diff --git a/src/browser/Browser.zig b/src/browser/Browser.zig
index 5f1257efe..c5b67033b 100644
--- a/src/browser/Browser.zig
+++ b/src/browser/Browser.zig
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ const Selector = @import("webapi/selector/Selector.zig");
 const Geolocation = @import("webapi/geolocation/Geolocation.zig");
 const PermissionState = @import("webapi/Permissions.zig").State;
 
+const log = lp.log;
 const ArenaPool = App.ArenaPool;
 const Allocator = std.mem.Allocator;
 
@@ -104,6 +105,8 @@ fc_identity_pool: std.heap.MemoryPool(js.FinalizerCallback.Identity),
 // #2472).
 frame_id_gen: u32 = 0,
 
+foreground_task_posted: std.atomic.Value(bool) = .init(false),
+
 const InitOpts = struct {
     env: js.Env.InitOpts = .{},
 };
@@ -146,6 +149,8 @@ pub fn init(self: *Browser, app: *App, opts: InitOpts) !void {
         .heartbeat = &self.http_client.heartbeat,
     };
     app.watchdog.register(&self.watchdog_entry);
+
+    self.env.setForegroundTaskPostedCallback(onForegroundTaskPosted, self);
 }
 
 pub fn deinit(self: *Browser) void {
@@ -158,6 +163,9 @@ pub fn deinit(self: *Browser) void {
     lp.metrics.js_heap_physical_bytes.add(-@as(i64, @intCast(self.last_reported_js_bytes)));
     self.last_reported_js_bytes = 0;
 
+    // V8 workers can post until the isolate is gone; http_client is freed
+    // after env.
+    self.env.setForegroundTaskPostedCallback(null, null);
     self.env.deinit();
     // After env.deinit() the Isolate is gone, so no further weak finalizer can
     // fire — only now is it safe to free the pool backing their parameters.
@@ -171,6 +179,24 @@ pub fn deinit(self: *Browser) void {
     self.selector_cache.deinit();
 }
 
+// Callback from v8 when a foreground task is posted.
+// !!Can be called from various threads!! (v8 worker threads)
+fn onForegroundTaskPosted(ctx: ?*anyopaque, delay_in_seconds: f64) callconv(.c) void {
+    if (delay_in_seconds > 0) {
+        return;
+    }
+    const self: *Browser = @ptrCast(@alignCast(ctx.?));
+    if (self.foreground_task_posted.swap(true, .acq_rel)) {
+        // it was already woken up before
+        return;
+    }
+
+    // wakeup is thread-safe
+    self.http_client.handles.wakeup() catch |err| {
+        log.err(.browser, "foreground task wakeup", .{ .err = err });
+    };
+}
+
 // Wait out a watchdog scan before clearing its termination request.
 pub fn prepareForTeardown(self: *Browser) void {
     self.app.watchdog.unregister(&self.watchdog_entry);
@@ -262,15 +288,15 @@ pub fn runMicrotasks(self: *Browser) void {
     self.env.runMicrotasks();
 }
 
-pub fn runMacrotasks(self: *Browser) !bool {
+pub fn runMacrotasks(self: *Browser) !void {
     const env = &self.env;
 
     try self.env.runMacrotasks();
-    const ran_platform_task = env.pumpMessageLoop();
+    self.foreground_task_posted.store(false, .release);
+    env.pumpMessageLoop();
 
     // either of the above could have queued more microtasks
     env.runMicrotasks();
-    return ran_platform_task;
 }
 
 pub fn hasBackgroundTasks(self: *Browser) bool {
diff --git a/src/browser/Runner.zig b/src/browser/Runner.zig
index c2fb72857..e648e89a8 100644
--- a/src/browser/Runner.zig
+++ b/src/browser/Runner.zig
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ const Runner = @This();
 session: *Session,
 browser: *Browser,
 http_client: *HttpClient,
-background_poll_ms: u32 = 0,
 
 pub const Opts = struct {};
 
@@ -224,9 +223,8 @@ fn _tick(self: *Runner, comptime is_cdp: bool, timeout_ms: u32, conditions: []Wa
 
     const has_runnable_page = hasRunnablePage(session);
 
-    var ran_platform_task = false;
     if (has_runnable_page) {
-        ran_platform_task = try browser.runMacrotasks();
+        try browser.runMacrotasks();
     }
 
     const activity = http_client.activity();
@@ -319,18 +317,6 @@ fn _tick(self: *Runner, comptime is_cdp: bool, timeout_ms: u32, conditions: []Wa
             if (has_runnable_page == false) {
                 break :blk 200;
             }
-            if (browser.hasBackgroundTasks()) {
-                // if our last runMacrotasks() ran something and we now have
-                // a background, then don't linger in the http client waiting
-                // for I/O, instead, hurry back to run more tasks.
-                // Else, backoff to 10ms between runs.
-                // TODO: this is a temporary solution to ensuring background
-                // tasks are run promptly.The better solution is to have v8
-                // wakeup the http client when there's work to do.
-                self.background_poll_ms = if (ran_platform_task) 0 else @min(10, @max(1, self.background_poll_ms * 2));
-                // msToNextTask could be less than this, but 10ms drift is ok
-                break :blk self.background_poll_ms;
-            }
             break :blk browser.msToNextTask() orelse 200;
         };
         const ms_to_wait = @min(timeout_ms, ms_to_next_task);
diff --git a/src/browser/js/Context.zig b/src/browser/js/Context.zig
index 2003b876c..dc09833e4 100644
--- a/src/browser/js/Context.zig
+++ b/src/browser/js/Context.zig
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ pub fn deinit(self: *Context) void {
     env.isolate.notifyContextDisposed();
     // There can be other tasks associated with this context that we need to
     // purge while the context is still alive.
-    _ = env.pumpMessageLoop();
+    env.pumpMessageLoop();
     v8.v8__MicrotaskQueue__DELETE(self.microtask_queue);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/browser/js/Env.zig b/src/browser/js/Env.zig
index 799ed3b9f..edd99d786 100644
--- a/src/browser/js/Env.zig
+++ b/src/browser/js/Env.zig
@@ -567,18 +567,18 @@ pub fn msToNextTask(self: *Env) ?u64 {
     return if (next_task == std.math.maxInt(u64)) null else next_task;
 }
 
-pub fn pumpMessageLoop(self: *const Env) bool {
+pub fn pumpMessageLoop(self: *const Env) void {
     var hs: v8.HandleScope = undefined;
     v8.v8__HandleScope__CONSTRUCT(&hs, self.isolate.handle);
     defer v8.v8__HandleScope__DESTRUCT(&hs);
 
     const isolate = self.isolate.handle;
     const platform = self.platform.handle;
-    var ran = false;
-    while (v8.v8__Platform__PumpMessageLoop(platform, isolate, false)) {
-        ran = true;
-    }
-    return ran;
+    while (v8.v8__Platform__PumpMessageLoop(platform, isolate, false)) {}
+}
+
+pub fn setForegroundTaskPostedCallback(self: *const Env, callback: v8.ForegroundTaskPostedCallback, ctx: ?*anyopaque) void {
+    v8.v8__Platform__SetForegroundTaskPostedCallback(self.platform.handle, self.isolate.handle, callback, ctx);
 }
 
 pub fn hasBackgroundTasks(self: *const Env) bool {
diff --git a/src/browser/js/Local.zig b/src/browser/js/Local.zig
index f56bc9a99..1dc926183 100644
--- a/src/browser/js/Local.zig
+++ b/src/browser/js/Local.zig
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ pub fn newCallback(
 
 pub fn runMacrotasks(self: *const Local) void {
     const env = self.ctx.env;
-    _ = env.pumpMessageLoop();
+    env.pumpMessageLoop();
     env.runMicrotasks(); // macrotasks can cause microtasks to queue
 }