diff --git a/waku/common/databases/db_postgres/pgasyncpool.nim b/waku/common/databases/db_postgres/pgasyncpool.nim
index b907cca97..e77d07109 100644
--- a/waku/common/databases/db_postgres/pgasyncpool.nim
+++ b/waku/common/databases/db_postgres/pgasyncpool.nim
@@ -3,7 +3,13 @@
 {.push raises: [].}
 
 import
-  std/[sequtils, nre, strformat, sets], results, chronos, chronicles, strutils, random
+  std/[sequtils, nre, strformat, sets],
+  results,
+  chronos,
+  chronos/threadsync,
+  chronicles,
+  strutils,
+  random
 import ./dbconn, ../common, ../../../waku_core/time
 
 type PgAsyncPoolState {.pure.} = enum
@@ -16,6 +22,7 @@ type PgDbConn = ref object
   open: bool
   busy: bool
   preparedStmts: HashSet[string] ## [stmtName's]
+  busySignal: ThreadSignalPtr ## signal to wait while the pool is busy
 
 type
   # Database connection pool
@@ -26,6 +33,7 @@ type
     state: PgAsyncPoolState
     conns: seq[PgDbConn]
     dir: string
+    busySignal: ThreadSignalPtr
 
 proc `$`(self: PgDbConn): string =
   if not isNil(self):
@@ -59,12 +67,16 @@ proc new*(
       SyntaxError:
     return err("could not parse postgres string: " & getCurrentExceptionMsg())
 
+  let busySignal = ThreadSignalPtr.new().valueOr:
+    return err("error creating busySignal ThreadSignalPtr in PgAsyncPool: " & $error)
+
   let pool = PgAsyncPool(
     connString: connString,
     maxConnections: maxConnections,
     state: PgAsyncPoolState.Live,
     conns: newSeq[PgDbConn](0),
     dir: dir,
+    busySignal: busySignal,
   )
 
   return ok(pool)
@@ -92,7 +104,8 @@ proc close*(pool: PgAsyncPool): Future[Result[void, string]] {.async.} =
   # wait for the connections to be released and close them, without
   # blocking the async runtime
   while pool.conns.anyIt(it.busy):
-    await sleepAsync(0.milliseconds)
+    debug "closing waiting while connections are busy"
+    await pool.busySignal.wait()
 
     for i in 0 ..< pool.conns.len:
       if pool.conns[i].busy:
@@ -134,9 +147,9 @@ proc getConnIndex(pool: PgAsyncPool): Future[DatabaseResult[int]] {.async.} =
 
   if pool.conns.len == pool.maxConnections:
     ## Can't create more connections. Wait for a free connection without blocking the async runtime.
-    while pool.isBusy():
+    if pool.isBusy():
       debug "getConnIndex", dir = pool.dir, conns = $pool.conns
-      await sleepAsync(0.milliseconds)
+      await pool.busySignal.wait()
 
     return pool.getFirstFreeConnIndex()
   elif pool.conns.len < pool.maxConnections:
@@ -174,6 +187,10 @@ proc releaseConn(pool: PgAsyncPool, conn: DbConn) =
   for i in 0 ..< pool.conns.len:
     if pool.conns[i].dbConn == conn:
       pool.conns[i].busy = false
+
+  pool.busySignal.fireSync().isOkOr:
+    error "error triggering busySignal in releaseConn", error = $error
+
   debug "after releaseConn", conns = $pool.conns
 
 const SlowQueryThresholdInNanoSeconds = 1_000_000_000