diff --git a/janus/src/queue.c b/janus/src/queue.c
index 62cef33..54d5825 100644
--- a/janus/src/queue.c
+++ b/janus/src/queue.c
@@ -44,13 +44,14 @@ void queue_destroy(queue_s *queue) {
 	free(queue);
 }
 
-#define WAIT_LOOP(_var, _cond) { \
+#define WAIT_OR_UNLOCK(_var, _cond) { \
 		struct timespec ts; \
 		assert(!clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &ts)); \
 		ts.tv_sec += timeout; \
 		while (_var) { \
 			int err = pthread_cond_timedwait(_cond, &queue->mutex, &ts); \
 			if (err == ETIMEDOUT) { \
+				A_MUTEX_UNLOCK(&queue->mutex); \
 				return -1; \
 			} \
 			assert(!err); \
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ void queue_destroy(queue_s *queue) {
 
 int queue_put(queue_s *queue, void *item, unsigned timeout) {
 	A_MUTEX_LOCK(&queue->mutex);
-	WAIT_LOOP(queue->size == queue->capacity, &queue->full_cond);
+	WAIT_OR_UNLOCK(queue->size == queue->capacity, &queue->full_cond);
 	queue->items[queue->in] = item;
 	++queue->size;
 	++queue->in;
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ int queue_put(queue_s *queue, void *item, unsigned timeout) {
 
 int queue_get(queue_s *queue, void **item, unsigned timeout) {
 	A_MUTEX_LOCK(&queue->mutex);
-	WAIT_LOOP(queue->size == 0, &queue->empty_cond);
+	WAIT_OR_UNLOCK(queue->size == 0, &queue->empty_cond);
 	*item = queue->items[queue->out];
 	--queue->size;
 	++queue->out;
@@ -81,7 +82,7 @@ int queue_get(queue_s *queue, void **item, unsigned timeout) {
 	return 0;
 }
 
-#undef WAIT_LOOP
+#undef WAIT_OR_UNLOCK
 
 int queue_get_free(queue_s *queue) {
 	A_MUTEX_LOCK(&queue->mutex);