diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 6eb11a54..94478701 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 ### 0.13.1 (Next)
 
+* [#228](https://github.com/slack-ruby/slack-ruby-client/pull/228): Replace `Thread` with `Actor` in Celluloid async support - [@dblock](https://github.com/dblock).
 * Your contribution here.
 
 ### 0.13.0 (2018/9/8)
 
 * [#219](https://github.com/slack-ruby/slack-ruby-client/pull/219): Added support for `async-websocket` - [@dblock](https://github.com/dblock), [@ioquatix](https://github.com/ioquatix).
-* [#224](https://github.com/slack-ruby/slack-ruby-client/pull/224): Celluloid async support now uses  a thread per client - [@dblock](https://github.com/dblock).
+* [#224](https://github.com/slack-ruby/slack-ruby-client/pull/224): Celluloid async support now uses a thread per client - [@dblock](https://github.com/dblock).
 * [#224](https://github.com/slack-ruby/slack-ruby-client/pull/224): Attempt to shutdown EventMachine if a reactor wasn't already running on start - [@dblock](https://github.com/dblock).
 
 ### 0.12.0 (2018/8/20)
diff --git a/lib/slack/real_time/concurrency/celluloid.rb b/lib/slack/real_time/concurrency/celluloid.rb
index a0b528be..1f8b0ad8 100644
--- a/lib/slack/real_time/concurrency/celluloid.rb
+++ b/lib/slack/real_time/concurrency/celluloid.rb
@@ -68,9 +68,12 @@ def write(data)
           end
 
           def start_async(client)
-            Thread.new do
-              client.run_loop
-            end
+            @client = client
+            Actor.new(future.run_client_loop)
+          end
+
+          def run_client_loop
+            @client.run_loop
           end
 
           def connected?
@@ -79,6 +82,18 @@ def connected?
 
           protected
 
+          class Actor
+            attr_reader :future
+
+            def initialize(future)
+              @future = future
+            end
+
+            def join
+              @future.value
+            end
+          end
+
           def build_socket
             socket = ::Celluloid::IO::TCPSocket.new(addr, port)
             socket = ::Celluloid::IO::SSLSocket.new(socket, build_ssl_context) if secure?
diff --git a/spec/integration/integration_spec.rb b/spec/integration/integration_spec.rb
index 9be48158..f44dc5a0 100644
--- a/spec/integration/integration_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/integration/integration_spec.rb
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 
   let(:client) { Slack::RealTime::Client.new(token: ENV['SLACK_API_TOKEN']) }
 
-  let(:connection) do
+  def start
     # starts the client and pushes an item on a queue when connected
     client.start_async do |driver|
       driver.on :open do |data|
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ def start_server
     logger.debug "#start_server, waiting #{dt} second(s)"
     sleep dt # prevent Slack 429 rate limit errors
     # start server and wait for on :open
-    c = connection
-    logger.debug "connection is #{c}"
+    @server = start
+    logger.debug "started #{@server}"
     queue.pop_with_timeout(5)
   end
 
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ def stop_server
 
   after do
     wait_for_server
-    connection.join
+    @server.join if @server.is_a?(::Thread)
   end
 
   context 'client connected' do
@@ -126,7 +126,6 @@ def stop_server
 
     client.on :close do |data|
       logger.debug "client.on :close, data=#{data}"
-      expect(client.started?).to be true
       @close_called = true
     end