diff --git a/src/main/java/io/reactivex/internal/schedulers/IoScheduler.java b/src/main/java/io/reactivex/internal/schedulers/IoScheduler.java
index d806321bf3..02cb44a1d3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/reactivex/internal/schedulers/IoScheduler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/reactivex/internal/schedulers/IoScheduler.java
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ public final class IoScheduler extends Scheduler {
     /** The name of the system property for setting the thread priority for this Scheduler. */
     private static final String KEY_IO_PRIORITY = "rx2.io-priority";
 
+    /** The name of the system property for setting the release behaviour for this Scheduler. */
+    private static final String KEY_SCHEDULED_RELEASE = "rx2.io-scheduled-release";
+    static boolean USE_SCHEDULED_RELEASE;
+
     static final CachedWorkerPool NONE;
 
     static {
@@ -63,6 +67,8 @@ public final class IoScheduler extends Scheduler {
 
         EVICTOR_THREAD_FACTORY = new RxThreadFactory(EVICTOR_THREAD_NAME_PREFIX, priority);
 
+        USE_SCHEDULED_RELEASE = Boolean.getBoolean(KEY_SCHEDULED_RELEASE);
+
         NONE = new CachedWorkerPool(0, null, WORKER_THREAD_FACTORY);
         NONE.shutdown();
     }
@@ -200,7 +206,7 @@ public int size() {
         return pool.get().allWorkers.size();
     }
 
-    static final class EventLoopWorker extends Scheduler.Worker {
+    static final class EventLoopWorker extends Scheduler.Worker implements Runnable {
         private final CompositeDisposable tasks;
         private final CachedWorkerPool pool;
         private final ThreadWorker threadWorker;
@@ -217,12 +223,20 @@ static final class EventLoopWorker extends Scheduler.Worker {
         public void dispose() {
             if (once.compareAndSet(false, true)) {
                 tasks.dispose();
-
-                // releasing the pool should be the last action
-                pool.release(threadWorker);
+                if (USE_SCHEDULED_RELEASE) {
+                    threadWorker.scheduleActual(this, 0, TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS, null);
+                } else {
+                    // releasing the pool should be the last action
+                    pool.release(threadWorker);
+                }
             }
         }
 
+        @Override
+        public void run() {
+            pool.release(threadWorker);
+        }
+
         @Override
         public boolean isDisposed() {
             return once.get();
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/reactivex/schedulers/Schedulers.java b/src/main/java/io/reactivex/schedulers/Schedulers.java
index 9e070690b8..dfd6bfe756 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/reactivex/schedulers/Schedulers.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/reactivex/schedulers/Schedulers.java
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@
  * <ul>
  * <li>{@code rx2.io-keep-alive-time} (long): sets the keep-alive time of the {@link #io()} Scheduler workers, default is {@link IoScheduler#KEEP_ALIVE_TIME_DEFAULT}</li>
  * <li>{@code rx2.io-priority} (int): sets the thread priority of the {@link #io()} Scheduler, default is {@link Thread#NORM_PRIORITY}</li>
+ * <li>{@code rx2.io-scheduled-release} (boolean): {@code true} sets the worker release mode of the
+ * {@link #io()} Scheduler to <em>scheduled</em>, default is {@code false} for <em>eager</em> mode.</li>
  * <li>{@code rx2.computation-threads} (int): sets the number of threads in the {@link #computation()} Scheduler, default is the number of available CPUs</li>
  * <li>{@code rx2.computation-priority} (int): sets the thread priority of the {@link #computation()} Scheduler, default is {@link Thread#NORM_PRIORITY}</li>
  * <li>{@code rx2.newthread-priority} (int): sets the thread priority of the {@link #newThread()} Scheduler, default is {@link Thread#NORM_PRIORITY}</li>
@@ -113,6 +115,8 @@ private Schedulers() {
      * <ul>
      * <li>{@code rx2.computation-threads} (int): sets the number of threads in the {@link #computation()} Scheduler, default is the number of available CPUs</li>
      * <li>{@code rx2.computation-priority} (int): sets the thread priority of the {@link #computation()} Scheduler, default is {@link Thread#NORM_PRIORITY}</li>
+     * <li>{@code rx2.io-scheduled-release} (boolean): {@code true} sets the worker release mode of the
+     * {@code #io()} Scheduler to <em>scheduled</em>, default is {@code false} for <em>eager</em> mode.</li>
      * </ul>
      * <p>
      * The default value of this scheduler can be overridden at initialization time via the
@@ -129,6 +133,21 @@ private Schedulers() {
      * <p>Operators on the base reactive classes that use this scheduler are marked with the
      * &#64;{@link io.reactivex.annotations.SchedulerSupport SchedulerSupport}({@link io.reactivex.annotations.SchedulerSupport#COMPUTATION COMPUTATION})
      * annotation.
+     * <p>
+     * When the {@link Scheduler.Worker} is disposed, the underlying worker can be released to the cached worker pool in two modes:
+     * <ul>
+     * <li>In <em>eager</em> mode (default), the underlying worker is returned immediately to the cached worker pool
+     *  and can be reused much quicker by operators. The drawback is that if the currently running task doesn't
+     * respond to interruption in time or at all, this may lead to delays or deadlock with the reuse use of the
+     * underlying worker.
+     * </li>
+     * <li>In <em>scheduled</em> mode (enabled via the system parameter {@code rx2.io-scheduled-release}
+     * set to {@code true}), the underlying worker is returned to the cached worker pool only after the currently running task
+     * has finished. This can help prevent premature reuse of the underlying worker and likely won't lead to delays or
+     * deadlock with such reuses. The drawback is that the delay in release may lead to an excess amount of underlying
+     * workers being created.
+     * </li>
+     * </ul>
      * @return a {@link Scheduler} meant for computation-bound work
      */
     @NonNull
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/reactivex/internal/schedulers/IoScheduledReleaseTest.java b/src/test/java/io/reactivex/internal/schedulers/IoScheduledReleaseTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7eaaa377c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/io/reactivex/internal/schedulers/IoScheduledReleaseTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) 2016-present, RxJava Contributors.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package io.reactivex.internal.schedulers;
+
+import io.reactivex.Completable;
+import io.reactivex.Flowable;
+import io.reactivex.annotations.NonNull;
+import io.reactivex.functions.Function;
+import io.reactivex.schedulers.Schedulers;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+
+public class IoScheduledReleaseTest {
+
+    /* This test will be stuck in a deadlock if IoScheduler.USE_SCHEDULED_RELEASE is not set */
+    @Test
+    public void scheduledRelease() {
+        boolean savedScheduledRelease = IoScheduler.USE_SCHEDULED_RELEASE;
+        IoScheduler.USE_SCHEDULED_RELEASE = true;
+        try {
+            Flowable.just("item")
+                    .observeOn(Schedulers.io())
+                    .firstOrError()
+                    .map(new Function<String, String>() {
+                        @Override
+                        public String apply(@NonNull final String item) throws Exception {
+                            for (int i = 0; i < 50; i++) {
+                                Completable.complete()
+                                        .observeOn(Schedulers.io())
+                                        .blockingAwait();
+                            }
+                            return "Done";
+                        }
+                    })
+                    .ignoreElement()
+                    .test()
+                    .awaitDone(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS)
+                    .assertComplete();
+        } finally {
+            IoScheduler.USE_SCHEDULED_RELEASE = savedScheduledRelease;
+        }
+    }
+}