diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 5ce5b62..899a69d 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -25,6 +25,14 @@ FetchContent_Declare(
 FetchContent_MakeAvailable(sqlitecpp)
 include_directories(${sqlitecpp_SOURCE_DIR}/include)
 
+FetchContent_Declare(
+    concurrentqueue
+    GIT_REPOSITORY  https://github.com/cameron314/readerwriterqueue.git
+    GIT_TAG         v1.0.3
+)
+FetchContent_MakeAvailable(concurrentqueue)
+include_directories(${concurrentqueue_SOURCE_DIR})
+
 project(sqlite_nested_vfs VERSION 1.0
         DESCRIPTION "SQLite VFS extension storing database pages in...a SQLite database"
         LANGUAGES C CXX)
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 66ed6b0..8cb0dad 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ RUN apt-get -qq update && \
 ADD . /work
 WORKDIR /work
 
-RUN cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=$build_type . -B build && cmake --build build -j $(nproc)
+RUN rm -rf build && cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=$build_type . -B build && cmake --build build -j $(nproc)
 
 WORKDIR /work/build
 CMD ctest -V
diff --git a/src/SQLiteNestedVFS.h b/src/SQLiteNestedVFS.h
index 275d339..d25d888 100644
--- a/src/SQLiteNestedVFS.h
+++ b/src/SQLiteNestedVFS.h
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ class InnerDatabaseFile : public SQLiteVFS::File {
 
     const size_t MAX_FETCH_CURSORS = 4;
     std::vector<std::unique_ptr<FetchJob>> fetch_jobs_;
-    ThreadPool fetch_thread_pool_;
+    ThreadPoolWithEnqueueFast fetch_thread_pool_;
     std::mutex seek_lock_; // serializes outer db interactions among fetch background threads
     std::atomic<bool> seek_interrupt_; // broadcast that main thread wants seek_lock_
 
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ class InnerDatabaseFile : public SQLiteVFS::File {
             if (active_jobs + 2 <= fetch_thread_pool_.MaxThreads()) {
                 job->pageno = pageno_hint;
                 job->PutState(FetchJob::State::QUEUE);
-                fetch_thread_pool_.Enqueue(
+                fetch_thread_pool_.EnqueueFast(
                     job, [this](void *job) { return this->BackgroundFetchJob(job); }, nullptr);
             } else {
                 assert(active_jobs + 1 == fetch_thread_pool_.MaxThreads());
diff --git a/src/ThreadPool.h b/src/ThreadPool.h
index 6dd166d..c5896e8 100644
--- a/src/ThreadPool.h
+++ b/src/ThreadPool.h
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include <functional>
 #include <mutex>
 #include <queue>
+#include <readerwriterqueue.h>
 #include <thread>
 
 namespace SQLiteNested {
@@ -88,7 +89,7 @@ class ThreadPool {
   public:
     ThreadPool(size_t max_threads, size_t max_jobs)
         : max_threads_(max_threads), max_jobs_(max_jobs), ser_queue_(job_greater_) {}
-    ~ThreadPool() {
+    virtual ~ThreadPool() {
         {
             std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(mutex_);
             shutdown_ = true;
@@ -140,4 +141,58 @@ class ThreadPool {
     }
 };
 
+// Adds lock-free EnqueueFast() for use on critical paths.
+// - EnqueueFast() never blocks (!)
+// - Only one thread should ever use it
+class ThreadPoolWithEnqueueFast : public ThreadPool {
+    // concept: foreground thread adds job onto a lock-free queue, which a single background thread
+    // consumes to Enqueue()
+
+    struct EnqueueFastJob {
+        bool shutdown = false;
+        void *x = nullptr;
+        std::function<void *(void *) noexcept> par;
+        std::function<void(void *) noexcept> ser;
+    };
+
+    moodycamel::BlockingReaderWriterQueue<EnqueueFastJob> fast_queue_;
+    std::unique_ptr<std::thread> worker_thread_;
+
+    void EnqueueFastWorker() {
+        EnqueueFastJob job;
+        while (true) {
+            fast_queue_.wait_dequeue(job);
+            if (job.shutdown) {
+                break;
+            }
+            this->Enqueue(job.x, job.par, job.ser);
+        }
+    }
+
+  public:
+    ThreadPoolWithEnqueueFast(size_t max_threads, size_t max_jobs)
+        : ThreadPool(max_threads, max_jobs), fast_queue_(max_jobs) {}
+
+    ~ThreadPoolWithEnqueueFast() {
+        if (worker_thread_) {
+            EnqueueFastJob job;
+            job.shutdown = true;
+            fast_queue_.enqueue(job);
+            worker_thread_->join();
+        }
+    }
+
+    void EnqueueFast(void *x, std::function<void *(void *) noexcept> par,
+                     std::function<void(void *) noexcept> ser) {
+        EnqueueFastJob job;
+        job.x = x;
+        job.par = par;
+        job.ser = ser;
+        fast_queue_.enqueue(job);
+        if (!worker_thread_) {
+            worker_thread_.reset(new std::thread([this]() { this->EnqueueFastWorker(); }));
+        }
+    }
+};
+
 } // namespace SQLiteNested