diff --git a/src/py/kaleido/__init__.py b/src/py/kaleido/__init__.py
index 900e40b9..3dd2e857 100644
--- a/src/py/kaleido/__init__.py
+++ b/src/py/kaleido/__init__.py
@@ -162,29 +162,24 @@ async def write_fig_from_object(
         )
 
 
+def _ensure_server() -> None:
+    if not _global_server.is_running():
+        _global_server.open(silence_warnings=True)
+
+
 def calc_fig_sync(*args: Any, **kwargs: Any):
     """Call `calc_fig` but blocking."""
-    if _global_server.is_running():
-        return _global_server.call_function("calc_fig", *args, **kwargs)
-    else:
-        return _sync_server.oneshot_async_run(calc_fig, args=args, kwargs=kwargs)
+    _ensure_server()
+    return _global_server.call_function("calc_fig", *args, **kwargs)
 
 
 def write_fig_sync(*args: Any, **kwargs: Any):
     """Call `write_fig` but blocking."""
-    if _global_server.is_running():
-        return _global_server.call_function("write_fig", *args, **kwargs)
-    else:
-        return _sync_server.oneshot_async_run(write_fig, args=args, kwargs=kwargs)
+    _ensure_server()
+    _global_server.call_function("write_fig", *args, **kwargs)
 
 
 def write_fig_from_object_sync(*args: Any, **kwargs: Any):
     """Call `write_fig_from_object` but blocking."""
-    if _global_server.is_running():
-        return _global_server.call_function("write_fig_from_object", *args, **kwargs)
-    else:
-        return _sync_server.oneshot_async_run(
-            write_fig_from_object,
-            args=args,
-            kwargs=kwargs,
-        )
+    _ensure_server()
+    _global_server.call_function("write_fig_from_object", *args, **kwargs)
diff --git a/src/py/kaleido/_sync_server.py b/src/py/kaleido/_sync_server.py
index 740bd902..57cee43a 100644
--- a/src/py/kaleido/_sync_server.py
+++ b/src/py/kaleido/_sync_server.py
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import asyncio
-import atexit
 import warnings
-from functools import partial
 from queue import Queue
 from threading import Thread
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, NamedTuple
@@ -18,6 +16,7 @@ class Task(NamedTuple):
     fn: str
     args: Any
     kwargs: Any
+    result_queue: Queue  # per-caller mailbox
 
 
 class _BadFunctionName(BaseException):
@@ -37,13 +36,11 @@ async def _server(self, *args, **kwargs):
                 if not hasattr(k, task.fn):
                     raise _BadFunctionName(f"Kaleido has no attribute {task.fn}")
                 try:
-                    self._return_queue.put(
+                    task.result_queue.put(
                         await getattr(k, task.fn)(*task.args, **task.kwargs),
                     )
                 except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001
-                    self._return_queue.put(e)
-
-                self._task_queue.task_done()
+                    task.result_queue.put(e)
 
     def __new__(cls):
         # Create the singleton on first instantiation
@@ -72,11 +69,8 @@ def open(self, *args: Any, silence_warnings=False, **kwargs: Any) -> None:
             daemon=True,
         )
         self._task_queue: Queue[Task | None] = Queue()
-        self._return_queue: Queue[Any] = Queue()
         self._thread.start()
         self._initialized = True
-        close = partial(self.close, silence_warnings=True)
-        atexit.register(close)
 
     def close(self, *, silence_warnings=False):
         """Reset the singleton back to an uninitialized state."""
@@ -92,7 +86,6 @@ def close(self, *, silence_warnings=False):
         self._thread.join()
         del self._thread
         del self._task_queue
-        del self._return_queue
         self._initialized = False
 
     def call_function(self, cmd: str, *args: Any, **kwargs: Any):
@@ -117,9 +110,9 @@ def call_function(self, cmd: str, *args: Any, **kwargs: Any):
                 UserWarning,
                 stacklevel=3,
             )
-        self._task_queue.put(Task(cmd, args, kwargs))
-        self._task_queue.join()
-        res = self._return_queue.get()
+        my_queue: Queue[Any] = Queue(maxsize=1)
+        self._task_queue.put(Task(cmd, args, kwargs, my_queue))
+        res = my_queue.get()
         if isinstance(res, BaseException):
             raise res
         else: