diff --git a/dcrpool.go b/dcrpool.go
index 00dae4e2..c5980c63 100644
--- a/dcrpool.go
+++ b/dcrpool.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/decred/dcrd/rpcclient/v8"
 	"github.com/decred/dcrpool/internal/gui"
@@ -188,45 +189,43 @@ func realMain() error {
 		}
 	}()
 
-	// Create a hub and GUI instance.
+	// Create a hub instance and attempt to perform initial connection and work
+	// acquisition.
 	hub, err := newHub(cfg, db, cancel)
 	if err != nil {
 		mpLog.Errorf("unable to initialize hub: %v", err)
 		return err
 	}
+	if err := hub.Connect(ctx); err != nil {
+		mpLog.Errorf("unable to establish node connections: %v", err)
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := hub.FetchWork(ctx); err != nil {
+		mpLog.Errorf("unable to get work from consensus daemon: %v", err)
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// Create a gui instance.
 	gui, err := newGUI(cfg, hub)
 	if err != nil {
 		mpLog.Errorf("unable to initialize GUI: %v", err)
 		return err
 	}
 
-	// Run the GUI in the background.
-	go gui.Run(ctx)
-
-	// Run the hub.  This will block until the context is cancelled.
-	runHub := func(ctx context.Context, h *pool.Hub) error {
-		// Ideally these would go into hub.Run, but the tests don't work
-		// properly with this code there due to their tight coupling.
-		if err := h.Connect(ctx); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("unable to establish node connections: %w", err)
-		}
-
-		if err := h.FetchWork(ctx); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("unable to get work from consensus daemon: %w", err)
-		}
-
-		h.Run(ctx)
-		return nil
-	}
-	if err := runHub(ctx, hub); err != nil {
-		// Ensure the GUI is signaled to shutdown.
-		cancel()
-		mpLog.Errorf("unable to run pool hub: %v", err)
-		return err
-	}
+	// Run the GUI and hub in the background.
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	wg.Add(2)
+	go func() {
+		hub.Run(ctx)
+		wg.Done()
+	}()
+	go func() {
+		gui.Run(ctx)
+		wg.Done()
+	}()
+	wg.Wait()
 
-	// hub.Run() blocks until the pool is fully shut down. When it returns,
-	// write a backup of the DB (if not using postgres), and then close the DB.
+	// Write a backup of the DB (if not using postgres) once the hub shuts down.
 	if !cfg.UsePostgres {
 		mpLog.Info("Backing up database.")
 		err = db.Backup(pool.BoltBackupFile)
diff --git a/internal/gui/gui.go b/internal/gui/gui.go
index aeeaee82..591f3e0c 100644
--- a/internal/gui/gui.go
+++ b/internal/gui/gui.go
@@ -345,81 +345,79 @@ func (ui *GUI) Run(ctx context.Context) {
 
 	// Use a ticker to periodically update cached data and push updates through
 	// any established websockets
-	go func(ctx context.Context) {
-		signalCh := ui.cfg.FetchCacheChannel()
-		ticker := time.NewTicker(15 * time.Second)
-		defer ticker.Stop()
-
-		for {
-			select {
-			case <-ticker.C:
-				hashData, err := ui.cfg.FetchHashData()
+	signalCh := ui.cfg.FetchCacheChannel()
+	ticker := time.NewTicker(15 * time.Second)
+	defer ticker.Stop()
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-ticker.C:
+			hashData, err := ui.cfg.FetchHashData()
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Error(err)
+				continue
+			}
+
+			ui.cache.updateHashData(hashData)
+			ui.websocketServer.send(payload{
+				PoolHashRate: ui.cache.getPoolHash(),
+			})
+
+		case msg := <-signalCh:
+			switch msg {
+			case pool.Confirmed, pool.Unconfirmed:
+				work, err := ui.cfg.FetchMinedWork()
 				if err != nil {
 					log.Error(err)
 					continue
 				}
 
-				ui.cache.updateHashData(hashData)
+				ui.cache.updateMinedWork(work)
 				ui.websocketServer.send(payload{
-					PoolHashRate: ui.cache.getPoolHash(),
+					LastWorkHeight: ui.cfg.FetchLastWorkHeight(),
 				})
 
-			case msg := <-signalCh:
-				switch msg {
-				case pool.Confirmed, pool.Unconfirmed:
-					work, err := ui.cfg.FetchMinedWork()
-					if err != nil {
-						log.Error(err)
-						continue
-					}
-
-					ui.cache.updateMinedWork(work)
-					ui.websocketServer.send(payload{
-						LastWorkHeight: ui.cfg.FetchLastWorkHeight(),
-					})
-
-				case pool.ClaimedShare:
-					quotas, err := ui.cfg.FetchWorkQuotas()
-					if err != nil {
-						log.Error(err)
-						continue
-					}
-
-					ui.cache.updateRewardQuotas(quotas)
-
-				case pool.DividendsPaid:
-					pendingPayments, err := ui.cfg.FetchPendingPayments()
-					if err != nil {
-						log.Error(err)
-						continue
-					}
-
-					archivedPayments, err := ui.cfg.FetchArchivedPayments()
-					if err != nil {
-						log.Error(err)
-						continue
-					}
-
-					ui.cache.updatePayments(pendingPayments, archivedPayments)
-
-					lastPmtHeight, lastPmtPaidOn, lastPmtCreatedOn, err := ui.cfg.FetchLastPaymentInfo()
-					if err != nil {
-						log.Error(err)
-						continue
-					}
-					ui.cache.updateLastPaymentInfo(lastPmtHeight, lastPmtPaidOn, lastPmtCreatedOn)
-
-					ui.websocketServer.send(payload{
-						LastPaymentHeight: lastPmtHeight,
-					})
-
-				default:
-					log.Errorf("unknown cache signal received: %v", msg)
+			case pool.ClaimedShare:
+				quotas, err := ui.cfg.FetchWorkQuotas()
+				if err != nil {
+					log.Error(err)
+					continue
 				}
 
-			case <-ctx.Done():
-				return
+				ui.cache.updateRewardQuotas(quotas)
+
+			case pool.DividendsPaid:
+				pendingPayments, err := ui.cfg.FetchPendingPayments()
+				if err != nil {
+					log.Error(err)
+					continue
+				}
+
+				archivedPayments, err := ui.cfg.FetchArchivedPayments()
+				if err != nil {
+					log.Error(err)
+					continue
+				}
+
+				ui.cache.updatePayments(pendingPayments, archivedPayments)
+
+				lastPmtHeight, lastPmtPaidOn, lastPmtCreatedOn, err := ui.cfg.FetchLastPaymentInfo()
+				if err != nil {
+					log.Error(err)
+					continue
+				}
+				ui.cache.updateLastPaymentInfo(lastPmtHeight, lastPmtPaidOn, lastPmtCreatedOn)
+
+				ui.websocketServer.send(payload{
+					LastPaymentHeight: lastPmtHeight,
+				})
+
+			default:
+				log.Errorf("unknown cache signal received: %v", msg)
 			}
+
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return
 		}
-	}(ctx)
+	}
 }