diff --git a/consumer.go b/consumer.go
index 8a31c15..1e0de97 100644
--- a/consumer.go
+++ b/consumer.go
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ func (c *Consumer) StopTimeout(timeout time.Duration) error {
 	}()
 
 	timer := time.NewTimer(timeout)
-	defer timer.Stop()
+	defer internal.CleanupTimer(timer)
 
 	done := make(chan struct{}, 1)
 	go func() {
@@ -375,6 +375,7 @@ func (c *Consumer) reserveOne(ctx context.Context) (*Message, error) {
 func (c *Consumer) fetcher(ctx context.Context, fetcherID int32) {
 	timer := time.NewTimer(time.Minute)
 	timer.Stop()
+	defer internal.CleanupTimer(timer)
 
 	fetchTimeout := c.opt.ReservationTimeout
 	fetchTimeout -= fetchTimeout / 10
@@ -428,7 +429,9 @@ func (c *Consumer) fetchMessages(
 		c.voteQueueFull()
 	}
 
+	internal.CleanupTimer(timer)
 	timer.Reset(timeout)
+	defer internal.CleanupTimer(timer)
 	for i := range msgs {
 		msg := &msgs[i]
 
@@ -442,10 +445,6 @@ func (c *Consumer) fetchMessages(
 		}
 	}
 
-	if !timer.Stop() {
-		<-timer.C
-	}
-
 	return false, nil
 }
 
@@ -459,6 +458,7 @@ func (c *Consumer) worker(ctx context.Context, workerID int32) {
 
 	timer := time.NewTimer(time.Minute)
 	timer.Stop()
+	defer internal.CleanupTimer(timer)
 
 	for {
 		if workerID >= atomic.LoadInt32(&c.numWorker) {
@@ -492,12 +492,11 @@ func (c *Consumer) waitMessage(ctx context.Context, timer *time.Timer) *Message
 
 	c.ensureFetcher(ctx)
 
+	internal.CleanupTimer(timer)
 	timer.Reset(workerIdleTimeout)
+	defer internal.CleanupTimer(timer)
 	select {
 	case msg := <-c.buffer:
-		if !timer.Stop() {
-			<-timer.C
-		}
 		return msg
 	case <-timer.C:
 		c.voteQueueEmpty()
@@ -712,6 +711,7 @@ func (c *Consumer) lockWorker(
 
 	timer := time.NewTimer(time.Minute)
 	timer.Stop()
+	defer internal.CleanupTimer(timer)
 
 	for {
 		var err error
@@ -733,6 +733,7 @@ func (c *Consumer) lockWorker(
 			lock = nil
 		}
 
+		internal.CleanupTimer(timer)
 		timer.Reset(500 * time.Millisecond)
 		select {
 		case <-timer.C:
@@ -791,9 +792,10 @@ func (c *Consumer) queueEmpty() bool {
 
 func (c *Consumer) autotune(ctx context.Context, cfg *consumerConfig) {
 	timer := time.NewTimer(time.Hour)
-	defer timer.Stop()
+	defer internal.CleanupTimer(timer)
 
 	for c.timing() == 0 {
+		internal.CleanupTimer(timer)
 		timer.Reset(250 * time.Millisecond)
 		select {
 		case <-timer.C:
@@ -804,6 +806,7 @@ func (c *Consumer) autotune(ctx context.Context, cfg *consumerConfig) {
 	}
 
 	for {
+		internal.CleanupTimer(timer)
 		timer.Reset(c.autotuneInterval())
 		select {
 		case <-timer.C:
diff --git a/internal/util.go b/internal/util.go
index 04aa6a0..09b4810 100644
--- a/internal/util.go
+++ b/internal/util.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package internal
 import (
 	"encoding/ascii85"
 	"errors"
+	"time"
 )
 
 func MaxEncodedLen(n int) int {
@@ -27,3 +28,16 @@ func DecodeString(src string) ([]byte, error) {
 	}
 	return dst[:ndst], nil
 }
+
+//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+// CleanupTimer will stop a timer and purge the timer's channel to ensure
+// all timer related resources are cleaned up.
+func CleanupTimer(timer *time.Timer) {
+	if !timer.Stop() {
+		select {
+		case <-timer.C:
+		default:
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/memqueue/queue.go b/memqueue/queue.go
index 844dafe..24b3178 100644
--- a/memqueue/queue.go
+++ b/memqueue/queue.go
@@ -24,9 +24,7 @@ func (q *scheduler) Schedule(msg *taskq.Message, fn func()) {
 
 	timer := time.AfterFunc(msg.Delay, func() {
 		// Remove our entry from the map
-		q.timerLock.Lock()
-		delete(q.timerMap, msg)
-		q.timerLock.Unlock()
+		q.Remove(msg)
 
 		fn()
 	})
@@ -43,7 +41,7 @@ func (q *scheduler) Remove(msg *taskq.Message) {
 
 	timer, ok := q.timerMap[msg]
 	if ok {
-		timer.Stop()
+		internal.CleanupTimer(timer)
 		delete(q.timerMap, msg)
 	}
 }
@@ -54,7 +52,7 @@ func (q *scheduler) Purge() int {
 
 	// Stop all delayed items
 	for _, timer := range q.timerMap {
-		timer.Stop()
+		internal.CleanupTimer(timer)
 	}
 
 	n := len(q.timerMap)