diff --git a/amqp-worker.cabal b/amqp-worker.cabal
--- a/amqp-worker.cabal
+++ b/amqp-worker.cabal
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@
 -- documentation, see http://haskell.org/cabal/users-guide/
 
 name:                amqp-worker
-version:             0.2.0
-synopsis:            High level functions for working with message queue
-description:         High level functions for working with message queue
+version:             0.2.1
+synopsis:            High level functions for working with message queues
+description:         High level functions for working with message queues
 license:             BSD3
 license-file:        LICENSE
 author:              Sean Hess
diff --git a/src/Network/AMQP/Worker/Connection.hs b/src/Network/AMQP/Worker/Connection.hs
--- a/src/Network/AMQP/Worker/Connection.hs
+++ b/src/Network/AMQP/Worker/Connection.hs
@@ -6,38 +6,54 @@
   , withChannel
   ) where
 
+import Control.Concurrent.MVar (readMVar, newEmptyMVar, putMVar)
 import Data.Pool (Pool)
 import qualified Data.Pool as Pool
 import qualified Network.AMQP as AMQP
 import Network.AMQP (Channel)
 import Control.Monad.Trans.Control (MonadBaseControl)
 
-data ConnResource =
-  ConnResource AMQP.Connection Channel
-
-
 newtype Connection =
-  Connection (Pool ConnResource)
+  Connection (Pool Channel)
 
--- | Connect to the AMQP server. This returns a connection pool. It will automatically re-open the connect if an exception occurs
+-- | Connect to the AMQP server. This returns a connection pool which will automatically re-open the connection as needed if an exception occurs.
 --
 -- > conn <- connect (fromURI "amqp://guest:guest@localhost:5672")
 --
 connect :: AMQP.ConnectionOpts -> IO Connection
 connect opts = do
-    p <- Pool.createPool create destroy numStripes openTime numResources
-    pure $ Connection p
+
+    chansVar <- newEmptyMVar
+
+    -- keep one connection open
+    conns <- Pool.createPool createConn (destroyConn chansVar) 1 connOpenTime 1
+
+    -- the channels use the pool to create themselves
+    chans <- Pool.createPool (create conns) destroy numStripes openTime numResources
+
+    putMVar chansVar chans
+
+    pure $ Connection chans
   where
     numStripes = 1
     openTime = 10
     numResources = 4
+    connOpenTime = 60
 
-    create = do
+    create connPool = do
+      Pool.withResource connPool $ AMQP.openChannel
+
+    destroy chan = do
+      AMQP.closeChannel chan
+
+    createConn = do
       conn <- AMQP.openConnection'' opts
-      chan <- AMQP.openChannel conn
-      return $ ConnResource conn chan
+      pure conn
 
-    destroy (ConnResource conn _) =
+    destroyConn chans conn = do
+      -- destroy all channels or they will be stale and throw exceptions
+      chanPool <- readMVar chans
+      Pool.destroyAllResources chanPool
       AMQP.closeConnection conn
 
 
@@ -49,7 +65,4 @@
 
 withChannel :: MonadBaseControl IO m => Connection -> (Channel -> m b) -> m b
 withChannel (Connection p) action =
-    Pool.withResource p chanAction
-  where
-    chanAction (ConnResource _ chan) =
-      action chan
+    Pool.withResource p action
diff --git a/src/Network/AMQP/Worker/Message.hs b/src/Network/AMQP/Worker/Message.hs
--- a/src/Network/AMQP/Worker/Message.hs
+++ b/src/Network/AMQP/Worker/Message.hs
@@ -71,8 +71,9 @@
 -- >   Notihng -> putStrLn "No messages on the queue"
 consume :: (FromJSON msg, MonadBaseControl IO m) => Connection -> Queue key msg -> m (Maybe (ConsumeResult msg))
 consume conn (Queue _ _ options) = do
-  mme <- withChannel conn $ \chan ->
-    liftBase $ AMQP.getMsg chan Ack (queueName options)
+  mme <- withChannel conn $ \chan -> do
+    m <- liftBase $ AMQP.getMsg chan Ack (queueName options)
+    pure m
 
   case mme of
     Nothing ->
diff --git a/src/Network/AMQP/Worker/Worker.hs b/src/Network/AMQP/Worker/Worker.hs
--- a/src/Network/AMQP/Worker/Worker.hs
+++ b/src/Network/AMQP/Worker/Worker.hs
@@ -3,13 +3,13 @@
 
 import Control.Concurrent (threadDelay)
 import Control.Exception (SomeException(..))
+import Control.Monad.Base (liftBase)
 import Control.Monad.Catch (Exception(..), catch, MonadCatch)
 import Control.Monad.Trans.Control (MonadBaseControl)
 import Control.Monad (forever)
 import Data.Aeson (FromJSON)
 import Data.ByteString.Lazy (ByteString)
 import Data.Default (Default(..))
-import Control.Monad.Base (liftBase)
 
 import Network.AMQP.Worker.Connection (Connection)
 import Network.AMQP.Worker.Queue (Queue(..))
diff --git a/test/Spec.hs b/test/Spec.hs
--- a/test/Spec.hs
+++ b/test/Spec.hs
@@ -12,5 +12,6 @@
 tests = testGroup "Tests"
   [ testCase "TODO" testExample ]
 
+
 testExample :: Assertion
 testExample = pure ()