diff --git a/codex-rs/Cargo.lock b/codex-rs/Cargo.lock
index ab65fc0a4..4c22d8d73 100644
--- a/codex-rs/Cargo.lock
+++ b/codex-rs/Cargo.lock
@@ -1409,6 +1409,7 @@ version = "0.0.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "assert_matches",
+ "async-channel",
  "async-trait",
  "base64 0.22.1",
  "bytes",
@@ -1842,6 +1843,7 @@ dependencies = [
 name = "codex-code-mode"
 version = "0.0.0"
 dependencies = [
+ "async-channel",
  "async-trait",
  "codex-protocol",
  "deno_core_icudata",
diff --git a/codex-rs/code-mode/Cargo.toml b/codex-rs/code-mode/Cargo.toml
index d2f42359d..23b2ce230 100644
--- a/codex-rs/code-mode/Cargo.toml
+++ b/codex-rs/code-mode/Cargo.toml
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ path = "src/lib.rs"
 workspace = true
 
 [dependencies]
+async-channel = { workspace = true }
 async-trait = { workspace = true }
 codex-protocol = { workspace = true }
 deno_core_icudata = { workspace = true }
diff --git a/codex-rs/code-mode/src/service.rs b/codex-rs/code-mode/src/service.rs
index 23ca7a746..79ca010c1 100644
--- a/codex-rs/code-mode/src/service.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/code-mode/src/service.rs
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ struct SessionHandle {
 struct Inner {
     stored_values: Mutex<HashMap<String, JsonValue>>,
     sessions: Mutex<HashMap<String, SessionHandle>>,
-    turn_message_tx: mpsc::UnboundedSender<TurnMessage>,
-    turn_message_rx: Arc<Mutex<mpsc::UnboundedReceiver<TurnMessage>>>,
+    turn_message_tx: async_channel::Sender<TurnMessage>,
+    turn_message_rx: async_channel::Receiver<TurnMessage>,
     next_cell_id: AtomicU64,
 }
 
@@ -55,14 +55,14 @@ pub struct CodeModeService {
 
 impl CodeModeService {
     pub fn new() -> Self {
-        let (turn_message_tx, turn_message_rx) = mpsc::unbounded_channel();
+        let (turn_message_tx, turn_message_rx) = async_channel::unbounded();
 
         Self {
             inner: Arc::new(Inner {
                 stored_values: Mutex::new(HashMap::new()),
                 sessions: Mutex::new(HashMap::new()),
                 turn_message_tx,
-                turn_message_rx: Arc::new(Mutex::new(turn_message_rx)),
+                turn_message_rx,
                 next_cell_id: AtomicU64::new(1),
             }),
         }
@@ -146,16 +146,13 @@ impl CodeModeService {
     pub fn start_turn_worker(&self, host: Arc<dyn CodeModeTurnHost>) -> CodeModeTurnWorker {
         let (shutdown_tx, mut shutdown_rx) = oneshot::channel();
         let inner = Arc::clone(&self.inner);
-        let turn_message_rx = Arc::clone(&self.inner.turn_message_rx);
+        let turn_message_rx = self.inner.turn_message_rx.clone();
 
         tokio::spawn(async move {
             loop {
                 let next_message = tokio::select! {
                     _ = &mut shutdown_rx => break,
-                    message = async {
-                        let mut turn_message_rx = turn_message_rx.lock().await;
-                        turn_message_rx.recv().await
-                    } => message,
+                    message = turn_message_rx.recv() => message.ok(),
                 };
                 let Some(next_message) = next_message else {
                     break;
@@ -361,7 +358,7 @@ async fn run_session_control(
                             cell_id: cell_id.clone(),
                             call_id,
                             text,
-                        });
+                        }).await;
                     }
                     RuntimeEvent::ToolCall { id, name, input } => {
                         let _ = inner.turn_message_tx.send(TurnMessage::ToolCall {
@@ -369,7 +366,7 @@ async fn run_session_control(
                             id,
                             name,
                             input,
-                        });
+                        }).await;
                     }
                     RuntimeEvent::Result {
                         stored_values,
@@ -500,12 +497,12 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     fn test_inner() -> Arc<Inner> {
-        let (turn_message_tx, turn_message_rx) = mpsc::unbounded_channel();
+        let (turn_message_tx, turn_message_rx) = async_channel::unbounded();
         Arc::new(Inner {
             stored_values: Mutex::new(HashMap::new()),
             sessions: Mutex::new(HashMap::new()),
             turn_message_tx,
-            turn_message_rx: Arc::new(Mutex::new(turn_message_rx)),
+            turn_message_rx,
             next_cell_id: AtomicU64::new(1),
         })
     }
diff --git a/codex-rs/codex-api/Cargo.toml b/codex-rs/codex-api/Cargo.toml
index 862d262b9..14340af1e 100644
--- a/codex-rs/codex-api/Cargo.toml
+++ b/codex-rs/codex-api/Cargo.toml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ edition.workspace = true
 license.workspace = true
 
 [dependencies]
+async-channel = { workspace = true }
 async-trait = { workspace = true }
 base64 = { workspace = true }
 bytes = { workspace = true }
diff --git a/codex-rs/codex-api/src/endpoint/realtime_websocket/methods.rs b/codex-rs/codex-api/src/endpoint/realtime_websocket/methods.rs
index 29de90d40..656b00637 100644
--- a/codex-rs/codex-api/src/endpoint/realtime_websocket/methods.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/codex-api/src/endpoint/realtime_websocket/methods.rs
@@ -65,9 +65,9 @@ enum WsCommand {
 impl WsStream {
     fn new(
         inner: WebSocketStream<MaybeTlsStream<TcpStream>>,
-    ) -> (Self, mpsc::UnboundedReceiver<Result<Message, WsError>>) {
+    ) -> (Self, async_channel::Receiver<Result<Message, WsError>>) {
         let (tx_command, mut rx_command) = mpsc::channel::<WsCommand>(32);
-        let (tx_message, rx_message) = mpsc::unbounded_channel::<Result<Message, WsError>>();
+        let (tx_message, rx_message) = async_channel::unbounded::<Result<Message, WsError>>();
 
         let pump_task = tokio::spawn(async move {
             let mut inner = inner;
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ impl WsStream {
                                 trace!(payload_len = payload.len(), "realtime websocket received ping");
                                 if let Err(err) = inner.send(Message::Pong(payload)).await {
                                     error!("realtime websocket failed to send pong: {err}");
-                                    let _ = tx_message.send(Err(err));
+                                    let _ = tx_message.send(Err(err)).await;
                                     break;
                                 }
                             }
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ impl WsStream {
                                     }
                                     Message::Ping(_) | Message::Pong(_) => {}
                                 }
-                                if tx_message.send(Ok(message)).is_err() {
+                                if tx_message.send(Ok(message)).await.is_err() {
                                     break;
                                 }
                                 if is_close {
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ impl WsStream {
                             }
                             Err(err) => {
                                 error!("realtime websocket receive failed: {err}");
-                                let _ = tx_message.send(Err(err));
+                                let _ = tx_message.send(Err(err)).await;
                                 break;
                             }
                         }
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ pub struct RealtimeWebsocketWriter {
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct RealtimeWebsocketEvents {
-    rx_message: Arc<Mutex<mpsc::UnboundedReceiver<Result<Message, WsError>>>>,
+    rx_message: async_channel::Receiver<Result<Message, WsError>>,
     active_transcript: Arc<Mutex<ActiveTranscriptState>>,
     event_parser: RealtimeEventParser,
     is_closed: Arc<AtomicBool>,
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ impl RealtimeWebsocketConnection {
 
     fn new(
         stream: WsStream,
-        rx_message: mpsc::UnboundedReceiver<Result<Message, WsError>>,
+        rx_message: async_channel::Receiver<Result<Message, WsError>>,
         event_parser: RealtimeEventParser,
     ) -> Self {
         let stream = Arc::new(stream);
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ impl RealtimeWebsocketConnection {
                 event_parser,
             },
             events: RealtimeWebsocketEvents {
-                rx_message: Arc::new(Mutex::new(rx_message)),
+                rx_message,
                 active_transcript: Arc::new(Mutex::new(ActiveTranscriptState::default())),
                 event_parser,
                 is_closed,
@@ -369,16 +369,16 @@ impl RealtimeWebsocketEvents {
         }
 
         loop {
-            let msg = match self.rx_message.lock().await.recv().await {
-                Some(Ok(msg)) => msg,
-                Some(Err(err)) => {
+            let msg = match self.rx_message.recv().await {
+                Ok(Ok(msg)) => msg,
+                Ok(Err(err)) => {
                     self.is_closed.store(true, Ordering::SeqCst);
                     error!("realtime websocket read failed: {err}");
                     return Err(ApiError::Stream(format!(
                         "failed to read websocket message: {err}"
                     )));
                 }
-                None => {
+                Err(_) => {
                     self.is_closed.store(true, Ordering::SeqCst);
                     info!("realtime websocket event stream ended");
                     return Ok(None);