diff --git a/events/event_manager.go b/events/event_manager.go
index 33b0ee1..527060c 100644
--- a/events/event_manager.go
+++ b/events/event_manager.go
@@ -1,19 +1,24 @@
 package events
 
 import (
-	"github.com/30x/apid-core"
 	"sync"
+
+	"github.com/30x/apid-core"
 )
 
 // events published to a given channel are processed entirely in order, though delivery to listeners is async
 
 type eventManager struct {
+	sync.Mutex
 	dispatchers map[apid.EventSelector]*dispatcher
 }
 
 func (em *eventManager) Emit(selector apid.EventSelector, event apid.Event) {
 	log.Debugf("emit selector: '%s' event %v: %v", selector, &event, event)
-	if !em.dispatchers[selector].Send(event) {
+	em.Lock()
+	dispatch := em.dispatchers[selector]
+	em.Unlock()
+	if !dispatch.Send(event) {
 		em.sendDelivered(selector, event, 0) // in case of no dispatcher
 	}
 }
@@ -36,16 +41,20 @@
 }
 
 func (em *eventManager) HasListeners(selector apid.EventSelector) bool {
-	return em.dispatchers[selector].HasHandlers()
+	em.Lock()
+	dispatch := em.dispatchers[selector]
+	em.Unlock()
+	return dispatch.HasHandlers()
 }
 
 func (em *eventManager) Listen(selector apid.EventSelector, handler apid.EventHandler) {
+	em.Lock()
+	defer em.Unlock()
 	log.Debugf("listen: '%s' handler: %v", selector, handler)
 	if em.dispatchers == nil {
 		em.dispatchers = make(map[apid.EventSelector]*dispatcher)
 	}
-	list := em.dispatchers[selector]
-	if list == nil {
+	if em.dispatchers[selector] == nil {
 		d := &dispatcher{sync.Mutex{}, em, selector, nil, nil}
 		em.dispatchers[selector] = d
 	}
@@ -53,6 +62,8 @@
 }
 
 func (em *eventManager) StopListening(selector apid.EventSelector, handler apid.EventHandler) {
+	em.Lock()
+	defer em.Unlock()
 	log.Debugf("stop listening: '%s' handler: %v", selector, handler)
 	if em.dispatchers == nil {
 		return
@@ -77,9 +88,11 @@
 }
 
 func (em *eventManager) Close() {
-	log.Debugf("Closing %d dispatchers", len(em.dispatchers))
+	em.Lock()
 	dispatchers := em.dispatchers
 	em.dispatchers = nil
+	em.Unlock()
+	log.Debugf("Closing %d dispatchers", len(dispatchers))
 	for _, dispatcher := range dispatchers {
 		dispatcher.Close()
 	}
@@ -145,6 +158,8 @@
 }
 
 func (d *dispatcher) HasHandlers() bool {
+	d.Lock()
+	defer d.Unlock()
 	return d != nil && len(d.handlers) > 0
 }
 
@@ -154,10 +169,13 @@
 			select {
 			case event := <-d.channel:
 				if event != nil {
-					log.Debugf("delivering %v to %v", &event, d.handlers)
-					if len(d.handlers) > 0 {
+					d.Lock()
+					handlers := d.handlers
+					d.Unlock()
+					log.Debugf("delivering %v to %v", &event, handlers)
+					if len(handlers) > 0 {
 						var wg sync.WaitGroup
-						for _, h := range d.handlers {
+						for _, h := range handlers {
 							handler := h
 							wg.Add(1)
 							go func() {
@@ -168,7 +186,7 @@
 						log.Debugf("waiting for handlers")
 						wg.Wait()
 					}
-					d.em.sendDelivered(d.selector, event, len(d.handlers))
+					d.em.sendDelivered(d.selector, event, len(handlers))
 					log.Debugf("event %v delivered", &event)
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/events/events_test.go b/events/events_test.go
index 70bc19a..ae3f88c 100644
--- a/events/events_test.go
+++ b/events/events_test.go
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 package events_test
 
 import (
+	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
+
 	"github.com/30x/apid-core"
 	"github.com/30x/apid-core/events"
 	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo"
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
-	"sync/atomic"
 )
 
 var _ = Describe("Events Service", func() {
@@ -105,13 +107,15 @@
 		em := events.CreateService()
 		defer em.Close()
 
+		mut := sync.Mutex{}
 		hitH1 := false
 		hitH2 := false
 		h1 := test_handler{
 			"handler 1",
 			func(event apid.Event) {
 				defer GinkgoRecover()
-
+				mut.Lock()
+				defer mut.Unlock()
 				hitH1 = true
 				if hitH1 && hitH2 {
 					em.Close()
@@ -124,6 +128,8 @@
 			func(event apid.Event) {
 				defer GinkgoRecover()
 
+				mut.Lock()
+				defer mut.Unlock()
 				hitH2 = true
 				if hitH1 && hitH2 {
 					em.Close()
@@ -258,8 +264,8 @@
 		xData["schemaVersion"] = "1.2.3"
 		p := func(s apid.Services) (pd apid.PluginData, err error) {
 			pd = apid.PluginData{
-				Name: "test plugin",
-				Version: "1.0.0",
+				Name:      "test plugin",
+				Version:   "1.0.0",
 				ExtraData: xData,
 			}
 			return