diff --git a/.pre-commit-ci-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-ci-config.yaml
index 2e6c7a4..433541e 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-ci-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-ci-config.yaml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ repos:
         types: [file, yaml]
         entry: yamllint --strict -f parsable
   - repo: https://github.com/streetsidesoftware/cspell-cli
-    rev: v9.4.0
+    rev: v9.7.0
     hooks:
       # Spell check changed files
       - id: cspell
diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index b7b709a..8823b92 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ repos:
     hooks:
       - id: hadolint-docker
   - repo: https://github.com/streetsidesoftware/cspell-cli
-    rev: v9.4.0
+    rev: v9.7.0
     hooks:
       # Spell check changed files
       - id: cspell
diff --git a/.project-settings.env b/.project-settings.env
index 9e6a104..f59b124 100644
--- a/.project-settings.env
+++ b/.project-settings.env
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 GOLANGCI_LINT_VERSION=v2.10.1
-BUF_VERSION=v1.65.0
+BUF_VERSION=v1.66.0
 GO_VERSION=1.26.0
 GCI_PREFIX=github.com/hyp3rd/hypercache
-PROTO_ENABLED=true
+PROTO_ENABLED=false
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a6bb1e5..98d866c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 include .project-settings.env
 
 GOLANGCI_LINT_VERSION ?= v2.10.1
-BUF_VERSION ?= v1.65.0
+BUF_VERSION ?= v1.66.0
 GO_VERSION ?= 1.26.0
 GCI_PREFIX ?= github.com/hyp3rd/hypercache
 PROTO_ENABLED ?= true
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index b0734b7..2e5918e 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/valyala/fasthttp v1.69.0 // indirect
 	go.uber.org/atomic v1.11.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/crypto v0.48.0 // indirect
-	golang.org/x/net v0.50.0 // indirect
+	golang.org/x/net v0.51.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/sys v0.41.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/text v0.34.0 // indirect
 	gopkg.in/check.v1 v1.0.0-20201130134442-10cb98267c6c // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 2c89f2a..7e57c0d 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -94,8 +94,8 @@ go.uber.org/atomic v1.11.0 h1:ZvwS0R+56ePWxUNi+Atn9dWONBPp/AUETXlHW0DxSjE=
 go.uber.org/atomic v1.11.0/go.mod h1:LUxbIzbOniOlMKjJjyPfpl4v+PKK2cNJn91OQbhoJI0=
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.48.0 h1:/VRzVqiRSggnhY7gNRxPauEQ5Drw9haKdM0jqfcCFts=
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.48.0/go.mod h1:r0kV5h3qnFPlQnBSrULhlsRfryS2pmewsg+XfMgkVos=
-golang.org/x/net v0.50.0 h1:ucWh9eiCGyDR3vtzso0WMQinm2Dnt8cFMuQa9K33J60=
-golang.org/x/net v0.50.0/go.mod h1:UgoSli3F/pBgdJBHCTc+tp3gmrU4XswgGRgtnwWTfyM=
+golang.org/x/net v0.51.0 h1:94R/GTO7mt3/4wIKpcR5gkGmRLOuE/2hNGeWq/GBIFo=
+golang.org/x/net v0.51.0/go.mod h1:aamm+2QF5ogm02fjy5Bb7CQ0WMt1/WVM7FtyaTLlA9Y=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.6.0/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.41.0 h1:Ivj+2Cp/ylzLiEU89QhWblYnOE9zerudt9Ftecq2C6k=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.41.0/go.mod h1:OgkHotnGiDImocRcuBABYBEXf8A9a87e/uXjp9XT3ks=
diff --git a/hypercache.go b/hypercache.go
index f1e6a8b..fbf7680 100644
--- a/hypercache.go
+++ b/hypercache.go
@@ -365,6 +365,15 @@ func (hyperCache *HyperCache[T]) startBackgroundJobs(ctx context.Context) {
 		jobsCtx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
 
 		hyperCache.bgCancel = cancel
+		// Ensure shutdown signaling always drives context cancellation, even when
+		// stop consumers race to read the stop channel.
+		go func(stop <-chan bool, done <-chan struct{}, cancel context.CancelFunc) {
+			select {
+			case <-stop:
+				cancel()
+			case <-done:
+			}
+		}(hyperCache.stop, jobsCtx.Done(), cancel)
 
 		hyperCache.startExpirationRoutine(jobsCtx)
 		hyperCache.startEvictionRoutine(jobsCtx)
@@ -415,6 +424,13 @@ func (hyperCache *HyperCache[T]) handleExpirationSelect(ctx context.Context, tic
 	case <-hyperCache.evictCh:
 		// manual eviction trigger
 		hyperCache.evictionLoop(ctx)
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		if tick != nil {
+			tick.Stop()
+		}
+
+		return true
+
 	case <-hyperCache.stop:
 		if tick != nil {
 			tick.Stop()
@@ -439,6 +455,11 @@ func (hyperCache *HyperCache[T]) startEvictionRoutine(ctx context.Context) {
 			select {
 			case <-tick.C:
 				hyperCache.evictionLoop(ctx)
+			case <-ctx.Done():
+				tick.Stop()
+
+				return
+
 			case <-hyperCache.stop:
 				tick.Stop()
 
@@ -967,17 +988,16 @@ const (
 
 // Stop function stops the expiration and eviction loops and closes the stop channel.
 func (hyperCache *HyperCache[T]) Stop(ctx context.Context) error {
-	// Stop the expiration and eviction loops
-	wg := sync.WaitGroup{}
-
-	wg.Go(func() {
-		hyperCache.stop <- true
-	})
-
-	wg.Wait()
+	// Best-effort stop signal for listeners that still rely on stop channel.
+	select {
+	case hyperCache.stop <- true:
+	default:
+	}
 
 	if hyperCache.bgCancel != nil {
 		hyperCache.bgCancel()
+
+		hyperCache.bgCancel = nil
 	}
 
 	hyperCache.once = sync.Once{}
@@ -992,8 +1012,6 @@ func (hyperCache *HyperCache[T]) Stop(ctx context.Context) error {
 			// Handle error
 			return err
 		}
-
-		cancel()
 	}
 
 	return nil