diff --git a/device/channels.go b/device/channels.go
index bdba7dee2..711f033a3 100644
--- a/device/channels.go
+++ b/device/channels.go
@@ -83,10 +83,18 @@ func newAutodrainingInboundQueue(device *Device) *autodrainingInboundQueue {
 	q := &autodrainingInboundQueue{
 		c: make(chan *QueueInboundElementsContainer, QueueInboundSize),
 	}
-	runtime.SetFinalizer(q, device.flushInboundQueue)
+	if device.needsInboundQueueFinalizer() {
+		runtime.SetFinalizer(q, device.flushInboundQueue)
+	}
 	return q
 }
 
+func (device *Device) needsInboundQueueFinalizer() bool {
+	return device.pool.messageBuffers.hasAccounting() ||
+		device.pool.inboundElements.hasAccounting() ||
+		device.pool.inboundElementsContainer.hasAccounting()
+}
+
 func (device *Device) flushInboundQueue(q *autodrainingInboundQueue) {
 	for {
 		select {
@@ -116,10 +124,18 @@ func newAutodrainingOutboundQueue(device *Device) *autodrainingOutboundQueue {
 	q := &autodrainingOutboundQueue{
 		c: make(chan *QueueOutboundElementsContainer, QueueOutboundSize),
 	}
-	runtime.SetFinalizer(q, device.flushOutboundQueue)
+	if device.needsOutboundQueueFinalizer() {
+		runtime.SetFinalizer(q, device.flushOutboundQueue)
+	}
 	return q
 }
 
+func (device *Device) needsOutboundQueueFinalizer() bool {
+	return device.pool.messageBuffers.hasAccounting() ||
+		device.pool.outboundElements.hasAccounting() ||
+		device.pool.outboundElementsContainer.hasAccounting()
+}
+
 func (device *Device) flushOutboundQueue(q *autodrainingOutboundQueue) {
 	for {
 		select {
diff --git a/device/channels_test.go b/device/channels_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..990497f64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/device/channels_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2017-2023 WireGuard LLC. All Rights Reserved.
+ */
+
+package device
+
+import "testing"
+
+func TestAutodrainingQueueFinalizerNeedTracksPoolAccounting(t *testing.T) {
+	unbounded := func() *WaitPool { return NewWaitPool(0, func() any { return nil }) }
+	bounded := func() *WaitPool { return NewWaitPool(1, func() any { return nil }) }
+
+	device := &Device{}
+	device.pool.messageBuffers = unbounded()
+	device.pool.inboundElements = unbounded()
+	device.pool.inboundElementsContainer = unbounded()
+	device.pool.outboundElements = unbounded()
+	device.pool.outboundElementsContainer = unbounded()
+
+	if device.needsInboundQueueFinalizer() {
+		t.Fatal("unbounded inbound pools should not need queue finalizer")
+	}
+	if device.needsOutboundQueueFinalizer() {
+		t.Fatal("unbounded outbound pools should not need queue finalizer")
+	}
+
+	device.pool.inboundElementsContainer = bounded()
+	if !device.needsInboundQueueFinalizer() {
+		t.Fatal("bounded inbound pool should need queue finalizer")
+	}
+	if device.needsOutboundQueueFinalizer() {
+		t.Fatal("bounded inbound pool should not affect outbound queue finalizer")
+	}
+
+	device.pool.inboundElementsContainer = unbounded()
+	device.pool.outboundElementsContainer = bounded()
+	if device.needsInboundQueueFinalizer() {
+		t.Fatal("bounded outbound pool should not affect inbound queue finalizer")
+	}
+	if !device.needsOutboundQueueFinalizer() {
+		t.Fatal("bounded outbound pool should need queue finalizer")
+	}
+
+	device.pool.outboundElementsContainer = unbounded()
+	device.pool.messageBuffers = bounded()
+	if !device.needsInboundQueueFinalizer() {
+		t.Fatal("bounded message buffer pool should need inbound queue finalizer")
+	}
+	if !device.needsOutboundQueueFinalizer() {
+		t.Fatal("bounded message buffer pool should need outbound queue finalizer")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/device/pools.go b/device/pools.go
index 47f952b3c..68714fa2a 100644
--- a/device/pools.go
+++ b/device/pools.go
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@ func NewWaitPool(max uint32, new func() any) *WaitPool {
 	return p
 }
 
+func (p *WaitPool) hasAccounting() bool {
+	return p != nil && p.max != 0
+}
+
 func (p *WaitPool) Get() any {
 	if p.max != 0 {
 		p.lock.Lock()