diff --git a/initiatorpool/config.go b/initiatorpool/config.go
index 68cee65..b2ae5a2 100644
--- a/initiatorpool/config.go
+++ b/initiatorpool/config.go
@@ -99,8 +99,8 @@ func WithWorkerFactory(wf WorkerFactory) PoolOption {
 // Worker Config
 
 type WorkerConfig struct {
-	IdleTimeout  time.Duration
-	MaxQueueSize int
+	KeepaliveTimeout time.Duration
+	MaxQueueSize     int
 }
 
 type WorkerOption func(*WorkerConfig) error
@@ -118,8 +118,8 @@ func NewWorkerConfig(options ...WorkerOption) (*WorkerConfig, error) {
 
 func GetDefaultWorkerConfig() *WorkerConfig {
 	return &WorkerConfig{
-		IdleTimeout:  20 * time.Second,
-		MaxQueueSize: 0, // disabled by default
+		KeepaliveTimeout: 20 * time.Second,
+		MaxQueueSize:     0, // disabled by default
 	}
 }
 
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ func applyWorkerOptions(config *WorkerConfig, options ...WorkerOption) error {
 }
 
 func ValidateWorkerConfig(config *WorkerConfig) error {
-	err := validateIdleTimeout(config.IdleTimeout)
+	err := validateKeepaliveTimeout(config.KeepaliveTimeout)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -153,21 +153,21 @@ func validateMaxQueueSize(value int) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func validateIdleTimeout(value time.Duration) error {
+func validateKeepaliveTimeout(value time.Duration) error {
 	if value < 0 {
-		return InvalidIdleTimeout
+		return InvalidKeepaliveTimeout
 	}
 	return nil
 }
 
-// When IdleTimeout is set to zero, idle timeouts are disabled.
-func WithIdleTimeout(value time.Duration) WorkerOption {
+// When KeepaliveTimeout is set to zero, keepalive timeouts are disabled.
+func WithKeepaliveTimeout(value time.Duration) WorkerOption {
 	return func(c *WorkerConfig) error {
-		err := validateIdleTimeout(value)
+		err := validateKeepaliveTimeout(value)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		c.IdleTimeout = value
+		c.KeepaliveTimeout = value
 		return nil
 	}
 }
diff --git a/initiatorpool/errors.go b/initiatorpool/errors.go
index bf80c96..2044cce 100644
--- a/initiatorpool/errors.go
+++ b/initiatorpool/errors.go
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ import "errors"
 import "fmt"
 
 var (
-	InvalidIdleTimeout  = errors.New("idle timeout cannot be negative")
-	InvalidMaxQueueSize = errors.New("maximum queue size cannot be negative")
+	InvalidKeepaliveTimeout = errors.New("keepalive timeout cannot be negative")
+	InvalidMaxQueueSize     = errors.New("maximum queue size cannot be negative")
 )
 
 func NewConfigError(text string) error {
@@ -15,3 +15,7 @@ func NewConfigError(text string) error {
 func NewPoolError(text string) error {
 	return fmt.Errorf("pool error: %s", text)
 }
+
+func NewWorkerError(id string, text string) error {
+	return fmt.Errorf("worker %q error: %s", id, text)
+}
diff --git a/initiatorpool/worker.go b/initiatorpool/worker.go
index aebf1a5..87da7bc 100644
--- a/initiatorpool/worker.go
+++ b/initiatorpool/worker.go
@@ -57,7 +57,14 @@ func (w *Worker) dial(ctx WorkerContext) (*transport.Connection, error) {
 }
 
 func (w *Worker) Send(data []byte) error {
-	return nil
+	select {
+	case w.outbound <- data:
+		return nil
+	case <-w.stop:
+		return NewWorkerError(w.id, "worker is stopped")
+	default:
+		return NewWorkerError(w.id, "outbound queue full")
+	}
 }
 
 func (w *Worker) Start(
@@ -67,59 +74,45 @@ func (w *Worker) Start(
 }
 
 func (w *Worker) runSession(
-	conn *transport.Connection,
-
 	messages chan<- receivedMessage,
 	heartbeat chan<- struct{},
-	reconnect chan<- struct{},
+	dial chan<- struct{},
 
+	keepalive <-chan struct{},
 	outbound <-chan []byte,
-	idle <-chan struct{},
 	newConn <-chan *transport.Connection,
 
 	ctx WorkerContext,
 
-	workerDone <-chan struct{},
+	workerStop <-chan struct{},
 	poolDone <-chan struct{},
-)
+) {
+}
 
 func (w *Worker) runReader(
 	conn *transport.Connection,
-
 	messages chan<- receivedMessage,
 	heartbeat chan<- struct{},
-
-	workerDone <-chan struct{},
-	poolDone <-chan struct{},
 	sessionDone <-chan struct{},
-
 	onStop func(),
 ) {
 }
 
 func (w *Worker) runWriter(
 	conn *transport.Connection,
-
 	outbound <-chan []byte,
 	heartbeat chan<- struct{},
-
-	workerDone <-chan struct{},
-	poolDone <-chan struct{},
 	sessionDone <-chan struct{},
-
 	onStop func(),
 ) {
 }
 
 func (w *Worker) runStopMonitor(
 	conn *transport.Connection,
-
-	stop <-chan struct{},
-
-	workerDone <-chan struct{},
+	keepalive <-chan struct{},
+	workerStop <-chan struct{},
 	poolDone <-chan struct{},
 	sessionDone <-chan struct{},
-
 	onStop func(),
 ) {
 }
@@ -170,14 +163,14 @@ func (w *Worker) runForwarder(
 	}
 }
 
-func (w *Worker) runIdleMonitor(
+func (w *Worker) runKeepalive(
 	heartbeat <-chan struct{},
-	idle chan<- struct{},
+	keepalive chan<- struct{},
 	stop <-chan struct{},
 	poolDone <-chan struct{},
 ) {
-	// disable idle timeout if not configured
-	if w.config.IdleTimeout <= 0 {
+	// disable keepalive timeout if not configured
+	if w.config.KeepaliveTimeout <= 0 {
 		// wait for stop signal and exit
 		select {
 		case <-stop:
@@ -186,7 +179,7 @@ func (w *Worker) runIdleMonitor(
 		return
 	}
 
-	timer := time.NewTimer(w.config.IdleTimeout)
+	timer := time.NewTimer(w.config.KeepaliveTimeout)
 	defer timer.Stop()
 
 	for {
@@ -203,22 +196,23 @@ func (w *Worker) runIdleMonitor(
 				default:
 				}
 			}
-			timer.Reset(w.config.IdleTimeout)
+			timer.Reset(w.config.KeepaliveTimeout)
 		// timer completed
 		case <-timer.C:
-			// send idle signal, then reset the timer
+			// send keepalive signal, then reset the timer
 			select {
-			case idle <- struct{}{}:
+			case keepalive <- struct{}{}:
 			default:
 			}
-			timer.Reset(w.config.IdleTimeout)
+			timer.Reset(w.config.KeepaliveTimeout)
 		}
 	}
 }
 
-func (w *Worker) runReconnector(
-	reconnect <-chan struct{},
+func (w *Worker) runDialer(
+	dial <-chan struct{},
 	newConn chan<- *transport.Connection,
+	ctx WorkerContext,
 	stop <-chan struct{},
 	poolDone <-chan struct{},
 ) {
diff --git a/initiatorpool/worker_test.go b/initiatorpool/worker_test.go
index f632560..07b554a 100644
--- a/initiatorpool/worker_test.go
+++ b/initiatorpool/worker_test.go
@@ -105,15 +105,15 @@ func TestRunForwarder(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
-func TestRunIdleMonitor(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Run("heartbeat resets timer, no idle signal fired", func(t *testing.T) {
+func TestRunKeepalive(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("heartbeat resets timer, no keepalive signal fired", func(t *testing.T) {
 		heartbeat := make(chan struct{}, 3)
-		idle := make(chan struct{}, 1)
+		keepalive := make(chan struct{}, 1)
 		stop := make(chan struct{})
 		defer close(stop)
 
-		w := &Worker{config: &WorkerConfig{IdleTimeout: 100 * time.Millisecond}}
-		go w.runIdleMonitor(heartbeat, idle, stop, nil)
+		w := &Worker{config: &WorkerConfig{KeepaliveTimeout: 100 * time.Millisecond}}
+		go w.runKeepalive(heartbeat, keepalive, stop, nil)
 
 		// send heartbeats faster than the timeout
 		for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
@@ -121,10 +121,10 @@ func TestRunIdleMonitor(t *testing.T) {
 			heartbeat <- struct{}{}
 		}
 
-		// because the timer is being reset, idle signal should not be sent
+		// because the timer is being reset, keepalive signal should not be sent
 		assert.Never(t, func() bool {
 			select {
-			case <-idle:
+			case <-keepalive:
 				return true
 			default:
 				return false
@@ -132,19 +132,19 @@ func TestRunIdleMonitor(t *testing.T) {
 		}, honeybeetest.NegativeTestTimeout, honeybeetest.TestTick)
 	})
 
-	t.Run("idle timeout fires signal", func(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("keepalive timeout fires signal", func(t *testing.T) {
 		heartbeat := make(chan struct{})
-		idle := make(chan struct{}, 1)
+		keepalive := make(chan struct{}, 1)
 		stop := make(chan struct{})
 		defer close(stop)
 
-		w := &Worker{config: &WorkerConfig{IdleTimeout: 20 * time.Millisecond}}
-		go w.runIdleMonitor(heartbeat, idle, stop, nil)
+		w := &Worker{config: &WorkerConfig{KeepaliveTimeout: 20 * time.Millisecond}}
+		go w.runKeepalive(heartbeat, keepalive, stop, nil)
 
-		// send no heartbeats, wait for timeout and idle signal
+		// send no heartbeats, wait for timeout and keepalive signal
 		assert.Eventually(t, func() bool {
 			select {
-			case <-idle:
+			case <-keepalive:
 				return true
 			default:
 				return false
@@ -154,13 +154,13 @@ func TestRunIdleMonitor(t *testing.T) {
 
 	t.Run("exits on stop", func(t *testing.T) {
 		heartbeat := make(chan struct{})
-		idle := make(chan struct{}, 1)
+		keepalive := make(chan struct{}, 1)
 		stop := make(chan struct{})
 
-		w := &Worker{config: &WorkerConfig{IdleTimeout: 20 * time.Second}}
+		w := &Worker{config: &WorkerConfig{KeepaliveTimeout: 20 * time.Second}}
 		done := make(chan struct{})
 		go func() {
-			w.runIdleMonitor(heartbeat, idle, stop, nil)
+			w.runKeepalive(heartbeat, keepalive, stop, nil)
 			close(done)
 		}()
 
@@ -177,9 +177,3 @@ func TestRunIdleMonitor(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 
 }
-
-func TestRunReconnector(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Run("reconnect emits events, new connection", func(t *testing.T) {})
-	t.Run("dial failure emits error", func(t *testing.T) {})
-	t.Run("exits on stop", func(t *testing.T) {})
-}