diff --git a/ChangeLog.md b/ChangeLog.md
--- a/ChangeLog.md
+++ b/ChangeLog.md
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+## 0.2.0.1
+
+* Make connection finalizer thread safe (#28).
+
 ## 0.2
 
 * Remove obsolete `fieldDefault` from `data Field` (#41).
diff --git a/Database/MySQL/Base.hs b/Database/MySQL/Base.hs
--- a/Database/MySQL/Base.hs
+++ b/Database/MySQL/Base.hs
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@
     ) where
 
 import Control.Applicative ((<$>), (<*>))
+import Control.Concurrent (rtsSupportsBoundThreads, runInBoundThread)
 import Control.Exception (Exception, throw)
 import Control.Monad (forM_, unless, when)
 import Data.ByteString.Char8 ()
@@ -300,7 +301,11 @@
         cleanupConnResult res
         wasClosed <- atomicModifyIORef closed $ \prev -> (True, prev)
         unless wasClosed $ mysql_close ptr
-  fp <- newForeignPtr ptr realClose
+  -- In general, the user of this library is responsible for dealing with thread
+  -- safety. However, the programmer has no control over the OS thread
+  -- finalizers are run from so we use 'runInBoundThread' and 'initThread' here.
+  let myRunInBoundThread = if rtsSupportsBoundThreads then runInBoundThread else id
+  fp <- newForeignPtr ptr (myRunInBoundThread $ initThread >> realClose)
   return Connection {
                connFP = fp
              , connClose = realClose
diff --git a/mysql.cabal b/mysql.cabal
--- a/mysql.cabal
+++ b/mysql.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:           mysql
-version:        0.2
+version:        0.2.0.1
 homepage:       https://github.com/paul-rouse/mysql
 bug-reports:    https://github.com/paul-rouse/mysql/issues
 synopsis:       A low-level MySQL client library.