diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 9a0562d..27abf93 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 #![feature(let_chains)]
 
 use std::path::Path;
-use std::sync::mpsc;
 use std::sync::{
     Arc, Mutex, RwLock,
     atomic::{AtomicUsize, Ordering},
@@ -11,7 +10,7 @@ use clap::Parser;
 use log::{debug, trace};
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use tokio::process::Command;
-use tokio::sync::Semaphore;
+use tokio::sync::{Semaphore, mpsc};
 
 const UPSTREAM_CACHES: &[&str] = &["https://cache.nixos.org"];
 
@@ -138,7 +137,7 @@ async fn main() {
     }
     println!("got {} store paths", store_paths.read().unwrap().len());
 
-    let (cacheable_tx, cacheable_rx) = mpsc::channel();
+    let (cacheable_tx, mut cacheable_rx) = mpsc::channel(cli.uploader_concurrency.into());
 
     println!("spawning check_upstream");
     handles = Vec::new();
@@ -154,7 +153,7 @@ async fn main() {
 
     println!("spawning uploader");
     handles.push(tokio::spawn(async move {
-        uploader(cacheable_rx, binary_cache, cli.uploader_concurrency).await;
+        uploader(&mut cacheable_rx, binary_cache, cli.uploader_concurrency).await;
     }));
 
     // make sure all threads are done
@@ -210,20 +209,24 @@ async fn check_upstream(
             }
             if !hit {
                 trace!("sending {}", store_path);
-                tx.send(store_path).unwrap();
+                tx.send(store_path).await.unwrap();
             }
         });
     }
 }
 
-async fn uploader(cacheable_rx: mpsc::Receiver<String>, binary_cache: String, concurrency: u8) {
+async fn uploader(
+    cacheable_rx: &mut mpsc::Receiver<String>,
+    binary_cache: String,
+    concurrency: u8,
+) {
     let upload_count = Arc::new(AtomicUsize::new(0));
     let failures: Arc<Mutex<Vec<String>>> = Arc::new(Mutex::new(Vec::new()));
     let concurrency = Arc::new(Semaphore::new(concurrency.into()));
     let mut handles = Vec::new();
 
     loop {
-        if let Ok(path_to_upload) = cacheable_rx.recv() {
+        if let Some(path_to_upload) = cacheable_rx.recv().await {
             let concurrency = Arc::clone(&concurrency);
             let failures = Arc::clone(&failures);
             let binary_cache = binary_cache.clone();