diff --git a/include/crucible/task.h b/include/crucible/task.h
index 00ce6d3..142a0fc 100644
--- a/include/crucible/task.h
+++ b/include/crucible/task.h
@@ -98,6 +98,11 @@ namespace crucible {
 		/// affected (use set_thread_count(0) to wait for those
 		/// to complete).
 		static void cancel();
+
+		/// Stop running any new Tasks.  All existing
+		/// Consumer threads will exit.  Does not affect queue.
+		/// Does not wait for threads to exit.  Reversible.
+		static void pause(bool paused = true);
 	};
 
 	class BarrierState;
diff --git a/lib/task.cc b/lib/task.cc
index a67f1db..2bb2ff1 100644
--- a/lib/task.cc
+++ b/lib/task.cc
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ namespace crucible {
 		size_t					m_configured_thread_max;
 		double					m_thread_target;
 		bool					m_cancelled = false;
+		bool					m_paused = false;
 
 	friend class TaskConsumer;
 	friend class TaskMaster;
@@ -150,6 +151,7 @@ namespace crucible {
 		void set_loadavg_target(double target);
 		void loadavg_thread_fn();
 		void cancel();
+		void pause(bool paused = true);
 
 		TaskMasterState &operator=(const TaskMasterState &) = delete;
 		TaskMasterState(const TaskMasterState &) = delete;
@@ -348,7 +350,7 @@ namespace crucible {
 	void
 	TaskMasterState::start_threads_nolock()
 	{
-		while (m_threads.size() < m_thread_max) {
+		while (m_threads.size() < m_thread_max && !m_paused) {
 			m_threads.insert(make_shared<TaskConsumer>(shared_from_this()));
 		}
 	}
@@ -449,8 +451,8 @@ namespace crucible {
 	size_t
 	TaskMasterState::calculate_thread_count_nolock()
 	{
-		if (m_cancelled) {
-			// No threads running while cancelled
+		if (m_paused) {
+			// No threads running while paused or cancelled
 			return 0;
 		}
 
@@ -524,12 +526,6 @@ namespace crucible {
 	TaskMasterState::set_thread_count(size_t thread_max)
 	{
 		unique_lock<mutex> lock(m_mutex);
-		// XXX: someday we might want to uncancel, and this would be the place to do it;
-		// however, when we cancel we destroy the entire Task queue, and that might be
-		// non-trivial to recover from
-		if (m_cancelled) {
-			return;
-		}
 		m_configured_thread_max = thread_max;
 		lock.unlock();
 		adjust_thread_count();
@@ -546,6 +542,7 @@ namespace crucible {
 	TaskMasterState::cancel()
 	{
 		unique_lock<mutex> lock(m_mutex);
+		m_paused = true;
 		m_cancelled = true;
 		decltype(m_queue) empty_queue;
 		m_queue.swap(empty_queue);
@@ -560,14 +557,25 @@ namespace crucible {
 		s_tms->cancel();
 	}
 
+	void
+	TaskMasterState::pause(const bool paused)
+	{
+		unique_lock<mutex> lock(m_mutex);
+		m_paused = paused;
+		m_condvar.notify_all();
+		lock.unlock();
+	}
+
+	void
+	TaskMaster::pause(const bool paused)
+	{
+		s_tms->pause(paused);
+	}
+
 	void
 	TaskMasterState::set_thread_min_count(size_t thread_min)
 	{
 		unique_lock<mutex> lock(m_mutex);
-		// XXX: someday we might want to uncancel, and this would be the place to do it
-		if (m_cancelled) {
-			return;
-		}
 		m_thread_min = thread_min;
 		lock.unlock();
 		adjust_thread_count();
@@ -699,7 +707,7 @@ namespace crucible {
 	TaskConsumer::consumer_thread()
 	{
 		// Keep a copy because we will be destroying *this later
-		auto master_copy = m_master;
+		const auto master_copy = m_master;
 
 		// Constructor is running with master locked.
 		// Wait until that is done before trying to do anything.
@@ -715,7 +723,7 @@ namespace crucible {
 		TaskConsumerPtr this_consumer = shared_from_this();
 		swap(this_consumer, tl_current_consumer);
 
-		while (!master_copy->m_cancelled) {
+		while (!master_copy->m_paused) {
 			if (master_copy->m_thread_max < master_copy->m_threads.size()) {
 				// We are one of too many threads, exit now
 				break;