diff --git a/initiatorpool/worker.go b/initiatorpool/worker.go
index ac5b761..4c7074b 100644
--- a/initiatorpool/worker.go
+++ b/initiatorpool/worker.go
@@ -55,9 +55,24 @@ func NewWorker(
 }
 
 func (w *Worker) Start(
-	ctx WorkerContext,
+	wctx WorkerContext,
 	wg *sync.WaitGroup,
 ) {
+	dial := make(chan struct{}, 1)
+	newConn := make(chan *transport.Connection, 1)
+	messages := make(chan receivedMessage, 256)
+	keepalive := make(chan struct{}, 1)
+
+	var owg sync.WaitGroup
+	owg.Add(4)
+
+	go func() { defer owg.Done(); w.runDialer(w.ctx, wctx, dial, newConn) }()
+	go func() { defer owg.Done(); w.runKeepalive(w.ctx, keepalive) }()
+	go func() { defer owg.Done(); w.runForwarder(w.ctx, messages, wctx.Inbox, w.config.MaxQueueSize) }()
+	go func() { defer owg.Done(); w.runSession(w.ctx, wctx, messages, dial, keepalive, newConn) }()
+
+	owg.Wait()
+	wg.Done()
 }
 
 func (w *Worker) Stop() {
diff --git a/initiatorpool/worker_start_test.go b/initiatorpool/worker_start_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4e78389
--- /dev/null
+++ b/initiatorpool/worker_start_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,316 @@
+package initiatorpool
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"git.wisehodl.dev/jay/go-honeybee/honeybeetest"
+	"git.wisehodl.dev/jay/go-honeybee/transport"
+	"git.wisehodl.dev/jay/go-honeybee/types"
+	"github.com/gorilla/websocket"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"net/http"
+	"sync"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func makeWorkerContext(t *testing.T) (
+	inbox chan InboxMessage,
+	events chan PoolEvent,
+	errors chan error,
+	wctx WorkerContext,
+) {
+	t.Helper()
+	inbox = make(chan InboxMessage, 256)
+	events = make(chan PoolEvent, 10)
+	errors = make(chan error, 10)
+	wctx = WorkerContext{
+		Inbox:  inbox,
+		Events: events,
+		Errors: errors,
+	}
+	return
+}
+
+func makeWorker(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, cancel context.CancelFunc) *Worker {
+	t.Helper()
+	return &Worker{
+		ctx:       ctx,
+		cancel:    cancel,
+		id:        "wss://test",
+		config:    GetDefaultWorkerConfig(),
+		heartbeat: make(chan struct{}),
+	}
+}
+
+func mockDialer(socket *honeybeetest.MockSocket) *honeybeetest.MockDialer {
+	return &honeybeetest.MockDialer{
+		DialContextFunc: func(context.Context, string, http.Header) (types.Socket, *http.Response, error) {
+			return socket, nil, nil
+		},
+	}
+}
+
+func TestWorkerStart(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("EventConnected emitted after dial succeeds", func(t *testing.T) {
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+		defer cancel()
+
+		w := makeWorker(t, ctx, cancel)
+		_, events, _, wctx := makeWorkerContext(t)
+		mockSocket := honeybeetest.NewMockSocket()
+		wctx.Dialer = mockDialer(mockSocket)
+
+		var wg sync.WaitGroup
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go w.Start(wctx, &wg)
+
+		honeybeetest.Eventually(t, func() bool {
+			select {
+			case e := <-events:
+				return e.ID == w.id && e.Kind == EventConnected
+			default:
+				return false
+			}
+		}, "expected EventConnected")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("Send delivers data to socket", func(t *testing.T) {
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+		defer cancel()
+
+		w := makeWorker(t, ctx, cancel)
+		_, events, _, wctx := makeWorkerContext(t)
+		_, mockSocket, _, outgoingData := setupWorkerTestConnection(t)
+		wctx.Dialer = mockDialer(mockSocket)
+
+		var wg sync.WaitGroup
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go w.Start(wctx, &wg)
+
+		honeybeetest.Eventually(t, func() bool {
+			select {
+			case e := <-events:
+				return e.Kind == EventConnected
+			default:
+				return false
+			}
+		}, "expected EventConnected")
+
+		err := w.Send([]byte("hello"))
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+		honeybeetest.Eventually(t, func() bool {
+			select {
+			case msg := <-outgoingData:
+				return string(msg.Data) == "hello"
+			default:
+				return false
+			}
+		}, "expected data on socket")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("socket data arrives on Inbox", func(t *testing.T) {
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+		defer cancel()
+
+		w := makeWorker(t, ctx, cancel)
+		inbox, events, _, wctx := makeWorkerContext(t)
+
+		incomingData := make(chan honeybeetest.MockIncomingData, 10)
+		mockSocket := honeybeetest.NewMockSocket()
+
+		mockSocket.CloseFunc = func() error {
+			mockSocket.Once.Do(func() { close(mockSocket.Closed) })
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		mockSocket.ReadMessageFunc = func() (int, []byte, error) {
+			select {
+			case data := <-incomingData:
+				return data.MsgType, data.Data, data.Err
+			}
+		}
+
+		wctx.Dialer = mockDialer(mockSocket)
+
+		var wg sync.WaitGroup
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go w.Start(wctx, &wg)
+
+		honeybeetest.Eventually(t, func() bool {
+			select {
+			case e := <-events:
+				return e.Kind == EventConnected
+			default:
+				return false
+			}
+		}, "expected EventConnected")
+
+		incomingData <- honeybeetest.MockIncomingData{
+			MsgType: websocket.TextMessage,
+			Data:    []byte("hello"),
+		}
+
+		honeybeetest.Eventually(t, func() bool {
+			select {
+			case msg := <-inbox:
+				return msg.ID == w.id && string(msg.Data) == "hello"
+			default:
+				return false
+			}
+		}, "expected message on Inbox")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("socket close produces EventDisconnected then EventConnected", func(t *testing.T) {
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+		defer cancel()
+
+		w := makeWorker(t, ctx, cancel)
+		_, events, _, wctx := makeWorkerContext(t)
+		_, mockSocket, incomingData, _ := setupWorkerTestConnection(t)
+		wctx.Dialer = mockDialer(mockSocket)
+
+		var wg sync.WaitGroup
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go w.Start(wctx, &wg)
+
+		honeybeetest.Eventually(t, func() bool {
+			select {
+			case e := <-events:
+				return e.Kind == EventConnected
+			default:
+				return false
+			}
+		}, "expected EventConnected")
+
+		close(incomingData)
+
+		honeybeetest.Eventually(t, func() bool {
+			select {
+			case e := <-events:
+				return e.Kind == EventDisconnected
+			default:
+				return false
+			}
+		}, "expected EventDisconnected")
+
+		honeybeetest.Eventually(t, func() bool {
+			select {
+			case e := <-events:
+				return e.Kind == EventConnected
+			default:
+				return false
+			}
+		}, "expected second EventConnected")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("Stop produces EventDisconnected and wg drains", func(t *testing.T) {
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+		defer cancel()
+
+		w := makeWorker(t, ctx, cancel)
+		_, events, _, wctx := makeWorkerContext(t)
+		mockSocket := honeybeetest.NewMockSocket()
+		wctx.Dialer = mockDialer(mockSocket)
+
+		var wg sync.WaitGroup
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go w.Start(wctx, &wg)
+
+		honeybeetest.Eventually(t, func() bool {
+			select {
+			case e := <-events:
+				return e.Kind == EventConnected
+			default:
+				return false
+			}
+		}, "expected EventConnected")
+
+		w.Stop()
+
+		honeybeetest.Eventually(t, func() bool {
+			select {
+			case e := <-events:
+				return e.Kind == EventDisconnected
+			default:
+				return false
+			}
+		}, "expected EventDisconnected")
+
+		done := make(chan struct{})
+		go func() { wg.Wait(); close(done) }()
+		honeybeetest.Eventually(t, func() bool {
+			select {
+			case <-done:
+				return true
+			default:
+				return false
+			}
+		}, "expected wg to drain")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("parent context cancel exits cleanly and wg drains", func(t *testing.T) {
+		parentCtx, parentCancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+		workerCtx, workerCancel := context.WithCancel(parentCtx)
+
+		w := makeWorker(t, workerCtx, workerCancel)
+		_, events, _, wctx := makeWorkerContext(t)
+		mockSocket := honeybeetest.NewMockSocket()
+		wctx.Dialer = mockDialer(mockSocket)
+
+		var wg sync.WaitGroup
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go w.Start(wctx, &wg)
+
+		honeybeetest.Eventually(t, func() bool {
+			select {
+			case e := <-events:
+				return e.Kind == EventConnected
+			default:
+				return false
+			}
+		}, "expected EventConnected")
+
+		// drain events after parent cancel — we don't assert what they are,
+		// only that the worker exits
+		parentCancel()
+
+		done := make(chan struct{})
+		go func() { wg.Wait(); close(done) }()
+		honeybeetest.Eventually(t, func() bool {
+			select {
+			case <-done:
+				return true
+			default:
+				return false
+			}
+		}, "expected wg to drain after parent cancel")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("dial failure emits to Errors", func(t *testing.T) {
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+		defer cancel()
+
+		w := makeWorker(t, ctx, cancel)
+		_, _, errors, wctx := makeWorkerContext(t)
+		wctx.ConnectionConfig = &transport.ConnectionConfig{Retry: nil}
+		wctx.Dialer = &honeybeetest.MockDialer{
+			DialContextFunc: func(context.Context, string, http.Header) (types.Socket, *http.Response, error) {
+				return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("dial failed")
+			},
+		}
+
+		var wg sync.WaitGroup
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go w.Start(wctx, &wg)
+
+		honeybeetest.Eventually(t, func() bool {
+			select {
+			case err := <-errors:
+				return err != nil
+			default:
+				return false
+			}
+		}, "expected error on Errors channel")
+	})
+}