diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 9d103ee..6e2dbd7 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -12,18 +12,16 @@ use reqwest::{Client, Proxy};
 use scraper::{ElementRef, Html, Selector};
 use serde_json::json;
 use structopt::StructOpt;
-use tokio::fs;
+use tokio::{fs, sync::Semaphore};
 use tokio::task::{self, JoinHandle};
 use tokio_util::io::StreamReader;
 use url::Url;
 
 use std::future::Future;
 use std::io;
-use std::panic;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 use std::sync::atomic::Ordering;
 use std::sync::Arc;
-use std::time::Duration;
 use std::{collections::HashSet, default::Default, sync::atomic::AtomicUsize};
 
 mod util;
@@ -82,18 +80,11 @@ macro_rules! error {
 async fn main() {
 	let mut opt = Opt::from_args();
 	#[cfg(windows)]
-	colored::control::set_virtual_terminal(true);
+	let _ = colored::control::set_virtual_terminal(true);
 	// use UNC paths on Windows
 	opt.output = fs::canonicalize(opt.output).await.expect("failed to canonicalize directory");
 	LOG_LEVEL.store(opt.verbose, Ordering::SeqCst);
 	create_dir(&opt.output).await.expect("failed to create output directory");
-	// need this because task scheduling is WIP
-	// (would wait forever on paniced task)
-	*PANIC_HOOK.lock() = panic::take_hook();
-	panic::set_hook(Box::new(|info| {
-		*TASKS_RUNNING.lock() -= 1;
-		PANIC_HOOK.lock()(info);
-	}));
 
 	// load .iliasignore file
 	opt.output.push(".iliasignore");
@@ -133,6 +124,7 @@ async fn main() {
 	let ilias = Arc::new(ilias);
 	let (tx, mut rx) = futures_channel::mpsc::unbounded::<JoinHandle<()>>();
 	*TASKS.lock() = Some(tx.clone());
+	TASKS_RUNNING.add_permits(ilias.opt.jobs);
 	if let Some(url) = ilias.opt.sync_url.as_ref() {
 		for item in ilias.get_course_content(&URL::from_href(url).expect("invalid URL")).await.expect("invalid response") {
 			let item = item.expect("invalid item");
@@ -173,13 +165,12 @@ async fn main() {
 
 lazy_static! {
 	static ref TASKS: Mutex<Option<UnboundedSender<JoinHandle<()>>>> = Mutex::default();
-	static ref TASKS_RUNNING: Mutex<usize> = Mutex::default();
-	static ref PANIC_HOOK: Mutex<Box<dyn Fn(&panic::PanicInfo) + Sync + Send + 'static>> = Mutex::new(Box::new(|_| {}));
+	static ref TASKS_RUNNING: Semaphore = Semaphore::new(0);
 }
 
 macro_rules! spawn {
 	($e:expr) => {
-		let _ = TASKS.lock().as_ref().unwrap().unbounded_send(task::spawn($e));
+		TASKS.lock().as_ref().unwrap().unbounded_send(task::spawn($e)).unwrap();
 	};
 }
 
@@ -234,22 +225,12 @@ fn process_gracefully(
 	path: PathBuf,
 	obj: Object,
 ) -> impl Future<Output = ()> + Send { async move {
-	loop {
-		{
-			// limit scope of lock
-			let mut running = TASKS_RUNNING.lock();
-			if *running < ilias.opt.jobs {
-				*running += 1;
-				break;
-			}
-		}
-		tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(50)).await;
-	}
+	let permit = TASKS_RUNNING.acquire().await.unwrap();
 	let path_text = path.to_string_lossy().into_owned();
 	if let Err(e) = process(ilias, path, obj).await.context("failed to process URL") {
 		error!("Syncing {}", path_text; e);
 	}
-	*TASKS_RUNNING.lock() -= 1;
+	drop(permit);
 }}
 
 async fn handle_gracefully(fut: impl Future<Output = Result<()>>) {