diff --git a/lib/datadog/statsd/sender.rb b/lib/datadog/statsd/sender.rb
index a99b6957..50c92e79 100644
--- a/lib/datadog/statsd/sender.rb
+++ b/lib/datadog/statsd/sender.rb
@@ -1,159 +1,130 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: true
 
 module Datadog
+  class FlushQueue < Queue
+  end
+  class CloseQueue < Queue
+  end
   class Statsd
-    # Sender is using a companion thread to flush and pack messages
+    # Sender is using a background thread to flush and pack messages
     # in a `MessageBuffer`.
     # The communication with this thread is done using a `Queue`.
     # If the thread is dead, it is starting a new one to avoid having a blocked
-    # Sender with no companion thread to communicate with (most of the time, having
-    # a dead companion thread means that a fork just happened and that we are
-    # running in the child process).
+    # Sender with no background thread to communicate with (most of the time,
+    # having a dead background thread means that a fork just happened and that we
+    # are running in the child process).
     class Sender
       CLOSEABLE_QUEUES = Queue.instance_methods.include?(:close)
 
       def initialize(message_buffer, logger: nil)
         @message_buffer = message_buffer
         @logger = logger
-        @mx = Mutex.new
-      end
 
-      def flush(sync: false)
-        # keep a copy around in case another thread is calling #stop while this method is running
-        current_message_queue = message_queue
-
-        # don't try to flush if there is no message_queue instantiated or
-        # no companion thread running
-        if !current_message_queue
-          @logger.debug { "Statsd: can't flush: no message queue ready" } if @logger
-          return
-        end
-        if !sender_thread.alive?
-          @logger.debug { "Statsd: can't flush: no sender_thread alive" } if @logger
-          return
-        end
+        # communication and synchronization with the background thread
+        # @mux is also used to not having multiple threads fighting for
+        # closing the Sender or creating a new background thread
+        @channel = Queue.new
+        @mux = Mutex.new
+
+        @is_closed = false
 
-        current_message_queue.push(:flush)
-        rendez_vous if sync
+        # start background thread immediately
+        @sender_thread = Thread.new(&method(:send_loop))
       end
 
-      def rendez_vous
-        # could happen if #start hasn't be called
-        return unless message_queue
-
-        # Initialize and get the thread's sync queue
-        queue = (Thread.current[:statsd_sync_queue] ||= Queue.new)
-        # tell sender-thread to notify us in the current
-        # thread's queue
-        message_queue.push(queue)
-        # wait for the sender thread to send a message
-        # once the flush is done
-        queue.pop
+      def flush(sync: false)
+        @mux.synchronize {
+          # we don't want to send a flush action to the bg thread if:
+          # - there is no bg thread running
+          # - the sender has been closed
+          return if !sender_thread.alive? || @is_closed
+
+          if sync
+             # blocking flush
+             blocking_queue = FlushQueue.new
+             channel << blocking_queue
+             blocking_queue.pop # wait for the bg thread to finish its work
+             blocking_queue.close if CLOSEABLE_QUEUES
+           else
+             # asynchronous flush
+             channel << :flush
+           end
+         }
       end
 
       def add(message)
-        raise ArgumentError, 'Start sender first' unless message_queue
+        return if @is_closed # don't send a message to the bg thread if the sender has been closed
 
-        # if the thread does not exist, we assume we are running in a forked process,
-        # empty the message queue and message buffers (these messages belong to
-        # the parent process) and spawn a new companion thread.
+        # the bg thread is not running anymore, this is happening if the main process has forked and
+        # we are running in the child, we will spawn a bg thread and reset buffers (containing parents' messages)
         if !sender_thread.alive?
-          @mx.synchronize {
-            # a call from another thread has already re-created
-            # the companion thread before this one acquired the lock
+          @mux.synchronize {
+            return if @is_closed
+            # test if a call from another thread has already re-created
+            # the background thread before this one acquired the lock
             break if sender_thread.alive?
-            @logger.debug { "Statsd: companion thread is dead, re-creating one" } if @logger
 
-            message_queue.close if CLOSEABLE_QUEUES
-            @message_queue = nil
-            message_buffer.reset
-            start
+            # re-create the channel of communication since we will spawn a new bg thread
+            channel.close if CLOSEABLE_QUEUES
+            @channel = Queue.new
+            message_buffer.reset # don't use messages appended by another fork
+            @sender_thread = Thread.new(&method(:send_loop))
           }
         end
 
-        message_queue << message
+        channel << message
       end
 
-      def start
-        raise ArgumentError, 'Sender already started' if message_queue
-
-        # initialize a new message queue for the background thread
-        @message_queue = Queue.new
-        # start background thread
-        @sender_thread = Thread.new(&method(:send_loop))
+      # Compatibility with `Sender`
+      def start()
       end
 
-      if CLOSEABLE_QUEUES
-        # when calling stop, make sure that no other threads is trying
-        # to close the sender nor trying to continue to `#add` more message
-        # into the sender.
-        def stop(join_worker: true)
-          message_queue = @message_queue
-          message_queue.close if message_queue
-
-          sender_thread = @sender_thread
-          sender_thread.join if sender_thread && join_worker
-        end
-      else
-        # when calling stop, make sure that no other threads is trying
-        # to close the sender nor trying to continue to `#add` more message
-        # into the sender.
-        def stop(join_worker: true)
-          message_queue = @message_queue
-          message_queue << :close if message_queue
-
-          sender_thread = @sender_thread
-          sender_thread.join if sender_thread && join_worker
-        end
+      def stop()
+        return if @is_closed
+        # use this lock to both: not having another thread stopping this instance nor
+        # having a #add call creating a new thread
+        @mux.synchronize {
+          @is_closed = true
+          if sender_thread.alive? # no reasons to stop the bg thread is none is running already
+            blocking_queue = CloseQueue.new
+            channel << blocking_queue
+            blocking_queue.pop # wait for the bg thread to finish its work
+            blocking_queue.close if CLOSEABLE_QUEUES
+            sender_thread.join(3) # wait for completion, timeout after 3 seconds
+            # TODO(remy): should I close `channel` here?
+          end
+        }
       end
 
       private
 
       attr_reader :message_buffer
-      attr_reader :message_queue
+      attr_reader :channel
+      attr_reader :mux
       attr_reader :sender_thread
 
-      if CLOSEABLE_QUEUES
-        def send_loop
-          until (message = message_queue.pop).nil? && message_queue.closed?
-            # skip if message is nil, e.g. when message_queue
-            # is empty and closed
-            next unless message
-
-            case message
-            when :flush
-              message_buffer.flush
-            when Queue
-              message.push(:go_on)
-            else
-              message_buffer.add(message)
-            end
+      def send_loop
+        until (message = channel.pop).nil? && (CLOSEABLE_QUEUES && channel.closed?)
+          # skip if message is nil, e.g. when the channel is empty and closed
+          next unless message
+
+          case message
+          # if a FlushQueue is received, the background thread has to flush the message
+          # buffer and to send an :unblock to let the caller know that it has finished
+          when FlushQueue
+            message_buffer.flush
+            message << :unblock
+          # if a :flush is received, the background thread has to flush asynchronously
+          when :flush
+            message_buffer.flush
+          # if a CloseQueue is received, the background thread has to do a last flush
+          # and to send an :unblock to let the caller know that it has finished
+          when CloseQueue
+            message << :unblock
+            return
+          else
+            message_buffer.add(message)
           end
-
-          @message_queue = nil
-          @sender_thread = nil
-        end
-      else
-        def send_loop
-          loop do
-            message = message_queue.pop
-
-            next unless message
-
-            case message
-            when :close
-              break
-            when :flush
-              message_buffer.flush
-            when Queue
-              message.push(:go_on)
-            else
-              message_buffer.add(message)
-            end
-          end
-
-          @message_queue = nil
-          @sender_thread = nil
         end
       end
     end