diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 2ec014a..710a650 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ use std::marker::PhantomData;
 use std::panic::{RefUnwindSafe, UnwindSafe};
 use std::rc::Rc;
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, AtomicPtr, Ordering};
-use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex, RwLock, TryLockError};
+use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex, MutexGuard, RwLock, TryLockError};
 use std::task::{Poll, Waker};
 
 use async_task::{Builder, Runnable};
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ impl<'a> Executor<'a> {
     /// assert!(ex.is_empty());
     /// ```
     pub fn is_empty(&self) -> bool {
-        self.state().active.lock().unwrap().is_empty()
+        self.state().active().is_empty()
     }
 
     /// Spawns a task onto the executor.
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ impl<'a> Executor<'a> {
     /// });
     /// ```
     pub fn spawn<T: Send + 'a>(&self, future: impl Future<Output = T> + Send + 'a) -> Task<T> {
-        let mut active = self.state().active.lock().unwrap();
+        let mut active = self.state().active();
 
         // SAFETY: `T` and the future are `Send`.
         unsafe { self.spawn_inner(future, &mut active) }
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ impl<'a> Executor<'a> {
         futures: impl IntoIterator<Item = F>,
         handles: &mut impl Extend<Task<F::Output>>,
     ) {
-        let mut active = Some(self.state().active.lock().unwrap());
+        let mut active = Some(self.state().active());
 
         // Convert the futures into tasks.
         let tasks = futures.into_iter().enumerate().map(move |(i, future)| {
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ impl<'a> Executor<'a> {
             // Yield the lock every once in a while to ease contention.
             if i.wrapping_sub(1) % 500 == 0 {
                 drop(active.take());
-                active = Some(self.state().active.lock().unwrap());
+                active = Some(self.state().active());
             }
 
             task
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ impl<'a> Executor<'a> {
         let index = entry.key();
         let state = self.state_as_arc();
         let future = async move {
-            let _guard = CallOnDrop(move || drop(state.active.lock().unwrap().try_remove(index)));
+            let _guard = CallOnDrop(move || drop(state.active().try_remove(index)));
             future.await
         };
 
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ impl Drop for Executor<'_> {
         // via Arc::into_raw in state_ptr.
         let state = unsafe { Arc::from_raw(ptr) };
 
-        let mut active = state.active.lock().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner());
+        let mut active = state.active();
         for w in active.drain() {
             w.wake();
         }
@@ -517,7 +517,7 @@ impl<'a> LocalExecutor<'a> {
     /// });
     /// ```
     pub fn spawn<T: 'a>(&self, future: impl Future<Output = T> + 'a) -> Task<T> {
-        let mut active = self.inner().state().active.lock().unwrap();
+        let mut active = self.inner().state().active();
 
         // SAFETY: This executor is not thread safe, so the future and its result
         //         cannot be sent to another thread.
@@ -569,7 +569,7 @@ impl<'a> LocalExecutor<'a> {
         futures: impl IntoIterator<Item = F>,
         handles: &mut impl Extend<Task<F::Output>>,
     ) {
-        let mut active = self.inner().state().active.lock().unwrap();
+        let mut active = self.inner().state().active();
 
         // Convert all of the futures to tasks.
         let tasks = futures.into_iter().map(|future| {
@@ -694,6 +694,11 @@ impl State {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Returns a reference to currently active tasks.
+    fn active(&self) -> MutexGuard<'_, Slab<Waker>> {
+        self.active.lock().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner())
+    }
+
     /// Notifies a sleeping ticker.
     #[inline]
     fn notify(&self) {
@@ -1099,7 +1104,7 @@ fn debug_state(state: &State, name: &str, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Re
             match self.0.try_lock() {
                 Ok(lock) => fmt::Debug::fmt(&lock.len(), f),
                 Err(TryLockError::WouldBlock) => f.write_str("<locked>"),
-                Err(TryLockError::Poisoned(_)) => f.write_str("<poisoned>"),
+                Err(TryLockError::Poisoned(err)) => fmt::Debug::fmt(&err.into_inner().len(), f),
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/tests/drop.rs b/tests/drop.rs
index 54a0741..5d089b5 100644
--- a/tests/drop.rs
+++ b/tests/drop.rs
@@ -133,6 +133,9 @@ fn iterator_panics_mid_run() {
         )
     });
     assert!(panic.is_err());
+
+    let task = ex.spawn(future::ready(0));
+    assert_eq!(future::block_on(ex.run(task)), 0);
 }
 
 struct CallOnDrop<F: Fn()>(F);