diff --git a/modules/core/src/main/scala/dev/profunktor/redis4cats/hlist.scala b/modules/core/src/main/scala/dev/profunktor/redis4cats/hlist.scala
index 7973cde5..2026851b 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/main/scala/dev/profunktor/redis4cats/hlist.scala
+++ b/modules/core/src/main/scala/dev/profunktor/redis4cats/hlist.scala
@@ -37,6 +37,15 @@ object hlist {
         }
       go(this, HNil)
     }
+
+    def size: Int = {
+      def go(ys: HList, acc: Int): Int =
+        ys match {
+          case HNil        => acc
+          case HCons(_, t) => go(t, acc + 1)
+        }
+      go(this, 0)
+    }
   }
 
   final case class HCons[+H, +Tail <: HList](head: H, tail: Tail) extends HList
diff --git a/modules/core/src/test/scala/dev/profunktor/redis4cats/HListSpec.scala b/modules/core/src/test/scala/dev/profunktor/redis4cats/HListSpec.scala
index 8c6f35fa..5f99d5c6 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/test/scala/dev/profunktor/redis4cats/HListSpec.scala
+++ b/modules/core/src/test/scala/dev/profunktor/redis4cats/HListSpec.scala
@@ -61,10 +61,12 @@ class HListSpec extends FunSuite {
   test("Conversion from standard list") {
     val lt = List("a", "b", "c")
     val hl = "a" :: "b" :: "c" :: HNil
-    assert(hl == HList.fromList(lt))
+    assertEquals[HList, HList](hl, HList.fromList(lt))
+    assertEquals(hl.size, lt.size)
 
     val el = List.empty[Int]
-    assert(HNil == HList.fromList(el))
+    assertEquals[HList, HList](HNil, HList.fromList(el))
+    assertEquals(HNil.size, el.size)
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/modules/effects/src/main/scala/dev/profunktor/redis4cats/pipeline.scala b/modules/effects/src/main/scala/dev/profunktor/redis4cats/pipeline.scala
index 13a0fb0b..ec5ab96a 100644
--- a/modules/effects/src/main/scala/dev/profunktor/redis4cats/pipeline.scala
+++ b/modules/effects/src/main/scala/dev/profunktor/redis4cats/pipeline.scala
@@ -16,16 +16,18 @@
 
 package dev.profunktor.redis4cats
 
+import scala.util.control.NoStackTrace
+
+import cats.Parallel
 import cats.effect._
 import dev.profunktor.redis4cats.effect.Log
 import dev.profunktor.redis4cats.hlist._
-import scala.util.control.NoStackTrace
 
 object pipeline {
 
   case object PipelineError extends NoStackTrace
 
-  case class RedisPipeline[F[_]: Concurrent: Log: Timer, K, V](
+  case class RedisPipeline[F[_]: Concurrent: Log: Parallel: Timer, K, V](
       cmd: RedisCommands[F, K, V]
   ) {
 
diff --git a/modules/effects/src/main/scala/dev/profunktor/redis4cats/runner.scala b/modules/effects/src/main/scala/dev/profunktor/redis4cats/runner.scala
index 92cc9bfb..c60fed85 100644
--- a/modules/effects/src/main/scala/dev/profunktor/redis4cats/runner.scala
+++ b/modules/effects/src/main/scala/dev/profunktor/redis4cats/runner.scala
@@ -16,15 +16,17 @@
 
 package dev.profunktor.redis4cats
 
+import java.util.UUID
+
+import scala.concurrent.duration._
+
+import cats.Parallel
 import cats.effect._
-import cats.effect.concurrent.Deferred
+import cats.effect.concurrent.{ Deferred, Ref }
 import cats.effect.implicits._
 import cats.syntax.all._
 import dev.profunktor.redis4cats.effect.Log
 import dev.profunktor.redis4cats.hlist._
-import java.util.UUID
-import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit
-import scala.concurrent.duration._
 
 object Runner {
   type CancelFibers[F[_]] = Throwable => F[Unit]
@@ -38,79 +40,61 @@ object Runner {
       mkError: () => Throwable
   )
 
-  def apply[F[_]: Concurrent: Log: Timer]: RunnerPartiallyApplied[F] =
+  def apply[F[_]: Concurrent: Log: Parallel: Timer]: RunnerPartiallyApplied[F] =
     new RunnerPartiallyApplied[F]
 }
 
-private[redis4cats] class RunnerPartiallyApplied[F[_]: Concurrent: Log: Timer] {
+private[redis4cats] class RunnerPartiallyApplied[F[_]: Concurrent: Log: Parallel: Timer] {
 
   def filterExec[T <: HList, R <: HList, S <: HList](ops: Runner.Ops[F])(commands: T)(
       implicit w: Witness.Aux[T, R],
       f: Filter.Aux[R, S]
   ): F[S] = exec[T, R](ops)(commands).map(_.filterUnit)
 
-  /**
-    * This is unfortunately the easiest way to get optimistic locking to work in a deterministic way. Details follows.
-    *
-    * Every transactional command is forked, yielding a Fiber that is part of an HList. Modeling the transaction as
-    * a `Resource`, we spawn all the fibers representing the commands and simulate a bit of delay to let the underlying
-    * `ExecutionContext` schedule them before be proceed with the finalizer of the transaction, which always means
-    * calling EXEC in a successful transaction.
-    *
-    * Without this tiny delay, we sometimes get into a race condition where not all the fibers have been scheduled
-    * (meaning they haven't yet reached Redis), and where EXEC reaches the server before all the commands, making
-    * the transaction result successful but not always deterministic.
-    *
-    * The `OptimisticLockSuite` tests the determinism of this implementation.
-    *
-    * A proper way to implement this might be to manage our own `ExecutionContext` so we could tell exactly when all the
-    * fibers have been scheduled, and only then trigger the EXEC command. This would change the API, though, and it is
-    * not as easy as it sounds but we can try and experiment with this in the future, if the time allows it.
-    */
-  private def getTxDelay: F[FiniteDuration] =
-    F.delay {
-      Duration(sys.env.getOrElse("REDIS4CATS_TX_DELAY", "50.millis")) match {
-        case fd: FiniteDuration => fd
-        case x                  => FiniteDuration(x.toMillis, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)
-      }
-    }
-
   def exec[T <: HList, R <: HList](ops: Runner.Ops[F])(commands: T)(implicit w: Witness.Aux[T, R]): F[R] =
-    (Deferred[F, Either[Throwable, w.R]], F.delay(UUID.randomUUID), getTxDelay).tupled.flatMap {
-      case (promise, uuid, txDelay) =>
-        def cancelFibers[A](fibs: HList)(after: F[Unit])(err: Throwable): F[Unit] =
-          joinOrCancel(fibs, HNil)(false).void.guarantee(after) >> promise.complete(err.asLeft)
+    (Deferred[F, Either[Throwable, w.R]], F.delay(UUID.randomUUID)).tupled.flatMap {
+      case (promise, uuid) =>
+        def cancelFibers[A](fibs: HList)(err: Throwable): F[Unit] =
+          joinOrCancel(fibs, HNil)(false) >> promise.complete(err.asLeft)
 
         def onErrorOrCancelation(fibs: HList): F[Unit] =
-          cancelFibers(fibs)(ops.onError)(ops.mkError())
-
-        F.debug(s"${ops.name} started - ID: $uuid") >>
-          Resource
-            .makeCase(ops.mainCmd >> runner(commands, HNil)) {
-              case (fibs, ExitCase.Completed) =>
-                for {
-                  _ <- F.debug(s"${ops.name} completed - ID: $uuid")
-                  _ <- ops.onComplete(cancelFibers(fibs)(F.unit))
-                  tr <- joinOrCancel(fibs, HNil)(true)
-                  // Casting here is fine since we have a `Witness` that proves this true
-                  _ <- promise.complete(tr.asInstanceOf[w.R].asRight)
-                } yield ()
-              case (fibs, ExitCase.Error(e)) =>
-                F.error(s"${ops.name} failed: ${e.getMessage} - ID: $uuid") >>
-                    onErrorOrCancelation(fibs)
-              case (fibs, ExitCase.Canceled) =>
-                F.error(s"${ops.name} canceled - ID: $uuid") >>
-                    onErrorOrCancelation(fibs)
-            }
-            .use(_ => F.sleep(txDelay).void)
-            .guarantee(ops.afterCompletion) >> promise.get.rethrow.timeout(3.seconds)
+          cancelFibers(fibs)(ops.mkError()).guarantee(ops.onError)
+
+        (Deferred[F, Unit], Ref.of[F, Int](0)).tupled
+          .flatMap {
+            case (gate, counter) =>
+              // wait for commands to be scheduled
+              val synchronizer: F[Unit] =
+                counter.modify {
+                  case n if n === (commands.size - 1) => n + 1 -> gate.complete(())
+                  case n                              => n + 1 -> F.unit
+                }.flatten
+
+              F.debug(s"${ops.name} started - ID: $uuid") >>
+                (ops.mainCmd >> runner(synchronizer, commands, HNil))
+                  .bracketCase(_ => gate.get) {
+                    case (fibs, ExitCase.Completed) =>
+                      for {
+                        _ <- F.debug(s"${ops.name} completed - ID: $uuid")
+                        _ <- ops.onComplete(cancelFibers(fibs))
+                        r <- joinOrCancel(fibs, HNil)(true)
+                        // Casting here is fine since we have a `Witness` that proves this true
+                        _ <- promise.complete(r.asInstanceOf[w.R].asRight)
+                      } yield ()
+                    case (fibs, ExitCase.Error(e)) =>
+                      F.error(s"${ops.name} failed: ${e.getMessage} - ID: $uuid") >> onErrorOrCancelation(fibs)
+                    case (fibs, ExitCase.Canceled) =>
+                      F.error(s"${ops.name} canceled - ID: $uuid") >> onErrorOrCancelation(fibs)
+                  }
+                  .guarantee(ops.afterCompletion) >> promise.get.rethrow.timeout(3.seconds)
+          }
     }
 
   // Forks every command in order
-  private def runner[H <: HList, G <: HList](ys: H, res: G): F[HList] =
+  private def runner[H <: HList, G <: HList](f: F[Unit], ys: H, res: G): F[HList] =
     ys match {
       case HNil                           => F.pure(res)
-      case HCons((h: F[_] @unchecked), t) => h.start.flatMap(fb => runner(t, fb :: res))
+      case HCons((h: F[_] @unchecked), t) => (h, f).parTupled.map(_._1).start.flatMap(fb => runner(f, t, fb :: res))
     }
 
   // Joins or cancel fibers correspondent to previous executed commands
diff --git a/modules/effects/src/main/scala/dev/profunktor/redis4cats/transactions.scala b/modules/effects/src/main/scala/dev/profunktor/redis4cats/transactions.scala
index b18c3490..b19e6d91 100644
--- a/modules/effects/src/main/scala/dev/profunktor/redis4cats/transactions.scala
+++ b/modules/effects/src/main/scala/dev/profunktor/redis4cats/transactions.scala
@@ -16,11 +16,13 @@
 
 package dev.profunktor.redis4cats
 
+import scala.util.control.NoStackTrace
+
+import cats.Parallel
 import cats.effect._
 import cats.syntax.all._
 import dev.profunktor.redis4cats.effect.Log
 import dev.profunktor.redis4cats.hlist._
-import scala.util.control.NoStackTrace
 
 object transactions {
 
@@ -28,7 +30,7 @@ object transactions {
   case object TransactionAborted extends TransactionError
   case object TransactionDiscarded extends TransactionError
 
-  case class RedisTransaction[F[_]: Concurrent: Log: Timer, K, V](
+  case class RedisTransaction[F[_]: Concurrent: Log: Parallel: Timer, K, V](
       cmd: RedisCommands[F, K, V]
   ) {
 
diff --git a/modules/tests/src/test/scala/dev/profunktor/redis4cats/TestScenarios.scala b/modules/tests/src/test/scala/dev/profunktor/redis4cats/TestScenarios.scala
index 5e980bb4..7d271bae 100644
--- a/modules/tests/src/test/scala/dev/profunktor/redis4cats/TestScenarios.scala
+++ b/modules/tests/src/test/scala/dev/profunktor/redis4cats/TestScenarios.scala
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ trait TestScenarios { self: FunSuite =>
     val key2 = "key2"
     for {
       x <- cmd.get(key1)
-      _ <- IO(assert(x.isEmpty))
+      _ <- IO(assertEquals(x, None))
       exist1 <- cmd.exists(key1)
       _ <- IO(assert(!exist1))
       idletime1 <- cmd.objectIdletime(key1)
@@ -408,8 +408,6 @@ trait TestScenarios { self: FunSuite =>
     }
   }
 
-  // With the current implementation (see `Runner#getTxDelay`), we cannot guarantee the commands
-  // are executed in order with the async API but only that the execution is either successful or failed.
   def transactionScenario(cmd: RedisCommands[IO, String, String]): IO[Unit] = {
     val key1 = "txtest1"
     val val1 = "osx"
@@ -419,24 +417,25 @@ trait TestScenarios { self: FunSuite =>
     val val3 = "linux"
     val del1 = "deleteme"
 
-    val operations = cmd.set(key1, val1) :: cmd.set(key2, val2) :: cmd.set(key3, val3) :: cmd.del(del1) :: HNil
+    val operations = cmd.set(key2, val2) :: cmd.get(key1) :: cmd.set(key3, val3) :: cmd.del(del1) :: HNil
 
-    for {
-      _ <- cmd.set(del1, "foo")
-      _ <- RedisTransaction(cmd).exec(operations).void
-      v1 <- cmd.get(key1)
-      v2 <- cmd.get(key2)
-      v3 <- cmd.get(key3)
-      d1 <- cmd.exists(del1)
-    } yield {
-      assertEquals(v1, Some(val1))
-      assertEquals(v2, Some(val2))
-      assertEquals(v3, Some(val3))
-      assert(!d1)
-    }
+    cmd.set(del1, "foo") >> cmd.set(key1, val1) >>
+      RedisTransaction(cmd)
+        .filterExec(operations)
+        .map {
+          case res1 ~: res2 ~: HNil =>
+            assertEquals(res1, Some(val1))
+            assertEquals(res2, 1L)
+        }
+        .flatMap { _ =>
+          (cmd.get(key2), cmd.get(key3)).mapN {
+            case (x, y) =>
+              assertEquals(x, Some(val2))
+              assertEquals(y, Some(val3))
+          }
+        }
   }
 
-  // cannot guarantee the order of execution with the async API
   def transactionDoubleSetScenario(cmd: RedisCommands[IO, String, String]): IO[Unit] = {
     val key = "txtest-double-set"
 
@@ -456,16 +455,7 @@ trait TestScenarios { self: FunSuite =>
     val commands = cmd.set(key1, "v1") :: cmd.set(key2, "v2") :: cmd.set("tx-3", "v3") :: HNil
 
     // We race it with a plain `IO.unit` so the transaction may or may not start at all but the result should be the same
-    val verifyKey1 =
-      IO.race(tx.exec(commands).attempt.void, IO.unit) >>
-          cmd.get(key1).map(assertEquals(_, None)) // no keys written
-
-    // We race it with a sleep to make sure the transaction gets time to start running
-    val verifyKey2 =
-      IO.race(tx.exec(commands).attempt.void, IO.sleep(20.millis).void) >>
-          cmd.get(key2).map(assertEquals(_, None)) // no keys written
-
-    verifyKey1 >> verifyKey2
+    IO.race(tx.exec(commands), IO.unit) >> cmd.get(key1).map(assertEquals(_, None)) // no keys written
   }
 
   def scriptsScenario(cmd: RedisCommands[IO, String, String]): IO[Unit] = {
diff --git a/site/docs/transactions.md b/site/docs/transactions.md
index 8dc1081f..c96f37fc 100644
--- a/site/docs/transactions.md
+++ b/site/docs/transactions.md
@@ -15,15 +15,9 @@ Note that every command has to be forked (`.start`) because the commands need to
 
 These are internals, though. All you need to care about is what commands you want to run as part of a transaction and handle the possible errors and retry logic.
 
-##### Write-only commands
-
-⚠️ Only writing commands such as `set`, `hset` and `del` are supported. Although using `get` as part of a transaction would compile, the result will be non-deterministic due to the asynchronous nature of the implementation. ⚠️
-
-In the future, this might be supported but the only way to get it right is either to use the underlying synchronous API or to use a custom `ExecutionContext` so we can control the order of execution as well as when a command has been effectively dispatched. Arguably, though, the most common cases for transactional commands and optimistic locking involve *only writing* for which the existing API should be good enough.
-
 ##### Concurrent transactions
 
-⚠️ if we want to run transactions concurrently, we need to acquire a connection per transaction (`RedisCommands`), as `MULTI` can not be called concurrently within the same connection, reason why it is recommended to share the same `RedisClient`. ⚠️
+⚠️ in order to run transactions concurrently, you'd need to acquire a connection per transaction (`RedisCommands`), as `MULTI` can not be called concurrently within the same connection. For such cases, it is recommended to share the same `RedisClient`. ⚠️
 
 ### Working with transactions
 
@@ -74,7 +68,7 @@ val showResult: String => Option[String] => IO[Unit] = key =>
 commandsApi.use { cmd => // RedisCommands[IO, String, String]
   val tx = RedisTransaction(cmd)
 
-  val setters = cmd.set(key3, "delete_me")
+  val setters = cmd.set(key2, "delete_me") >> cmd.set(key3, "foo")
 
   val getters =
     cmd.get(key1).flatTap(showResult(key1)) >>
@@ -82,15 +76,16 @@ commandsApi.use { cmd => // RedisCommands[IO, String, String]
 
   // the commands type is fully inferred
   // IO[Unit] :: IO[Option[String]] :: IO[Unit] :: HNil
-  val commands = cmd.set(key1, "foo") :: cmd.del(key2) :: cmd.set(key3, "bar") :: HNil
+  val commands = cmd.set(key1, "foo") :: cmd.del(key2) :: cmd.get(key3) :: HNil
 
   // the result type is inferred as well
   // Option[String] :: HNil
   val prog =
     tx.filterExec(commands)
       .flatMap {
-        case res ~: HNil =>
-          putStrLn(s"Key2 result: $res")
+        case res1 ~: res2 ~: HNil =>
+          putStrLn(s"Key2 result: $res1") >>
+            putStrLn(s"Key3 result: $res2")
       }
       .onError {
         case TransactionAborted =>
@@ -135,7 +130,7 @@ commandsApi.use { cmd =>
 }
 ```
 
-You should never pass a transactional command: `MULTI`, `EXEC` or `DISCARD`.
+You should never pass a transactional command: `MULTI`, `EXEC` or `DISCARD`. These commands are made available in case you want to handle transactions manually, which you should do *at your own risk*.
 
 The following example will result in a successful transaction on Redis. Yet, the operation will end up raising the error passed as a command.