diff --git a/include/thread_pool/thread_pool.h b/include/thread_pool/thread_pool.h
index 08a4735..f6225b2 100644
--- a/include/thread_pool/thread_pool.h
+++ b/include/thread_pool/thread_pool.h
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ namespace dp {
                                     try {
                                         pending_tasks_.fetch_sub(1, std::memory_order_release);
                                         std::invoke(std::move(task.value()));
+                                        total_tasks_.fetch_sub(1, std::memory_order_release);
                                     } catch (...) {
                                     }
                                 }
@@ -63,6 +64,7 @@ namespace dp {
                                         // steal a task
                                         pending_tasks_.fetch_sub(1, std::memory_order_release);
                                         std::invoke(std::move(task.value()));
+                                        total_tasks_.fetch_sub(1, std::memory_order_release);
                                         // stop stealing once we have invoked a stolen task
                                         break;
                                     }
@@ -72,6 +74,10 @@ namespace dp {
 
                             priority_queue_.rotate_to_front(id);
 
+                            if (total_tasks_.load(std::memory_order_acquire) == 0) {
+                                threads_done_.release();
+                            }
+
                         } while (!stop_tok.stop_requested());
                     });
                     // increment the thread id
@@ -90,6 +96,11 @@ namespace dp {
         }
 
         ~thread_pool() {
+            if (total_tasks_.load(std::memory_order_acquire) > 0) {
+                // wait for all tasks to finish
+                threads_done_.acquire();
+            }
+
             // stop all threads
             for (std::size_t i = 0; i < threads_.size(); ++i) {
                 threads_[i].request_stop();
@@ -204,6 +215,7 @@ namespace dp {
             }
             auto i = *(i_opt);
             pending_tasks_.fetch_add(1, std::memory_order_relaxed);
+            total_tasks_.fetch_add(1, std::memory_order_relaxed);
             tasks_[i].tasks.push_back(std::forward<Function>(f));
             tasks_[i].signal.release();
         }
@@ -216,7 +228,8 @@ namespace dp {
         std::vector<ThreadType> threads_;
         std::deque<task_item> tasks_;
         dp::thread_safe_queue<std::size_t> priority_queue_;
-        std::atomic_int_fast64_t pending_tasks_{};
+        std::atomic_int_fast64_t pending_tasks_{}, total_tasks_{};
+        std::binary_semaphore threads_done_{0};
     };
 
     /**
diff --git a/test/source/thread_pool.cpp b/test/source/thread_pool.cpp
index 38a31a6..4484331 100644
--- a/test/source/thread_pool.cpp
+++ b/test/source/thread_pool.cpp
@@ -346,3 +346,38 @@ TEST_CASE("Recursive parallel sort") {
 
     CHECK(std::ranges::is_sorted(data));
 }
+
+
+TEST_CASE("Test premature exit") {
+    // two threads in pool, thread1, thread2
+    // first, push task_1
+    // task_1 pushes task_2 and sleeps, so both threads are busy and no tasks are in queue
+    // thread1 - task1, thread2 - task2
+    // task_1 finishes, no tasks in queue, but task_2 is still running --> thread1 must not exit
+    // task_2 pushes another task (end_task) and sleeps for 5s before finishing the task_2
+    // So the first thread, thread1 should execute the end_task
+    // but if the thread1 prematurely exits, than the end_task will be executed by the thread2
+
+    std::thread::id id_task_1, id_end;
+    {
+        dp::thread_pool<> testPool(2);
+
+        auto end = [&id_end]() { id_end = std::this_thread::get_id(); };
+
+        auto task_2 = [&testPool, end]() {
+            std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(1000));
+            testPool.enqueue_detach(end);
+            std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(5000));
+        };
+
+        auto task_1 = [&testPool, &id_task_1, task_2]() {
+            id_task_1 = std::this_thread::get_id();
+            testPool.enqueue_detach(task_2);
+            std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(500));
+        };
+
+        testPool.enqueue_detach(task_1);
+    }
+
+    CHECK_EQ(id_task_1, id_end);
+}
\ No newline at end of file