diff --git a/internal/server/server.go b/internal/server/server.go
index 4b1729a..8e8853d 100644
--- a/internal/server/server.go
+++ b/internal/server/server.go
@@ -168,26 +168,33 @@ func (s *ConsumerServer) Consume(stream pb.Consumer_ConsumeServer) error { //nol
 	var returnError error
 	isSubscribing := false
 
-	// stopForLoop is used for errors that require the exiting of Consume,
-	// essentially if a long running goroutine needs to exit, it  needs to
-	// use stopForLoop as a killswitch for the entire Consume() because
-	// we don't want leaks.
-	stopForLoop := make(chan bool)
-	defer func() {
-		close(stopForLoop)
-		stopForLoop = nil
-	}()
+	// wg tracks the long-running sender/subscribe goroutines so Consume waits
+	// for them to drain before returning. Otherwise they outlive Consume and
+	// race against returnError / channel teardown.
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+
+	// stopForLoop is the killswitch a long-running goroutine uses to exit
+	// Consume(). The error it carries (if non-nil) becomes Consume's return
+	// value; carrying it on the channel keeps main as the sole writer of
+	// returnError so goroutines never have to touch it.
+	stopForLoop := make(chan error)
 
 	// messageChannel is used for sending messages from the provider back to Consume
 	// for sending back to the client
 	messageChannel := make(chan *pb.Message, 10)
-	defer close(messageChannel)
 
 	var source *pb.Source
 
-	// lCtx is our loop context, we use it to shutdown our long running goroutines
+	// loopCtx is our loop context, we use it to shutdown our long running goroutines
 	loopCtx, loopCancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
-	// lCancel will signal to all long running goroutines to shutdown
+
+	// Defers fire LIFO, so the execution order is loopCancel -> wg.Wait ->
+	// close(messageChannel) -> close(stopForLoop). Cancelling first lets the
+	// goroutines unblock; waiting before closing channels ensures nothing is
+	// still writing when they're closed.
+	defer close(stopForLoop)
+	defer close(messageChannel)
+	defer wg.Wait()
 	defer loopCancel()
 
 consumeLoop:
@@ -262,7 +269,9 @@ consumeLoop:
 				isSubscribing = true
 
 				// this goroutine receives messages from the provider and sends them to the client for processing
-				go func(mc <-chan *pb.Message, cont context.Context, stopFor *chan bool, returnErr *error) {
+				wg.Add(1)
+				go func(mc <-chan *pb.Message, cont context.Context, stopFor chan<- error) {
+					defer wg.Done()
 					defer util.RecoverPanic()
 					for {
 						select {
@@ -284,9 +293,9 @@ consumeLoop:
 							if err != nil {
 								util.Logger.Warn(i18n.StreamSendError, err.Error(), clientIdentifier)
 								span.RecordError(err)
-								*returnErr = err
-								if *stopFor != nil {
-									*stopFor <- true
+								select {
+								case stopFor <- err:
+								case <-cont.Done():
 								}
 								span.End()
 								return
@@ -294,45 +303,45 @@ consumeLoop:
 							span.End()
 						}
 					}
-				}(messageChannel, loopCtx, &stopForLoop, &returnError)
+				}(messageChannel, loopCtx, stopForLoop)
 
 				// call provider.Subscribe and use messageChannel to pass messages from the provider to the receiver func above
-				go func(mc chan<- *pb.Message, prov provider.Provider, cont context.Context, stopFor *chan bool, returnErr *error) {
+				wg.Add(1)
+				go func(mc chan<- *pb.Message, prov provider.Provider, cont context.Context, stopFor chan<- error) {
+					defer wg.Done()
 					defer util.RecoverPanic()
 					connected := prov.WaitForConnect(cont)
-					if connected {
-						err := prov.Subscribe(cont, source, mc)
-						if err != nil {
-							util.Logger.Warn(i18n.SubscribeError, err.Message)
-							*returnErr = errors.New(err.GetMessage())
+					if !connected {
+						util.Logger.Warn(i18n.BrokerConnectError, "could not connect to broker")
+						select {
+						case stopFor <- errors.New("could not connect to broker"):
+						case <-cont.Done():
 						}
+						return
+					}
 
-						if source.GetDeclareOnly() {
-							dor := &pb.DeclareOnlyResponse{Success: true}
-							dor.Error = err
-							if err != nil {
-								dor.Success = false
-							}
+					err := prov.Subscribe(cont, source, mc)
+					var stopErr error
+					if err != nil {
+						util.Logger.Warn(i18n.SubscribeError, err.Message)
+						stopErr = errors.New(err.GetMessage())
+					}
 
-							cr := &pb.ConsumeResponse{
-								Resp: &pb.ConsumeResponse_DeclareOnlyResponse{
-									DeclareOnlyResponse: dor,
-								},
-							}
-							_ = sender.Send(cr)
+					if source.GetDeclareOnly() {
+						dor := &pb.DeclareOnlyResponse{Success: err == nil, Error: err}
+						cr := &pb.ConsumeResponse{
+							Resp: &pb.ConsumeResponse_DeclareOnlyResponse{
+								DeclareOnlyResponse: dor,
+							},
 						}
+						_ = sender.Send(cr)
+					}
 
-						if *stopFor != nil {
-							*stopFor <- true
-						}
-					} else {
-						util.Logger.Warn(i18n.BrokerConnectError, "could not connect to broker")
-						*returnErr = errors.New("could not connect to broker")
-						if *stopFor != nil {
-							*stopFor <- true
-						}
+					select {
+					case stopFor <- stopErr:
+					case <-cont.Done():
 					}
-				}(messageChannel, prov, loopCtx, &stopForLoop, &returnError)
+				}(messageChannel, prov, loopCtx, stopForLoop)
 			} else if cnsmRecv.msg.GetAck() != nil { // Ack or Nack the message
 				go func() {
 					ackmsg := cnsmRecv.msg.GetAck()
@@ -365,7 +374,10 @@ consumeLoop:
 					_ = sender.Send(&pb.ConsumeResponse{Resp: &pb.ConsumeResponse_ConsumedResponse{ConsumedResponse: mcr}})
 				}()
 			}
-		case <-stopForLoop:
+		case stopErr := <-stopForLoop:
+			if stopErr != nil {
+				returnError = stopErr
+			}
 			break consumeLoop
 		}
 	}