diff --git a/blockstore/autobatch.go b/blockstore/autobatch.go
index 53764d15c..6393b2e22 100644
--- a/blockstore/autobatch.go
+++ b/blockstore/autobatch.go
@@ -26,18 +26,17 @@ type AutobatchBlockstore struct {
 	addedCids map[cid.Cid]struct{}
 
 	stateLock     sync.Mutex
-	doFlushLock   sync.Mutex
 	bufferedBatch blockBatch
 
-	flushingBatch   blockBatch
-	flushErr        error
-	flushWorkerDone bool
+	flushingBatch blockBatch
+	flushErr      error
 
 	flushCh chan struct{}
 
+	doFlushLock     sync.Mutex
 	flushRetryDelay time.Duration
-	flushCtx        context.Context
-	shutdownCh      chan struct{}
+	doneCh          chan struct{}
+	shutdown        context.CancelFunc
 
 	backingBs Blockstore
 
@@ -46,21 +45,21 @@ type AutobatchBlockstore struct {
 }
 
 func NewAutobatch(ctx context.Context, backingBs Blockstore, bufferCapacity int) *AutobatchBlockstore {
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
 	bs := &AutobatchBlockstore{
 		addedCids:      make(map[cid.Cid]struct{}),
 		backingBs:      backingBs,
 		bufferCapacity: bufferCapacity,
-		flushCtx:       ctx,
 		flushCh:        make(chan struct{}, 1),
-		shutdownCh:     make(chan struct{}),
+		doneCh:         make(chan struct{}),
 		// could be made configable
 		flushRetryDelay: time.Millisecond * 100,
-		flushWorkerDone: false,
+		shutdown:        cancel,
 	}
 
 	bs.bufferedBatch.blockMap = make(map[cid.Cid]block.Block)
 
-	go bs.flushWorker()
+	go bs.flushWorker(ctx)
 
 	return bs
 }
@@ -88,66 +87,85 @@ func (bs *AutobatchBlockstore) Put(ctx context.Context, blk block.Block) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (bs *AutobatchBlockstore) flushWorker() {
-	defer func() {
-		bs.stateLock.Lock()
-		bs.flushWorkerDone = true
-		bs.stateLock.Unlock()
-	}()
+func (bs *AutobatchBlockstore) flushWorker(ctx context.Context) {
+	defer close(bs.doneCh)
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-bs.flushCh:
-			putErr := bs.doFlush(bs.flushCtx)
+			// TODO: check if we _should_ actually flush. We could get a spurious wakeup
+			// here.
+			putErr := bs.doFlush(ctx, false)
 			for putErr != nil {
 				select {
-				case <-bs.shutdownCh:
+				case <-ctx.Done():
 					return
 				case <-time.After(bs.flushRetryDelay):
 					autolog.Errorf("FLUSH ERRORED: %w, retrying after %v", putErr, bs.flushRetryDelay)
-					putErr = bs.doFlush(bs.flushCtx)
+					putErr = bs.doFlush(ctx, true)
 				}
 			}
-		case <-bs.shutdownCh:
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			// Do one last flush.
+			_ = bs.doFlush(ctx, false)
 			return
 		}
 	}
 }
 
 // caller must NOT hold stateLock
-func (bs *AutobatchBlockstore) doFlush(ctx context.Context) error {
+// set retryOnly to true to only retry a failed flush and not flush anything new.
+func (bs *AutobatchBlockstore) doFlush(ctx context.Context, retryOnly bool) error {
 	bs.doFlushLock.Lock()
 	defer bs.doFlushLock.Unlock()
-	if bs.flushErr == nil {
-		bs.stateLock.Lock()
-		// We do NOT clear addedCids here, because its purpose is to expedite Puts
-		bs.flushingBatch = bs.bufferedBatch
-		bs.bufferedBatch.blockList = make([]block.Block, 0, len(bs.flushingBatch.blockList))
-		bs.bufferedBatch.blockMap = make(map[cid.Cid]block.Block, len(bs.flushingBatch.blockMap))
-		bs.stateLock.Unlock()
+
+	// If we failed to flush last time, try flushing again.
+	if bs.flushErr != nil {
+		bs.flushErr = bs.backingBs.PutMany(ctx, bs.flushingBatch.blockList)
 	}
 
-	bs.flushErr = bs.backingBs.PutMany(ctx, bs.flushingBatch.blockList)
+	// If we failed, or we're _only_ retrying, bail.
+	if retryOnly || bs.flushErr != nil {
+		return bs.flushErr
+	}
+
+	// Then take the current batch...
 	bs.stateLock.Lock()
-	bs.flushingBatch = blockBatch{}
+	// We do NOT clear addedCids here, because its purpose is to expedite Puts
+	bs.flushingBatch = bs.bufferedBatch
+	bs.bufferedBatch.blockList = make([]block.Block, 0, len(bs.flushingBatch.blockList))
+	bs.bufferedBatch.blockMap = make(map[cid.Cid]block.Block, len(bs.flushingBatch.blockMap))
 	bs.stateLock.Unlock()
 
+	// And try to flush it.
+	bs.flushErr = bs.backingBs.PutMany(ctx, bs.flushingBatch.blockList)
+
+	// If we succeeded, reset the batch. Otherwise, we'll try again next time.
+	if bs.flushErr == nil {
+		bs.stateLock.Lock()
+		bs.flushingBatch = blockBatch{}
+		bs.stateLock.Unlock()
+	}
+
 	return bs.flushErr
 }
 
 // caller must NOT hold stateLock
 func (bs *AutobatchBlockstore) Flush(ctx context.Context) error {
-	return bs.doFlush(ctx)
+	return bs.doFlush(ctx, false)
 }
 
 func (bs *AutobatchBlockstore) Shutdown(ctx context.Context) error {
-	bs.stateLock.Lock()
-	flushDone := bs.flushWorkerDone
-	bs.stateLock.Unlock()
-	if !flushDone {
-		// may racily block forever if Shutdown is called in parallel
-		bs.shutdownCh <- struct{}{}
+	// TODO: Prevent puts after we call this to avoid losing data.
+	bs.shutdown()
+	select {
+	case <-bs.doneCh:
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		return ctx.Err()
 	}
 
+	bs.doFlushLock.Lock()
+	defer bs.doFlushLock.Unlock()
+
 	return bs.flushErr
 }