diff --git a/rabbitmq_client/single_threaded_consumer/single_threaded_multi_queue_listener.py b/rabbitmq_client/single_threaded_consumer/single_threaded_multi_queue_listener.py
index ce13c63..d093120 100644
--- a/rabbitmq_client/single_threaded_consumer/single_threaded_multi_queue_listener.py
+++ b/rabbitmq_client/single_threaded_consumer/single_threaded_multi_queue_listener.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import functools
 import json
 import logging
+import threading
 
 from pika import SelectConnection
 from pika.channel import Channel as PikaChannel
@@ -14,63 +15,105 @@
 from rabbitmq_client.single_threaded_consumer.schemas import ListenQueueConfig
 
 
-class SingleThreadedMultiQueueListener(object):
+class SingleThreadedMultiQueueListener:
     """
-    This is a single threaded multi queue listener, as opposed the other multi queue listener in the library.
-    this listener does not implement threads, which enables us to trigger async methods while handling the messages
+    This is a single-threaded, multi-queue RabbitMQ consumer that supports async message handlers.
+    It avoids threads for message processing, enabling async API calls (like PDF generation).
     """
     def __init__(self, broker_config: BrokerConfig, listen_queue_configs: list[ListenQueueConfig]):
         logging.debug('Creating connection object and registering callbacks')
-        self.connection = get_async_connection(broker_config=broker_config,
-                                               on_connection_open=self.on_connection_open,
-                                               on_connection_closed=self.on_connection_closed)
+        self.connection = get_async_connection(
+            broker_config=broker_config,
+            on_connection_open=self.on_connection_open,
+            on_connection_closed=self.on_connection_closed
+        )
         self.listen_queue_configs = listen_queue_configs
 
+    def _start_loop(self):
+        asyncio.set_event_loop(self.loop)
+        self.loop.run_forever()
+
     def on_connection_open(self, connection: SelectConnection):
         connection.channel(on_open_callback=self.on_channel_open)
 
     def on_connection_closed(self, connection, reason):
         logging.exception('Connection closed: %s', reason)
-        raise Exception('Connection closed: %s', reason)
+        raise Exception(f'Connection closed: {reason}')
 
     def on_channel_open(self, channel: PikaChannel):
         channel.add_on_close_callback(self.on_channel_closed)
 
+        # Set prefetch to 1 to process one message at a time
+        channel.basic_qos(prefetch_count=settings.PREFETCH_COUNT)
+
         def on_message(ch: PikaChannel, method: PikaBasic.Deliver,
                        properties: PikaBasicProperties, body: bytes, args):
-            message = json.loads(body.decode('utf8'))
-            loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
             (handler,) = args
-            loop.run_until_complete(
-                handler.async_handle_message(
+            logging.debug("Received message: %s", body)
+            message = json.loads(body.decode('utf8'))
+
+            async def handle_and_ack():
+                logging.debug("Starting async handler for delivery_tag=%s", method.delivery_tag)
+                await handler.async_handle_message(
                     method=method, properties=properties, message=message
                 )
-            )
-            if ch.is_open:
-                logging.debug('Channel is open, acknowledging the message')
-                ch.basic_ack(delivery_tag=method.delivery_tag)
-            else:
-                logging.warning('Channel closed unable to ack message')
+                if ch.is_open:
+                    logging.debug('Acknowledging message with delivery_tag=%s', method.delivery_tag)
+                    ch.basic_ack(delivery_tag=method.delivery_tag)
+                else:
+                    logging.warning('Channel closed before ack')
+
+            # Submit task to background asyncio loop
+            self.loop.call_soon_threadsafe(lambda: asyncio.ensure_future(handle_and_ack(), loop=self.loop))
 
-        channel.basic_qos(prefetch_count=settings.PREFETCH_COUNT)
         for listen_queue_config in self.listen_queue_configs:
             queue_name: str = listen_queue_config.name
             on_message_callback = functools.partial(on_message, args=(listen_queue_config.handler,))
             channel.basic_consume(queue=queue_name, on_message_callback=on_message_callback, auto_ack=False)
+            logging.info("Consuming from queue: %s", queue_name)
 
     def on_channel_closed(self, ch, reason):
         logging.exception('Channel %i was closed: %s', ch, reason)
-        raise Exception('Channel %i was closed: %s', ch, reason)
+        raise Exception(f'Channel {ch} was closed: {reason}')
 
     def listen(self):
         try:
+            logging.info('Starting background asyncio event loop for async message handlers')
+            # Set up a
+            self.loop = asyncio.new_event_loop()
+            self.loop_thread = threading.Thread(target=self._start_loop, daemon=True)
+            self.loop_thread.start()
+
             logging.info('Starting IO Loop to listen for messages')
             set_consumer_status(is_healthy=True)
             self.connection.ioloop.start()
         except KeyboardInterrupt:
             logging.info('Keyboard Interrupt Closing')
-            self.connection.close()
+            self.stop()
         except Exception as ex:
             set_consumer_status(is_healthy=False)
-            self.connection.close()
+            self.stop()
             raise ex
+
+    def stop(self):
+        logging.info("Stopping consumer...")
+
+        # Stop pika I/O loop if running
+        try:
+            if self.connection and not self.connection.is_closed:
+                self.connection.close()
+            if self.connection and self.connection.ioloop.is_running:
+                self.connection.ioloop.stop()
+        except Exception as e:
+            logging.warning(f"Error stopping pika loop: {e}")
+
+        # Stop asyncio loop
+        if self.loop and self.loop.is_running():
+            self.loop.call_soon_threadsafe(self.loop.stop)
+
+        # Wait for background loop thread to finish
+        if hasattr(self, "loop_thread") and self.loop_thread.is_alive():
+            self.loop_thread.join(timeout=5)
+
+        logging.info("Consumer stopped.")
+