diff --git a/lib/qless/worker/base.rb b/lib/qless/worker/base.rb
index 300f0ac2..5d442ddd 100644
--- a/lib/qless/worker/base.rb
+++ b/lib/qless/worker/base.rb
@@ -84,23 +84,29 @@ def register_signal_handlers
       def jobs
         return Enumerator.new do |enum|
           loop do
-            begin
-              job = reserver.reserve
-            rescue Exception => error
-              # We want workers to durably stay up, so we don't want errors
-              # during job reserving (e.g. network timeouts, etc) to kill the
-              # worker.
-              log(:error,
-                "Error reserving job: #{error.class}: #{error.message}")
-            end
-
-            # If we ended up getting a job, yield it. Otherwise, we wait
-            if job.nil?
-              no_job_available
+            # So long as we're paused, we should wait
+            if paused
+              log(:debug, 'Paused...')
+              sleep interval
             else
-              self.current_job = job
-              enum.yield(job)
-              self.current_job = nil
+              begin
+                job = reserver.reserve
+              rescue Exception => error
+                # We want workers to durably stay up, so we don't want errors
+                # during job reserving (e.g. network timeouts, etc) to kill the
+                # worker.
+                log(:error,
+                  "Error reserving job: #{error.class}: #{error.message}")
+              end
+
+              # If we ended up getting a job, yield it. Otherwise, we wait
+              if job.nil?
+                no_job_available
+              else
+                self.current_job = job
+                enum.yield(job)
+                self.current_job = nil
+              end
             end
 
             break if @shutdown
diff --git a/lib/qless/worker/serial.rb b/lib/qless/worker/serial.rb
index 4807d20d..bd23b05b 100644
--- a/lib/qless/worker/serial.rb
+++ b/lib/qless/worker/serial.rb
@@ -27,12 +27,6 @@ def run
             log(:debug, "Starting job #{job.klass_name} (#{job.jid} from #{job.queue_name})")
             perform(job)
             log(:debug, "Finished job #{job.klass_name} (#{job.jid} from #{job.queue_name})")
-
-            # So long as we're paused, we should wait
-            while paused
-              log(:debug, 'Paused...')
-              sleep interval
-            end
           end
         end
       end
diff --git a/spec/integration/workers/serial_spec.rb b/spec/integration/workers/serial_spec.rb
index 220bcb57..0fcb305a 100644
--- a/spec/integration/workers/serial_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/integration/workers/serial_spec.rb
@@ -83,6 +83,27 @@ def self.perform(job)
       expect { |b| worker.send(:with_current_job, &b) }.to yield_with_args(nil)
     end
 
+    it 'can pause a worker and then unpause it' do
+      job_class = Class.new do
+        def self.perform(job)
+          Redis.connect(url: job['redis']).rpush(job['key'], job['word'])
+        end
+      end
+      stub_const('JobClass', job_class)
+
+      worker.pause
+
+      queue.put('JobClass', { redis: redis.client.id, key: key, word: 'hello' })
+
+      run_worker_concurrently_with(worker) do
+        expect(redis.brpop(key, timeout: 1)).to eq(nil)
+
+        worker.unpause
+
+        expect(redis.brpop(key, timeout: 1)).to eq([key.to_s, 'hello'])
+      end
+    end
+
     context 'when a job times out', :uses_threads do
       it 'invokes the given callback when the current job is the one that timed out' do
         callback_invoked = false