diff --git a/options.go b/options.go
index c509353b18..49cf378b59 100644
--- a/options.go
+++ b/options.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ type ProgramOption func(*Program)
 // cancelled it will exit with an error ErrProgramKilled.
 func WithContext(ctx context.Context) ProgramOption {
 	return func(p *Program) {
-		p.ctx = ctx
+		p.externalCtx = ctx
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/options_test.go b/options_test.go
index ce8d41795a..60336c61b4 100644
--- a/options_test.go
+++ b/options_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package tea
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"context"
 	"os"
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"testing"
@@ -51,6 +52,16 @@ func TestOptions(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	})
 
+	t.Run("external context", func(t *testing.T) {
+		extCtx, extCancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+		defer extCancel()
+
+		p := NewProgram(nil, WithContext(extCtx))
+		if p.externalCtx != extCtx || p.externalCtx == context.Background() {
+			t.Errorf("expected passed in external context, got default (nil)")
+		}
+	})
+
 	t.Run("input options", func(t *testing.T) {
 		exercise := func(t *testing.T, opt ProgramOption, expect inputType) {
 			p := NewProgram(nil, opt)
diff --git a/tea.go b/tea.go
index 0bc915e5b3..d48f832f4e 100644
--- a/tea.go
+++ b/tea.go
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/sync/errgroup"
 )
 
+// ErrProgramPanic is returned by [Program.Run] when the program recovers from a panic.
+var ErrProgramPanic = errors.New("program experienced a panic")
+
 // ErrProgramKilled is returned by [Program.Run] when the program gets killed.
 var ErrProgramKilled = errors.New("program was killed")
 
@@ -147,6 +150,12 @@ type Program struct {
 
 	inputType inputType
 
+	// externalCtx is a context that was passed in via WithContext, otherwise defaulting
+	// to ctx.Background() (in case it was not), the internal context is derived from it.
+	externalCtx context.Context
+
+	// ctx is the programs's internal context for signalling internal teardown.
+	// It is built and derived from the externalCtx in NewProgram().
 	ctx    context.Context
 	cancel context.CancelFunc
 
@@ -243,11 +252,11 @@ func NewProgram(model Model, opts ...ProgramOption) *Program {
 
 	// A context can be provided with a ProgramOption, but if none was provided
 	// we'll use the default background context.
-	if p.ctx == nil {
-		p.ctx = context.Background()
+	if p.externalCtx == nil {
+		p.externalCtx = context.Background()
 	}
 	// Initialize context and teardown channel.
-	p.ctx, p.cancel = context.WithCancel(p.ctx)
+	p.ctx, p.cancel = context.WithCancel(p.externalCtx)
 
 	// if no output was set, set it to stdout
 	if p.output == nil {
@@ -346,7 +355,11 @@ func (p *Program) handleCommands(cmds chan Cmd) chan struct{} {
 				go func() {
 					// Recover from panics.
 					if !p.startupOptions.has(withoutCatchPanics) {
-						defer p.recoverFromPanic()
+						defer func() {
+							if r := recover(); r != nil {
+								p.recoverFromGoPanic(r)
+							}
+						}()
 					}
 
 					msg := cmd() // this can be long.
@@ -460,7 +473,11 @@ func (p *Program) eventLoop(model Model, cmds chan Cmd) (Model, error) {
 
 			case BatchMsg:
 				for _, cmd := range msg {
-					cmds <- cmd
+					select {
+					case <-p.ctx.Done():
+						return model, nil
+					case cmds <- cmd:
+					}
 				}
 				continue
 
@@ -506,7 +523,13 @@ func (p *Program) eventLoop(model Model, cmds chan Cmd) (Model, error) {
 
 			var cmd Cmd
 			model, cmd = model.Update(msg) // run update
-			cmds <- cmd                    // process command (if any)
+
+			select {
+			case <-p.ctx.Done():
+				return model, nil
+			case cmds <- cmd: // process command (if any)
+			}
+
 			p.renderer.write(model.View()) // send view to renderer
 		}
 	}
@@ -515,11 +538,15 @@ func (p *Program) eventLoop(model Model, cmds chan Cmd) (Model, error) {
 // Run initializes the program and runs its event loops, blocking until it gets
 // terminated by either [Program.Quit], [Program.Kill], or its signal handler.
 // Returns the final model.
-func (p *Program) Run() (Model, error) {
+func (p *Program) Run() (returnModel Model, returnErr error) {
 	p.handlers = channelHandlers{}
 	cmds := make(chan Cmd)
-	p.errs = make(chan error)
-	p.finished = make(chan struct{}, 1)
+	p.errs = make(chan error, 1)
+
+	p.finished = make(chan struct{})
+	defer func() {
+		close(p.finished)
+	}()
 
 	defer p.cancel()
 
@@ -568,7 +595,12 @@ func (p *Program) Run() (Model, error) {
 
 	// Recover from panics.
 	if !p.startupOptions.has(withoutCatchPanics) {
-		defer p.recoverFromPanic()
+		defer func() {
+			if r := recover(); r != nil {
+				returnErr = fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", ErrProgramKilled, ErrProgramPanic)
+				p.recoverFromPanic(r)
+			}
+		}()
 	}
 
 	// If no renderer is set use the standard one.
@@ -645,11 +677,27 @@ func (p *Program) Run() (Model, error) {
 
 	// Run event loop, handle updates and draw.
 	model, err := p.eventLoop(model, cmds)
-	killed := p.ctx.Err() != nil || err != nil
-	if killed && err == nil {
-		err = fmt.Errorf("%w: %s", ErrProgramKilled, p.ctx.Err())
+
+	if err == nil && len(p.errs) > 0 {
+		err = <-p.errs // Drain a leftover error in case eventLoop crashed
 	}
-	if err == nil {
+
+	killed := p.externalCtx.Err() != nil || p.ctx.Err() != nil || err != nil
+	if killed {
+		if err == nil && p.externalCtx.Err() != nil {
+			// Return also as context error the cancellation of an external context.
+			// This is the context the user knows about and should be able to act on.
+			err = fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", ErrProgramKilled, p.externalCtx.Err())
+		} else if err == nil && p.ctx.Err() != nil {
+			// Return only that the program was killed (not the internal mechanism).
+			// The user does not know or need to care about the internal program context.
+			err = ErrProgramKilled
+		} else {
+			// Return that the program was killed and also the error that caused it.
+			err = fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", ErrProgramKilled, err)
+		}
+	} else {
+		// Graceful shutdown of the program (not killed):
 		// Ensure we rendered the final state of the model.
 		p.renderer.write(model.View())
 	}
@@ -704,11 +752,11 @@ func (p *Program) Quit() {
 	p.Send(Quit())
 }
 
-// Kill stops the program immediately and restores the former terminal state.
+// Kill signals the program to stop immediately and restore the former terminal state.
 // The final render that you would normally see when quitting will be skipped.
 // [program.Run] returns a [ErrProgramKilled] error.
 func (p *Program) Kill() {
-	p.shutdown(true)
+	p.cancel()
 }
 
 // Wait waits/blocks until the underlying Program finished shutting down.
@@ -717,7 +765,11 @@ func (p *Program) Wait() {
 }
 
 // shutdown performs operations to free up resources and restore the terminal
-// to its original state.
+// to its original state. It is called once at the end of the program's lifetime.
+//
+// This method should not be called to signal the program to be killed/shutdown.
+// Doing so can lead to race conditions with the eventual call at the program's end.
+// As alternatives, the [Quit] or [Kill] convenience methods should be used instead.
 func (p *Program) shutdown(kill bool) {
 	p.cancel()
 
@@ -744,19 +796,30 @@ func (p *Program) shutdown(kill bool) {
 	}
 
 	_ = p.restoreTerminalState()
-	if !kill {
-		p.finished <- struct{}{}
-	}
 }
 
 // recoverFromPanic recovers from a panic, prints the stack trace, and restores
 // the terminal to a usable state.
-func (p *Program) recoverFromPanic() {
-	if r := recover(); r != nil {
-		p.shutdown(true)
-		fmt.Printf("Caught panic:\n\n%s\n\nRestoring terminal...\n\n", r)
-		debug.PrintStack()
+func (p *Program) recoverFromPanic(r interface{}) {
+	select {
+	case p.errs <- ErrProgramPanic:
+	default:
 	}
+	p.shutdown(true) // Ok to call here, p.Run() cannot do it anymore.
+	fmt.Printf("Caught panic:\n\n%s\n\nRestoring terminal...\n\n", r)
+	debug.PrintStack()
+}
+
+// recoverFromGoPanic recovers from a goroutine panic, prints a stack trace and
+// signals for the program to be killed and terminal restored to a usable state.
+func (p *Program) recoverFromGoPanic(r interface{}) {
+	select {
+	case p.errs <- ErrProgramPanic:
+	default:
+	}
+	p.cancel()
+	fmt.Printf("Caught goroutine panic:\n\n%s\n\nRestoring terminal...\n\n", r)
+	debug.PrintStack()
 }
 
 // ReleaseTerminal restores the original terminal state and cancels the input
diff --git a/tea_test.go b/tea_test.go
index 981851be0b..d4e29d064d 100644
--- a/tea_test.go
+++ b/tea_test.go
@@ -4,13 +4,20 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"errors"
+	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 )
 
+type ctxImplodeMsg struct {
+	cancel context.CancelFunc
+}
+
 type incrementMsg struct{}
 
+type panicMsg struct{}
+
 type testModel struct {
 	executed atomic.Value
 	counter  atomic.Value
@@ -21,7 +28,11 @@ func (m testModel) Init() Cmd {
 }
 
 func (m *testModel) Update(msg Msg) (Model, Cmd) {
-	switch msg.(type) {
+	switch msg := msg.(type) {
+	case ctxImplodeMsg:
+		msg.cancel()
+		time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+
 	case incrementMsg:
 		i := m.counter.Load()
 		if i == nil {
@@ -32,6 +43,9 @@ func (m *testModel) Update(msg Msg) (Model, Cmd) {
 
 	case KeyMsg:
 		return m, Quit
+
+	case panicMsg:
+		panic("testing panic behavior")
 	}
 
 	return m, nil
@@ -81,6 +95,106 @@ func TestTeaQuit(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestTeaWaitQuit(t *testing.T) {
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	var in bytes.Buffer
+
+	progStarted := make(chan struct{})
+	waitStarted := make(chan struct{})
+	errChan := make(chan error, 1)
+
+	m := &testModel{}
+	p := NewProgram(m, WithInput(&in), WithOutput(&buf))
+
+	go func() {
+		_, err := p.Run()
+		errChan <- err
+	}()
+
+	go func() {
+		for {
+			time.Sleep(time.Millisecond)
+			if m.executed.Load() != nil {
+				close(progStarted)
+
+				<-waitStarted
+				time.Sleep(50 * time.Millisecond)
+				p.Quit()
+
+				return
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+
+	<-progStarted
+
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go func() {
+			p.Wait()
+			wg.Done()
+		}()
+	}
+	close(waitStarted)
+	wg.Wait()
+
+	err := <-errChan
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected nil, got %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTeaWaitKill(t *testing.T) {
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	var in bytes.Buffer
+
+	progStarted := make(chan struct{})
+	waitStarted := make(chan struct{})
+	errChan := make(chan error, 1)
+
+	m := &testModel{}
+	p := NewProgram(m, WithInput(&in), WithOutput(&buf))
+
+	go func() {
+		_, err := p.Run()
+		errChan <- err
+	}()
+
+	go func() {
+		for {
+			time.Sleep(time.Millisecond)
+			if m.executed.Load() != nil {
+				close(progStarted)
+
+				<-waitStarted
+				time.Sleep(50 * time.Millisecond)
+				p.Kill()
+
+				return
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+
+	<-progStarted
+
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go func() {
+			p.Wait()
+			wg.Done()
+		}()
+	}
+	close(waitStarted)
+	wg.Wait()
+
+	err := <-errChan
+	if !errors.Is(err, ErrProgramKilled) {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected %v, got %v", ErrProgramKilled, err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestTeaWithFilter(t *testing.T) {
 	testTeaWithFilter(t, 0)
 	testTeaWithFilter(t, 1)
@@ -138,9 +252,17 @@ func TestTeaKill(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}()
 
-	if _, err := p.Run(); !errors.Is(err, ErrProgramKilled) {
+	_, err := p.Run()
+
+	if !errors.Is(err, ErrProgramKilled) {
 		t.Fatalf("Expected %v, got %v", ErrProgramKilled, err)
 	}
+
+	if errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
+		// The end user should not know about the program's internal context state.
+		// The program should only report external context cancellation as a context error.
+		t.Fatalf("Internal context cancellation was reported as context error!")
+	}
 }
 
 func TestTeaContext(t *testing.T) {
@@ -160,6 +282,66 @@ func TestTeaContext(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}()
 
+	_, err := p.Run()
+
+	if !errors.Is(err, ErrProgramKilled) {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected %v, got %v", ErrProgramKilled, err)
+	}
+
+	if !errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
+		// The end user should know that their passed in context caused the kill.
+		t.Fatalf("Expected %v, got %v", context.Canceled, err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTeaContextImplodeDeadlock(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	var in bytes.Buffer
+
+	m := &testModel{}
+	p := NewProgram(m, WithContext(ctx), WithInput(&in), WithOutput(&buf))
+	go func() {
+		for {
+			time.Sleep(time.Millisecond)
+			if m.executed.Load() != nil {
+				p.Send(ctxImplodeMsg{cancel: cancel})
+				return
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+
+	if _, err := p.Run(); !errors.Is(err, ErrProgramKilled) {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected %v, got %v", ErrProgramKilled, err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTeaContextBatchDeadlock(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	var in bytes.Buffer
+
+	inc := func() Msg {
+		cancel()
+		return incrementMsg{}
+	}
+
+	m := &testModel{}
+	p := NewProgram(m, WithContext(ctx), WithInput(&in), WithOutput(&buf))
+	go func() {
+		for {
+			time.Sleep(time.Millisecond)
+			if m.executed.Load() != nil {
+				batch := make(BatchMsg, 100)
+				for i := range batch {
+					batch[i] = inc
+				}
+				p.Send(batch)
+				return
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+
 	if _, err := p.Run(); !errors.Is(err, ErrProgramKilled) {
 		t.Fatalf("Expected %v, got %v", ErrProgramKilled, err)
 	}
@@ -267,3 +449,65 @@ func TestTeaNoRun(t *testing.T) {
 	m := &testModel{}
 	NewProgram(m, WithInput(&in), WithOutput(&buf))
 }
+
+func TestTeaPanic(t *testing.T) {
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	var in bytes.Buffer
+
+	m := &testModel{}
+	p := NewProgram(m, WithInput(&in), WithOutput(&buf))
+	go func() {
+		for {
+			time.Sleep(time.Millisecond)
+			if m.executed.Load() != nil {
+				p.Send(panicMsg{})
+				return
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+
+	_, err := p.Run()
+
+	if !errors.Is(err, ErrProgramPanic) {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected %v, got %v", ErrProgramPanic, err)
+	}
+
+	if !errors.Is(err, ErrProgramKilled) {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected %v, got %v", ErrProgramKilled, err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTeaGoroutinePanic(t *testing.T) {
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	var in bytes.Buffer
+
+	panicCmd := func() Msg {
+		panic("testing goroutine panic behavior")
+	}
+
+	m := &testModel{}
+	p := NewProgram(m, WithInput(&in), WithOutput(&buf))
+	go func() {
+		for {
+			time.Sleep(time.Millisecond)
+			if m.executed.Load() != nil {
+				batch := make(BatchMsg, 10)
+				for i := range batch {
+					batch[i] = panicCmd
+				}
+				p.Send(batch)
+				return
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+
+	_, err := p.Run()
+
+	if !errors.Is(err, ErrProgramPanic) {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected %v, got %v", ErrProgramPanic, err)
+	}
+
+	if !errors.Is(err, ErrProgramKilled) {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected %v, got %v", ErrProgramKilled, err)
+	}
+}