diff --git a/src/ruby/end2end/grpc_class_init_client.rb b/src/ruby/end2end/grpc_class_init_client.rb
index 5fad1353be1..ee79292119a 100755
--- a/src/ruby/end2end/grpc_class_init_client.rb
+++ b/src/ruby/end2end/grpc_class_init_client.rb
@@ -42,40 +42,36 @@ def main
     end
   end.parse!
 
+  test_proc = nil
+
   case grpc_class
   when 'channel'
-    thd = Thread.new do
+    test_proc = proc do
       GRPC::Core::Channel.new('dummy_host', nil, :this_channel_is_insecure)
     end
-    GRPC::Core::Channel.new('dummy_host', nil, :this_channel_is_insecure)
-    thd.join
   when 'server'
-    thd = Thread.new do
+    test_proc = proc do
       GRPC::Core::Server.new({})
     end
-    GRPC::Core::Server.new({})
-    thd.join
   when 'channel_credentials'
-    thd = Thread.new do
+    test_proc = proc do
       GRPC::Core::ChannelCredentials.new
     end
-    GRPC::Core::ChannelCredentials.new
-    thd.join
   when 'call_credentials'
-    thd = Thread.new do
+    test_proc = proc do
       GRPC::Core::CallCredentials.new(proc { |noop| noop })
     end
-    GRPC::Core::CallCredentials.new(proc { |noop| noop })
-    thd.join
   when 'compression_options'
-    thd = Thread.new do
+    test_proc = proc do
       GRPC::Core::CompressionOptions.new
     end
-    GRPC::Core::CompressionOptions.new
-    thd.join
   else
     fail "bad --grpc_class=#{grpc_class} param"
   end
+
+  th = Thread.new { test_proc.call }
+  test_proc.call
+  th.join
 end
 
 main
diff --git a/src/ruby/ext/grpc/rb_channel.c b/src/ruby/ext/grpc/rb_channel.c
index aead45c082e..fb610f548eb 100644
--- a/src/ruby/ext/grpc/rb_channel.c
+++ b/src/ruby/ext/grpc/rb_channel.c
@@ -89,6 +89,8 @@ typedef struct grpc_rb_channel {
 static void grpc_rb_channel_try_register_connection_polling(
     grpc_rb_channel *wrapper);
 static void grpc_rb_channel_safe_destroy(grpc_rb_channel *wrapper);
+static void *wait_until_channel_polling_thread_started_no_gil(void*);
+static void wait_until_channel_polling_thread_started_unblocking_func(void*);
 
 static grpc_completion_queue *channel_polling_cq;
 static gpr_mu global_connection_polling_mu;
@@ -169,6 +171,8 @@ static VALUE grpc_rb_channel_init(int argc, VALUE *argv, VALUE self) {
   MEMZERO(&args, grpc_channel_args, 1);
 
   grpc_ruby_once_init();
+  rb_thread_call_without_gvl(wait_until_channel_polling_thread_started_no_gil, NULL,
+                             wait_until_channel_polling_thread_started_unblocking_func, NULL);
 
   /* "3" == 3 mandatory args */
   rb_scan_args(argc, argv, "3", &target, &channel_args, &credentials);
@@ -440,6 +444,7 @@ static void grpc_rb_channel_try_register_connection_polling(
   }
   gpr_mu_lock(&global_connection_polling_mu);
 
+  GPR_ASSERT(channel_polling_thread_started || abort_channel_polling);
   conn_state = grpc_channel_check_connectivity_state(wrapper->wrapped, 0);
   if (conn_state != wrapper->current_connectivity_state) {
     wrapper->current_connectivity_state = conn_state;
@@ -473,7 +478,7 @@ static void grpc_rb_channel_safe_destroy(grpc_rb_channel *wrapper) {
 }
 
 // Note this loop breaks out with a single call of
-// "grpc_rb_event_unblocking_func".
+// "run_poll_channels_loop_no_gil".
 // This assumes that a ruby call the unblocking func
 // indicates process shutdown.
 // In the worst case, this stops polling channel connectivity
@@ -486,7 +491,7 @@ static void *run_poll_channels_loop_no_gil(void *arg) {
   gpr_mu_lock(&global_connection_polling_mu);
   GPR_ASSERT(!channel_polling_thread_started);
   channel_polling_thread_started = 1;
-  gpr_cv_signal(&global_connection_polling_cv);
+  gpr_cv_broadcast(&global_connection_polling_cv);
   gpr_mu_unlock(&global_connection_polling_mu);
 
   for (;;) {
@@ -505,10 +510,10 @@ static void *run_poll_channels_loop_no_gil(void *arg) {
 }
 
 // Notify the channel polling loop to cleanup and shutdown.
-static void grpc_rb_event_unblocking_func(void *arg) {
+static void run_poll_channels_loop_unblocking_func(void *arg) {
   (void)arg;
   gpr_mu_lock(&global_connection_polling_mu);
-  gpr_log(GPR_DEBUG, "GRPC_RUBY: grpc_rb_event_unblocking_func - begin aborting connection polling");
+  gpr_log(GPR_DEBUG, "GRPC_RUBY: run_poll_channels_loop_unblocking_func - begin aborting connection polling");
   abort_channel_polling = 1;
   grpc_completion_queue_shutdown(channel_polling_cq);
   gpr_mu_unlock(&global_connection_polling_mu);
@@ -519,12 +524,12 @@ static VALUE run_poll_channels_loop(VALUE arg) {
   (void)arg;
   gpr_log(GPR_DEBUG, "GRPC_RUBY: run_poll_channels_loop - create connection polling thread");
   rb_thread_call_without_gvl(run_poll_channels_loop_no_gil, NULL,
-                             grpc_rb_event_unblocking_func, NULL);
+                             run_poll_channels_loop_unblocking_func, NULL);
 
   return Qnil;
 }
 
-static void *grpc_rb_wait_until_channel_polling_thread_started(void *arg) {
+static void *wait_until_channel_polling_thread_started_no_gil(void *arg) {
   (void)arg;
   gpr_log(GPR_DEBUG, "GRPC_RUBY: wait for channel polling thread to start");
   gpr_mu_lock(&global_connection_polling_mu);
@@ -537,6 +542,14 @@ static void *grpc_rb_wait_until_channel_polling_thread_started(void *arg) {
   return NULL;
 }
 
+static void wait_until_channel_polling_thread_started_unblocking_func(void* arg) {
+  (void)arg;
+  gpr_mu_lock(&global_connection_polling_mu);
+  gpr_log(GPR_DEBUG, "GRPC_RUBY: wait_until_channel_polling_thread_started_unblocking_func - begin aborting connection polling");
+  abort_channel_polling = 1;
+  gpr_cv_broadcast(&global_connection_polling_cv);
+  gpr_mu_unlock(&global_connection_polling_mu);
+}
 
 /* Temporary fix for
  * https://github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/google-cloud-ruby/issues/899.
@@ -565,14 +578,9 @@ void grpc_rb_channel_polling_thread_start() {
     gpr_log(GPR_DEBUG, "GRPC_RUBY: failed to spawn channel polling thread");
     gpr_mu_lock(&global_connection_polling_mu);
     abort_channel_polling = 1;
+    gpr_cv_broadcast(&global_connection_polling_cv);
     gpr_mu_unlock(&global_connection_polling_mu);
-    return;
   }
-
-  // Drop the gil before sleeping on a gpr_cv so that the background thread
-  // signaling it can acquire the gil and then start, if it hasn't already.
-  rb_thread_call_without_gvl(grpc_rb_wait_until_channel_polling_thread_started, NULL,
-                             grpc_rb_event_unblocking_func, NULL);
 }
 
 static void Init_grpc_propagate_masks() {