diff --git a/src/viam/sdk/robot/client.cpp b/src/viam/sdk/robot/client.cpp
index 740c50fff..c4ad0c37f 100644
--- a/src/viam/sdk/robot/client.cpp
+++ b/src/viam/sdk/robot/client.cpp
@@ -143,7 +143,11 @@ RobotClient::~RobotClient() {
 }
 
 void RobotClient::close() {
-    should_refresh_.store(false);
+    if (should_refresh_) {
+        const std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lk{refresh_lock_};
+        should_refresh_ = false;
+        refresh_cv_.notify_one();
+    }
 
     if (refresh_thread_.joinable()) {
         refresh_thread_.join();
@@ -220,16 +224,22 @@ void RobotClient::refresh() {
 }
 
 void RobotClient::refresh_every() {
-    while (should_refresh_.load()) {
-        try {
-            std::this_thread::sleep_for(refresh_interval_);
-            refresh();
+    std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lk{refresh_lock_};
 
-        } catch (std::exception&) {
-            break;
+    refresh_cv_.wait_for(lk, refresh_interval_, [this] {
+        if (should_refresh_) {
+            try {
+                refresh();
+            } catch (const std::exception& e) {
+                VIAM_SDK_LOG(warn) << "Refresh thread got exception " << e.what();
+                // TODO: maybe recoverable
+                return true;
+            }
         }
-    }
-};
+
+        return !should_refresh_;
+    });
+}
 
 RobotClient::RobotClient(ViamChannel channel)
     : viam_channel_(std::move(channel)),
diff --git a/src/viam/sdk/robot/client.hpp b/src/viam/sdk/robot/client.hpp
index 3c19a9edc..6e6a36112 100644
--- a/src/viam/sdk/robot/client.hpp
+++ b/src/viam/sdk/robot/client.hpp
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 /// @brief gRPC client implementation for a `robot`.
 #pragma once
 
-#include <atomic>
+#include <condition_variable>
 #include <string>
 #include <thread>
 
@@ -186,7 +186,9 @@ class RobotClient {
     void refresh_every();
 
     std::thread refresh_thread_;
-    std::atomic<bool> should_refresh_;
+    std::mutex refresh_lock_;
+    std::condition_variable refresh_cv_;
+    bool should_refresh_;
     std::chrono::seconds refresh_interval_;
 
     ViamChannel viam_channel_;