diff --git a/backends/postgres/postgres_backend.go b/backends/postgres/postgres_backend.go
index e153ca3..cb27911 100644
--- a/backends/postgres/postgres_backend.go
+++ b/backends/postgres/postgres_backend.go
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ type PgBackend struct {
 	config      *config.Config
 	logger      logging.Logger
 	cron        *cron.Cron
-	mu          *sync.Mutex // mutex to protect mutating state on a pgWorker
+	mu          *sync.RWMutex // mutex to protect mutating state on a pgWorker
 	pool        *pgxpool.Pool
 	futureJobs  map[string]time.Time       // map of future job IDs to their due time
 	handlers    map[string]handler.Handler // a map of queue names to queue handlers
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ type PgBackend struct {
 // postgres://worker:secret@workerdb.example.com:5432/mydb?sslmode=verify-ca&pool_max_conns=10
 func Backend(ctx context.Context, opts ...config.Option) (pb types.Backend, err error) {
 	p := &PgBackend{
-		mu:          &sync.Mutex{},
+		mu:          &sync.RWMutex{},
 		config:      config.New(),
 		handlers:    make(map[string]handler.Handler),
 		futureJobs:  make(map[string]time.Time),
@@ -443,6 +443,7 @@ func (p *PgBackend) SetLogger(logger logging.Logger) {
 	p.logger = logger
 }
 
+// Shutdown shuts this backend down
 func (p *PgBackend) Shutdown(ctx context.Context) {
 	for queue := range p.handlers {
 		p.announceJob(ctx, queue, shutdownJobID)
@@ -551,13 +552,10 @@ func (p *PgBackend) updateJob(ctx context.Context, jobErr error) (err error) {
 	}
 
 	var runAfter time.Time
-	if job.Retries > 0 && status == internal.JobStatusFailed {
+	if status == internal.JobStatusFailed {
 		runAfter = internal.CalculateBackoff(job.Retries)
 		qstr := "UPDATE neoq_jobs SET ran_at = $1, error = $2, status = $3, retries = $4, run_after = $5 WHERE id = $6"
 		_, err = tx.Exec(ctx, qstr, time.Now(), errMsg, status, job.Retries, runAfter, job.ID)
-	} else if job.Retries > 0 && status != internal.JobStatusFailed {
-		qstr := "UPDATE neoq_jobs SET ran_at = $1, error = $2, status = $3, retries = $4 WHERE id = $5"
-		_, err = tx.Exec(ctx, qstr, time.Now(), errMsg, status, job.Retries, job.ID)
 	} else {
 		qstr := "UPDATE neoq_jobs SET ran_at = $1, error = $2, status = $3 WHERE id = $4"
 		_, err = tx.Exec(ctx, qstr, time.Now(), errMsg, status, job.ID)
@@ -629,15 +627,6 @@ func (p *PgBackend) start(ctx context.Context, queue string) (err error) {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// removeFutureJob removes a future job from the in-memory list of jobs that will execute in the future
-func (p *PgBackend) removeFutureJob(jobID string) {
-	if _, ok := p.futureJobs[jobID]; ok {
-		p.mu.Lock()
-		delete(p.futureJobs, jobID)
-		p.mu.Unlock()
-	}
-}
-
 // initFutureJobs is intended to be run once to initialize the list of future jobs that must be monitored for
 // execution. it should be run only during system startup.
 func (p *PgBackend) initFutureJobs(ctx context.Context, queue string) (err error) {
@@ -671,10 +660,11 @@ func (p *PgBackend) scheduleFutureJobs(ctx context.Context, queue string) {
 
 	for {
 		// loop over list of future jobs, scheduling goroutines to wait for jobs that are due within the next 30 seconds
+		p.mu.Lock()
 		for jobID, runAfter := range p.futureJobs {
 			timeUntillRunAfter := time.Until(runAfter)
 			if timeUntillRunAfter <= p.config.FutureJobWindow {
-				p.removeFutureJob(jobID)
+				delete(p.futureJobs, jobID)
 				go func(jid string) {
 					scheduleCh := time.After(timeUntillRunAfter)
 					<-scheduleCh
@@ -682,6 +672,7 @@ func (p *PgBackend) scheduleFutureJobs(ctx context.Context, queue string) {
 				}(jobID)
 			}
 		}
+		p.mu.Unlock()
 
 		select {
 		case <-ticker.C:
diff --git a/handler/handler.go b/handler/handler.go
index a67eb95..d8c3bda 100644
--- a/handler/handler.go
+++ b/handler/handler.go
@@ -4,7 +4,10 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
 	"runtime"
+	"runtime/debug"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -93,8 +96,28 @@ func Exec(ctx context.Context, handler Handler) (err error) {
 	var errCh = make(chan error, 1)
 	var done = make(chan bool)
 	go func(ctx context.Context) {
+		defer func() {
+			if x := recover(); x != nil {
+				log.Printf("recovering from a panic in the job handler:\n%s", string(debug.Stack()))
+				_, file, line, ok := runtime.Caller(1) // skip the first frame (panic itself)
+				if ok && strings.Contains(file, "runtime/") {
+					// The panic came from the runtime, most likely due to incorrect
+					// map/slice usage. The parent frame should have the real trigger.
+					_, file, line, ok = runtime.Caller(2) //nolint: gomnd
+				}
+
+				// Include the file and line number info in the error, if runtime.Caller returned ok.
+				if ok {
+					errCh <- fmt.Errorf("panic [%s:%d]: %v", file, line, x) // nolint: goerr113
+				} else {
+					errCh <- fmt.Errorf("panic: %v", x) // nolint: goerr113
+				}
+			}
+
+			done <- true
+		}()
+
 		errCh <- handler.Handle(ctx)
-		done <- true
 	}(ctx)
 
 	select {
@@ -115,5 +138,5 @@ func Exec(ctx context.Context, handler Handler) (err error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	return
+	return err
 }