diff --git a/conn.go b/conn.go
index 5ede5944..f91929c5 100644
--- a/conn.go
+++ b/conn.go
@@ -93,7 +93,9 @@ type Conn struct {
 	status       int32 // One of connStatus* constants
 	causeOfDeath error
 
-	readyForQuery bool // can the connection be used to send a query
+	readyForQuery         bool // connection has received ReadyForQuery message since last query was sent
+	cancelQueryInProgress int32
+	cancelQueryCompleted  chan struct{}
 
 	// context support
 	ctxInProgress bool
@@ -268,6 +270,7 @@ func (c *Conn) connect(config ConnConfig, network, address string, tlsConfig *tl
 	c.channels = make(map[string]struct{})
 	atomic.StoreInt32(&c.status, connStatusIdle)
 	c.lastActivityTime = time.Now()
+	c.cancelQueryCompleted = make(chan struct{}, 1)
 	c.doneChan = make(chan struct{})
 	c.closedChan = make(chan error)
 
@@ -634,10 +637,15 @@ func (c *Conn) Prepare(name, sql string) (ps *PreparedStatement, err error) {
 // name and sql arguments. This allows a code path to PrepareEx and Query/Exec without
 // concern for if the statement has already been prepared.
 func (c *Conn) PrepareEx(name, sql string, opts *PrepareExOptions) (ps *PreparedStatement, err error) {
-	return c.prepareEx(name, sql, opts)
+	return c.PrepareExContext(context.Background(), name, sql, opts)
 }
 
 func (c *Conn) PrepareExContext(ctx context.Context, name, sql string, opts *PrepareExOptions) (ps *PreparedStatement, err error) {
+	err = c.waitForPreviousCancelQuery(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	err = c.initContext(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -743,7 +751,25 @@ func (c *Conn) prepareEx(name, sql string, opts *PrepareExOptions) (ps *Prepared
 }
 
 // Deallocate released a prepared statement
-func (c *Conn) Deallocate(name string) (err error) {
+func (c *Conn) Deallocate(name string) error {
+	return c.deallocateContext(context.Background(), name)
+}
+
+// TODO - consider making this public
+func (c *Conn) deallocateContext(ctx context.Context, name string) (err error) {
+	err = c.waitForPreviousCancelQuery(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	err = c.initContext(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer func() {
+		err = c.termContext(err)
+	}()
+
 	if err := c.ensureConnectionReadyForQuery(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -818,6 +844,13 @@ func (c *Conn) WaitForNotification(timeout time.Duration) (*Notification, error)
 		return notification, nil
 	}
 
+	ctx, cancelFn := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), timeout)
+	if err := c.waitForPreviousCancelQuery(ctx); err != nil {
+		cancelFn()
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	cancelFn()
+
 	if err := c.ensureConnectionReadyForQuery(); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -1318,21 +1351,55 @@ func quoteIdentifier(s string) string {
 // ensure that the query was canceled. As specified in the documentation, there
 // is no way to be sure a query was canceled. See
 // https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/protocol-flow.html#AEN112861
-func (c *Conn) cancelQuery() error {
-	network, address := c.config.networkAddress()
-	cancelConn, err := c.config.Dial(network, address)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
+func (c *Conn) cancelQuery() {
+	if !atomic.CompareAndSwapInt32(&c.cancelQueryInProgress, 0, 1) {
+		panic("cancelQuery when cancelQueryInProgress")
 	}
-	defer cancelConn.Close()
 
-	buf := make([]byte, 16)
-	binary.BigEndian.PutUint32(buf[0:4], 16)
-	binary.BigEndian.PutUint32(buf[4:8], 80877102)
-	binary.BigEndian.PutUint32(buf[8:12], uint32(c.Pid))
-	binary.BigEndian.PutUint32(buf[12:16], uint32(c.SecretKey))
-	_, err = cancelConn.Write(buf)
-	return err
+	if err := c.conn.SetDeadline(time.Now()); err != nil {
+		c.Close() // Close connection if unable to set deadline
+		return
+	}
+
+	doCancel := func() error {
+		network, address := c.config.networkAddress()
+		cancelConn, err := c.config.Dial(network, address)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		defer cancelConn.Close()
+
+		// If server doesn't process cancellation request in bounded time then abort.
+		err = cancelConn.SetDeadline(time.Now().Add(15 * time.Second))
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		buf := make([]byte, 16)
+		binary.BigEndian.PutUint32(buf[0:4], 16)
+		binary.BigEndian.PutUint32(buf[4:8], 80877102)
+		binary.BigEndian.PutUint32(buf[8:12], uint32(c.Pid))
+		binary.BigEndian.PutUint32(buf[12:16], uint32(c.SecretKey))
+		_, err = cancelConn.Write(buf)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		_, err = cancelConn.Read(buf)
+		if err != io.EOF {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Server failed to close connection after cancel query request: %v %v", err, buf)
+		}
+
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	go func() {
+		err := doCancel()
+		if err != nil {
+			c.Close() // Something is very wrong. Terminate the connection.
+		}
+		c.cancelQueryCompleted <- struct{}{}
+	}()
 }
 
 func (c *Conn) Ping() error {
@@ -1345,6 +1412,11 @@ func (c *Conn) PingContext(ctx context.Context) error {
 }
 
 func (c *Conn) ExecContext(ctx context.Context, sql string, arguments ...interface{}) (commandTag CommandTag, err error) {
+	err = c.waitForPreviousCancelQuery(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
 	err = c.initContext(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
@@ -1438,9 +1510,6 @@ func (c *Conn) termContext(opErr error) error {
 
 	select {
 	case err = <-c.closedChan:
-		if dlErr := c.conn.SetDeadline(time.Time{}); dlErr != nil {
-			c.Close() // Close connection if unable to disable deadline
-		}
 		if opErr == nil {
 			err = nil
 		}
@@ -1456,14 +1525,29 @@ func (c *Conn) contextHandler(ctx context.Context) {
 	select {
 	case <-ctx.Done():
 		c.cancelQuery()
-		if err := c.conn.SetDeadline(time.Now()); err != nil {
-			c.Close() // Close connection if unable to set deadline
-		}
 		c.closedChan <- ctx.Err()
 	case <-c.doneChan:
 	}
 }
 
+func (c *Conn) waitForPreviousCancelQuery(ctx context.Context) error {
+	if atomic.LoadInt32(&c.cancelQueryInProgress) == 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	select {
+	case <-c.cancelQueryCompleted:
+		atomic.StoreInt32(&c.cancelQueryInProgress, 0)
+		if err := c.conn.SetDeadline(time.Time{}); err != nil {
+			c.Close() // Close connection if unable to disable deadline
+			return err
+		}
+		return nil
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		return ctx.Err()
+	}
+}
+
 func (c *Conn) ensureConnectionReadyForQuery() error {
 	for !c.readyForQuery {
 		t, r, err := c.rxMsg()
diff --git a/query.go b/query.go
index aa664649..dd7aafb0 100644
--- a/query.go
+++ b/query.go
@@ -419,6 +419,11 @@ func (c *Conn) QueryRow(sql string, args ...interface{}) *Row {
 }
 
 func (c *Conn) QueryContext(ctx context.Context, sql string, args ...interface{}) (rows *Rows, err error) {
+	err = c.waitForPreviousCancelQuery(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	c.lastActivityTime = time.Now()
 
 	rows = c.getRows(sql, args)
diff --git a/stress_test.go b/stress_test.go
index d22d9d6b..72d48a5c 100644
--- a/stress_test.go
+++ b/stress_test.go
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ func TestStressConnPool(t *testing.T) {
 			action := actions[rand.Intn(len(actions))]
 			err := action.fn(pool, n)
 			if err != nil {
-				errChan <- err
+				errChan <- fmt.Errorf("%s: %v", action.name, err)
 				break
 			}
 		}
@@ -355,19 +355,19 @@ func canceledQueryContext(pool *pgx.ConnPool, actionNum int) error {
 		cancelFunc()
 	}()
 
-	rows, err := pool.QueryContext(ctx, "select pg_sleep(5)")
+	rows, err := pool.QueryContext(ctx, "select pg_sleep(2)")
 	if err == context.Canceled {
 		return nil
 	} else if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("canceledQueryContext: Only allowed error is context.Canceled, got %v", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("Only allowed error is context.Canceled, got %v", err)
 	}
 
 	for rows.Next() {
-		return errors.New("canceledQueryContext: should never receive row")
+		return errors.New("should never receive row")
 	}
 
 	if rows.Err() != context.Canceled {
-		return fmt.Errorf("canceledQueryContext: Expected context.Canceled error, got %v", rows.Err())
+		return fmt.Errorf("Expected context.Canceled error, got %v", rows.Err())
 	}
 
 	return nil
@@ -380,9 +380,9 @@ func canceledExecContext(pool *pgx.ConnPool, actionNum int) error {
 		cancelFunc()
 	}()
 
-	_, err := pool.ExecContext(ctx, "select pg_sleep(5)")
+	_, err := pool.ExecContext(ctx, "select pg_sleep(2)")
 	if err != context.Canceled {
-		return fmt.Errorf("canceledExecContext: Expected context.Canceled error, got %v", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("Expected context.Canceled error, got %v", err)
 	}
 
 	return nil