diff --git a/src/main/java/io/nats/client/impl/NatsConsumerContext.java b/src/main/java/io/nats/client/impl/NatsConsumerContext.java
index 455356c88..2c42e82f2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/nats/client/impl/NatsConsumerContext.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/nats/client/impl/NatsConsumerContext.java
@@ -112,11 +112,11 @@ public NatsJetStreamPullSubscription subscribe(MessageHandler messageHandler, Di
     private void checkState() throws IOException {
         if (lastConsumer != null) {
             if (ordered) {
-                if (!lastConsumer.finished) {
+                if (!lastConsumer.finished.get()) {
                     throw new IOException("The ordered consumer is already receiving messages. Ordered Consumer does not allow multiple instances at time.");
                 }
             }
-            if (lastConsumer.finished && !lastConsumer.stopped) {
+            if (lastConsumer.finished.get() && !lastConsumer.stopped.get()) {
                 lastConsumer.lenientClose(); // finished, might as well make sure the sub is closed.
             }
         }
@@ -182,7 +182,6 @@ public Message next(long maxWaitMillis) throws IOException, InterruptedException
                 throw new IllegalArgumentException("Max wait must be at least " + MIN_EXPIRES_MILLS + " milliseconds.");
             }
 
-            //noinspection resource I close it manually down below
             con = new NatsMessageConsumerBase(cachedConsumerInfo);
             con.initSub(subscribe(null, null));
             con.sub._pull(PullRequestOptions.builder(1)
@@ -197,7 +196,7 @@ public Message next(long maxWaitMillis) throws IOException, InterruptedException
         }
         finally {
             try {
-                con.finished = true;
+                con.finished.set(true);
                 con.close();
             }
             catch (Exception e) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/nats/client/impl/NatsFetchConsumer.java b/src/main/java/io/nats/client/impl/NatsFetchConsumer.java
index 805049d61..9a0c3d1c3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/nats/client/impl/NatsFetchConsumer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/nats/client/impl/NatsFetchConsumer.java
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ class NatsFetchConsumer extends NatsMessageConsumerBase implements FetchConsumer
     @Override
     public Message nextMessage() throws InterruptedException, JetStreamStatusCheckedException {
         try {
-            if (finished) {
+            if (finished.get()) {
                 return null;
             }
 
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ public Message nextMessage() throws InterruptedException, JetStreamStatusChecked
                 if (m == null) {
                     // if there are no messages in the internal cache AND there are no more pending,
                     // they all have been read and we can go ahead and close the subscription.
-                    finished = true;
+                    finished.set(true);
                     lenientClose();
                 }
                 return m;
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/nats/client/impl/NatsIterableConsumer.java b/src/main/java/io/nats/client/impl/NatsIterableConsumer.java
index 01d8c7b7a..d51a2c919 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/nats/client/impl/NatsIterableConsumer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/nats/client/impl/NatsIterableConsumer.java
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ class NatsIterableConsumer extends NatsMessageConsumer implements IterableConsum
     public Message nextMessage(Duration timeout) throws InterruptedException, JetStreamStatusCheckedException {
         try {
             Message msg = sub.nextMessage(timeout);
-            if (msg != null && stopped && pmm.noMorePending()) {
-                finished = true;
+            if (msg != null && stopped.get() && pmm.noMorePending()) {
+                finished.set(true);
             }
             return msg;
         }
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/nats/client/impl/NatsMessageConsumer.java b/src/main/java/io/nats/client/impl/NatsMessageConsumer.java
index d499c1c5b..e427b5d1f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/nats/client/impl/NatsMessageConsumer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/nats/client/impl/NatsMessageConsumer.java
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@ class NatsMessageConsumer extends NatsMessageConsumerBase implements PullManager
 
         MessageHandler mh = userMessageHandler == null ? null : msg -> {
             userMessageHandler.onMessage(msg);
-            if (stopped && pmm.noMorePending()) {
-                finished = true;
+            if (stopped.get() && pmm.noMorePending()) {
+                finished.set(true);
             }
         };
         initSub(subscriptionMaker.subscribe(mh, userDispatcher));
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ class NatsMessageConsumer extends NatsMessageConsumerBase implements PullManager
 
     @Override
     public void pendingUpdated() {
-        if (!stopped && (pmm.pendingMessages <= thresholdMessages || (pmm.trackingBytes && pmm.pendingBytes <= thresholdBytes)))
+        if (!stopped.get() && (pmm.pendingMessages <= thresholdMessages || (pmm.trackingBytes && pmm.pendingBytes <= thresholdBytes)))
         {
             sub._pull(rePullPro, false, this);
         }
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/nats/client/impl/NatsMessageConsumerBase.java b/src/main/java/io/nats/client/impl/NatsMessageConsumerBase.java
index a5ea48955..d6a95debe 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/nats/client/impl/NatsMessageConsumerBase.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/nats/client/impl/NatsMessageConsumerBase.java
@@ -18,16 +18,19 @@
 import io.nats.client.api.ConsumerInfo;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
 
 class NatsMessageConsumerBase implements MessageConsumer {
     protected NatsJetStreamPullSubscription sub;
     protected PullMessageManager pmm;
-    protected boolean stopped;
-    protected boolean finished;
+    protected final AtomicBoolean stopped;
+    protected final AtomicBoolean finished;
     protected ConsumerInfo cachedConsumerInfo;
 
     NatsMessageConsumerBase(ConsumerInfo cachedConsumerInfo) {
         this.cachedConsumerInfo = cachedConsumerInfo;
+        this.stopped = new AtomicBoolean(false);
+        this.finished = new AtomicBoolean(false);
     }
 
     void initSub(NatsJetStreamPullSubscription sub) {
@@ -39,14 +42,14 @@ void initSub(NatsJetStreamPullSubscription sub) {
      * {@inheritDoc}
      */
     public boolean isStopped() {
-        return stopped;
+        return stopped.get();
     }
 
     /**
      * {@inheritDoc}
      */
     public boolean isFinished() {
-        return finished;
+        return finished.get();
     }
 
     /**
@@ -74,7 +77,7 @@ public ConsumerInfo getCachedConsumerInfo() {
      */
     @Override
     public void stop() {
-        stopped = true;
+        stopped.set(true);
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -84,8 +87,8 @@ public void close() throws Exception {
 
     protected void lenientClose() {
         try {
-            if (!stopped || sub.isActive()) {
-                stopped = true;
+            if (!stopped.get() || sub.isActive()) {
+                stopped.set(true);
                 if (sub.getNatsDispatcher() != null) {
                     sub.getDispatcher().unsubscribe(sub);
                 }