diff --git a/src/runtime/block_on.rs b/src/runtime/block_on.rs
index 9a96d98..d0bbc5c 100644
--- a/src/runtime/block_on.rs
+++ b/src/runtime/block_on.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ use core::future::Future;
 use core::pin::pin;
 use core::task::Waker;
 use core::task::{Context, Poll};
+use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::task::Wake;
 
@@ -24,7 +25,8 @@ where
     let mut fut = pin!(fut);
 
     // Create a new context to be passed to the future.
-    let waker = noop_waker();
+    let waker_impl = Arc::new(ReactorWaker::new());
+    let waker = Waker::from(Arc::clone(&waker_impl));
     let mut cx = Context::from_waker(&waker);
 
     // Either the future completes and we return, or some IO is happening
@@ -32,7 +34,10 @@ where
     let res = loop {
         match fut.as_mut().poll(&mut cx) {
             Poll::Ready(res) => break res,
-            Poll::Pending => reactor.block_until(),
+            Poll::Pending => {
+                reactor.block_until(waker_impl.awake());
+                waker_impl.set_awake(false);
+            }
         }
     };
     // Clear the singleton
@@ -40,14 +45,30 @@ where
     res
 }
 
-/// Construct a new no-op waker
-// NOTE: we can remove this once <https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/98286> lands
-fn noop_waker() -> Waker {
-    struct NoopWaker;
+struct ReactorWaker {
+    awake: AtomicBool,
+}
+
+impl ReactorWaker {
+    fn new() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            awake: AtomicBool::new(false),
+        }
+    }
 
-    impl Wake for NoopWaker {
-        fn wake(self: Arc<Self>) {}
+    #[inline]
+    fn set_awake(&self, awake: bool) {
+        self.awake.store(awake, Ordering::Relaxed);
     }
 
-    Waker::from(Arc::new(NoopWaker))
+    #[inline]
+    fn awake(&self) -> bool {
+        self.awake.load(Ordering::Relaxed)
+    }
+}
+
+impl Wake for ReactorWaker {
+    fn wake(self: Arc<Self>) {
+        self.set_awake(true);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/runtime/reactor.rs b/src/runtime/reactor.rs
index afe3deb..9222861 100644
--- a/src/runtime/reactor.rs
+++ b/src/runtime/reactor.rs
@@ -5,8 +5,11 @@ use core::future;
 use core::pin::Pin;
 use core::task::{Context, Poll, Waker};
 use slab::Slab;
+use std::cell::LazyCell;
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::rc::Rc;
+use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::task::Wake;
 use wasi::io::poll::Pollable;
 
 /// A key for a `Pollable`, which is an index into the `Slab<Pollable>` in `Reactor`.
@@ -100,6 +103,7 @@ pub struct Reactor {
 struct InnerReactor {
     pollables: Slab<Pollable>,
     wakers: HashMap<Waitee, Waker>,
+    immediate: LazyCell<(Pollable, Waker)>,
 }
 
 impl Reactor {
@@ -122,6 +126,12 @@ impl Reactor {
             inner: Rc::new(RefCell::new(InnerReactor {
                 pollables: Slab::new(),
                 wakers: HashMap::new(),
+                immediate: LazyCell::new(|| {
+                    (
+                        wasi::clocks::monotonic_clock::subscribe_duration(0),
+                        noop_waker(),
+                    )
+                }),
             })),
         }
     }
@@ -131,30 +141,49 @@ impl Reactor {
     /// # On Wakers and single-threaded runtimes
     ///
     /// At first glance it might seem silly that this goes through the motions
-    /// of calling the wakers. The main waker we create here is a `noop` waker:
-    /// it does nothing. However, it is common and encouraged to use wakers to
+    /// of calling the wakers. However, it is common and encouraged to use wakers to
     /// distinguish between events. Concurrency primitives may construct their
     /// own wakers to keep track of identity and wake more precisely. We do not
     /// control the wakers construted by other libraries, and it is for this
     /// reason that we have to call all the wakers - even if by default they
     /// will do nothing.
-    pub(crate) fn block_until(&self) {
+    ///
+    /// The [awake] argument indicates whether the main task is ready to be re-polled
+    /// to make progress. If it is, we will just poll all pollables without blocking
+    /// by including an always ready pollable, or choose to skip calling poll at all
+    /// if no pollables are registered.
+    pub(crate) fn block_until(&self, awake: bool) {
         let reactor = self.inner.borrow();
 
+        // If no tasks are interested in any pollables currently, and the main task
+        // is already awake, run the next poll loop instead
+        if reactor.wakers.is_empty() && awake {
+            return;
+        }
+
         // We're about to wait for a number of pollables. When they wake we get
         // the *indexes* back for the pollables whose events were available - so
         // we need to be able to associate the index with the right waker.
 
         // We start by iterating over the pollables, and keeping note of which
         // pollable belongs to which waker
-        let mut indexed_wakers = Vec::with_capacity(reactor.wakers.len());
-        let mut targets = Vec::with_capacity(reactor.wakers.len());
+        let capacity = reactor.wakers.len() + 1;
+        let mut indexed_wakers = Vec::with_capacity(capacity);
+        let mut targets = Vec::with_capacity(capacity);
         for (waitee, waker) in reactor.wakers.iter() {
             let pollable_index = waitee.pollable.0.key;
             indexed_wakers.push(waker);
             targets.push(&reactor.pollables[pollable_index.0]);
         }
 
+        // If the task is already awake, don't blockingly wait for the pollables,
+        // instead ask the host to give us an update immediately
+        if awake {
+            let (immediate, waker) = &*reactor.immediate;
+            indexed_wakers.push(waker);
+            targets.push(immediate);
+        }
+
         debug_assert_ne!(
             targets.len(),
             0,
@@ -209,6 +238,18 @@ impl Reactor {
     }
 }
 
+/// Construct a new no-op waker
+// NOTE: we can remove this once <https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/98286> lands
+fn noop_waker() -> Waker {
+    struct NoopWaker;
+
+    impl Wake for NoopWaker {
+        fn wake(self: Arc<Self>) {}
+    }
+
+    Waker::from(Arc::new(NoopWaker))
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test {
     use super::*;
@@ -281,4 +322,36 @@ mod test {
             .await;
         })
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn progresses_wasi_independent_futures() {
+        crate::runtime::block_on(async {
+            let reactor = Reactor::current();
+            let later = wasi::clocks::monotonic_clock::subscribe_duration(1_000_000_000);
+            let later = reactor.schedule(later);
+            let mut polled_before = false;
+            let wasi_independent_future = futures_lite::future::poll_fn(|cx| {
+                if polled_before {
+                    std::task::Poll::Ready(true)
+                } else {
+                    polled_before = true;
+                    cx.waker().wake_by_ref();
+                    std::task::Poll::Pending
+                }
+            });
+            let later = async {
+                later.wait_for().await;
+                false
+            };
+            let wasi_independent_future_won =
+                futures_lite::future::race(wasi_independent_future, later).await;
+            assert!(
+                wasi_independent_future_won,
+                "wasi_independent_future should win the race"
+            );
+            let soon = wasi::clocks::monotonic_clock::subscribe_duration(10_000_000);
+            let soon = reactor.schedule(soon);
+            soon.wait_for().await;
+        })
+    }
 }