diff --git a/jobs-sled/Cargo.toml b/jobs-sled/Cargo.toml
index 093a1f5..299bf4d 100644
--- a/jobs-sled/Cargo.toml
+++ b/jobs-sled/Cargo.toml
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ edition = "2021"
 # See more keys and their definitions at https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/reference/manifest.html
 
 [dependencies]
-actix-rt = "2.0.1"
 async-trait = "0.1.24"
 background-jobs-core = { version = "0.17.0", path = "../jobs-core" }
 bincode = "1.2"
diff --git a/jobs-sled/src/lib.rs b/jobs-sled/src/lib.rs
index 2916ea4..1299894 100644
--- a/jobs-sled/src/lib.rs
+++ b/jobs-sled/src/lib.rs
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 //! let queue_handle = ServerConfig::new(storage).thread_count(8).start();
 //! ```
 
-use actix_rt::task::JoinError;
 use background_jobs_core::{JobInfo, JobResult, NewJobInfo, ReturnJobInfo};
 use sled::{Db, Tree};
 use std::{
@@ -22,7 +21,10 @@ use std::{
     sync::{Arc, Mutex},
     time::Duration,
 };
-use tokio::sync::Notify;
+use tokio::{
+    sync::Notify,
+    task::{JoinError, JoinHandle},
+};
 use uuid::{NoContext, Timestamp, Uuid};
 
 /// The error produced by sled storage calls
@@ -95,6 +97,25 @@ struct Inner {
     _db: Db,
 }
 
+#[cfg(tokio_unstable)]
+fn spawn_blocking<F, T>(name: &str, f: F) -> std::io::Result<JoinHandle<T>>
+where
+    F: FnOnce() -> T + Send + 'static,
+    T: Send + 'static,
+{
+    tokio::task::Builder::new().name(name).spawn_blocking(f)
+}
+
+#[cfg(not(tokio_unstable))]
+fn spawn_blocking<F, T>(name: &str, f: F) -> std::io::Result<JoinHandle<T>>
+where
+    F: FnOnce() -> T + Send + 'static,
+    T: Send + 'static,
+{
+    let _ = name;
+    Ok(tokio::task::spawn_blocking(f))
+}
+
 #[async_trait::async_trait]
 impl background_jobs_core::Storage for Storage {
     type Error = Error;
@@ -103,20 +124,14 @@ impl background_jobs_core::Storage for Storage {
     async fn info(&self, job_id: Uuid) -> Result<Option<JobInfo>> {
         let this = self.clone();
 
-        tokio::task::Builder::new()
-            .name("jobs-info")
-            .spawn_blocking(move || this.get(job_id))?
-            .await?
+        spawn_blocking("jobs-info", move || this.get(job_id))?.await?
     }
 
     #[tracing::instrument(skip_all)]
     async fn push(&self, job: NewJobInfo) -> Result<Uuid> {
         let this = self.clone();
 
-        tokio::task::Builder::new()
-            .name("jobs-push")
-            .spawn_blocking(move || this.insert(job.build()))?
-            .await?
+        spawn_blocking("jobs-push", move || this.insert(job.build()))?.await?
     }
 
     #[tracing::instrument(skip(self))]
@@ -126,22 +141,18 @@ impl background_jobs_core::Storage for Storage {
 
             let this = self.clone();
             let queue2 = queue.to_string();
-            if let Some(job) = tokio::task::Builder::new()
-                .name("jobs-try-pop")
-                .spawn_blocking(move || this.try_pop(queue2, runner_id))?
-                .await??
+            if let Some(job) =
+                spawn_blocking("jobs-try-pop", move || this.try_pop(queue2, runner_id))?.await??
             {
                 return Ok(job);
             }
 
             let this = self.clone();
             let queue2 = queue.to_string();
-            let duration = tokio::task::Builder::new()
-                .name("jobs-next-duration")
-                .spawn_blocking(move || {
-                    this.next_duration(queue2).unwrap_or(Duration::from_secs(5))
-                })?
-                .await?;
+            let duration = spawn_blocking("jobs-next-duration", move || {
+                this.next_duration(queue2).unwrap_or(Duration::from_secs(5))
+            })?
+            .await?;
 
             match tokio::time::timeout(duration, notifier.notified()).await {
                 Ok(()) => {
@@ -158,19 +169,17 @@ impl background_jobs_core::Storage for Storage {
     async fn heartbeat(&self, job_id: Uuid, runner_id: Uuid) -> Result<()> {
         let this = self.clone();
 
-        tokio::task::Builder::new()
-            .name("jobs-heartbeat")
-            .spawn_blocking(move || this.set_heartbeat(job_id, runner_id))?
-            .await?
+        spawn_blocking("jobs-heartbeat", move || {
+            this.set_heartbeat(job_id, runner_id)
+        })?
+        .await?
     }
 
     #[tracing::instrument(skip(self))]
     async fn complete(&self, ReturnJobInfo { id, result }: ReturnJobInfo) -> Result<bool> {
         let this = self.clone();
-        let mut job = if let Some(job) = tokio::task::Builder::new()
-            .name("jobs-remove")
-            .spawn_blocking(move || this.remove_job(id))?
-            .await??
+        let mut job = if let Some(job) =
+            spawn_blocking("jobs-remove", move || this.remove_job(id))?.await??
         {
             job
         } else {
@@ -183,19 +192,13 @@ impl background_jobs_core::Storage for Storage {
             // Unregistered or Unexecuted jobs are restored as-is
             JobResult::Unexecuted | JobResult::Unregistered => {
                 let this = self.clone();
-                tokio::task::Builder::new()
-                    .name("jobs-requeue")
-                    .spawn_blocking(move || this.insert(job))?
-                    .await??;
+                spawn_blocking("jobs-requeue", move || this.insert(job))?.await??;
                 Ok(false)
             }
             // retryable failed jobs are restored
             JobResult::Failure if job.prepare_retry() => {
                 let this = self.clone();
-                tokio::task::Builder::new()
-                    .name("jobs-requeue")
-                    .spawn_blocking(move || this.insert(job))?
-                    .await??;
+                spawn_blocking("jobs-requeue", move || this.insert(job))?.await??;
                 Ok(false)
             }
             // dead jobs are removed