WorkerAvailabilityTx {
-            notify: tx,
-            available: avail.available.clone(),
+            inner: inner.clone(),
         };
+        let avail_tx = WorkerAvailabilityTx { inner };
         (avail, avail_tx)
     }
 
+    fn failed(&self) -> bool {
+        self.inner.failed.load(Ordering::Acquire)
+    }
+
     fn available(&self) -> bool {
-        self.available.load(Ordering::Acquire)
+        self.inner.available.load(Ordering::Acquire)
+    }
+
+    async fn wait_for_update(&self) {
+        poll_fn(|cx| {
+            if self.inner.updated.load(Ordering::Acquire) {
+                self.inner.updated.store(false, Ordering::Release);
+                Poll::Ready(())
+            } else {
+                self.inner.waker.register(cx.waker());
+                Poll::Pending
+            }
+        })
+        .await;
     }
 }
 
 impl WorkerAvailabilityTx {
     fn set(&self, val: bool) {
-        let old = self.available.swap(val, Ordering::Release);
-        if !old && val {
-            let _ = self.notify.try_broadcast(());
+        let old = self.inner.available.swap(val, Ordering::Release);
+        if old != val {
+            self.inner.updated.store(true, Ordering::Release);
+            self.inner.waker.wake();
         }
     }
 }
 
+impl Drop for WorkerAvailabilityTx {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        self.inner.failed.store(true, Ordering::Release);
+        self.inner.updated.store(true, Ordering::Release);
+        self.inner.available.store(false, Ordering::Release);
+        self.inner.waker.wake();
+    }
+}
+
 /// Service worker
 ///
 /// Worker accepts message via unbounded channel and starts processing.
@@ -256,10 +287,13 @@ where
         let mut recv = std::pin::pin!(wrk.rx.recv());
         let fut = poll_fn(|cx| {
             match svc.poll_ready(cx) {
-                Poll::Ready(res) => {
-                    res?;
+                Poll::Ready(Ok(())) => {
                     wrk.availability.set(true);
                 }
+                Poll::Ready(Err(err)) => {
+                    wrk.availability.set(false);
+                    return Poll::Ready(Err(err));
+                }
                 Poll::Pending => {
                     wrk.availability.set(false);
                     return Poll::Pending;
@@ -287,7 +321,6 @@ where
                 let _ = ntex_rt::spawn(async move {
                     svc.shutdown().await;
                 });
-                wrk.availability.set(false);
             }
             Either::Right(Some(Shutdown { timeout, result })) => {
                 wrk.availability.set(false);
@@ -302,6 +335,7 @@ where
                 return;
             }
             Either::Left(Ok(false)) | Either::Right(None) => {
+                wrk.availability.set(false);
                 stop_svc(wrk.id, svc, STOP_TIMEOUT, None).await;
                 return;
             }
@@ -311,7 +345,6 @@ where
         loop {
             match select(wrk.factory.create(()), stream_recv(&mut wrk.stop)).await {
                 Either::Left(Ok(service)) => {
-                    wrk.availability.set(true);
                     svc = Pipeline::new(service).bind();
                     break;
                 }
diff --git a/ntex/Cargo.toml b/ntex/Cargo.toml
index da30a2ba..1a947b47 100644
--- a/ntex/Cargo.toml
+++ b/ntex/Cargo.toml
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ ntex-service = "3.4"
 ntex-macros = "0.1"
 ntex-util = "2.8"
 ntex-bytes = "0.1.27"
-ntex-server = "2.7"
+ntex-server = "2.7.3"
 ntex-h2 = "1.8.6"
 ntex-rt = "0.4.27"
 ntex-io = "2.11"