diff --git a/google/cloud/internal/default_completion_queue_impl.cc b/google/cloud/internal/default_completion_queue_impl.cc
index 84d615ba27025..0cfd08aecb703 100644
--- a/google/cloud/internal/default_completion_queue_impl.cc
+++ b/google/cloud/internal/default_completion_queue_impl.cc
@@ -64,12 +64,25 @@ class AsyncTimerFuture : public AsyncGrpcOperation {
 
   void Set(grpc::CompletionQueue& cq,
            std::chrono::system_clock::time_point deadline, void* tag) {
+    std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lk(mu_);
+    if (state_ != kIdle) return;
     deadline_ = deadline;
+    state_ = kSet;
     alarm_.Set(&cq, deadline, tag);
   }
 
   void Cancel() override {
     ScopedCallContext scope(call_context_);
+    std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lk(mu_);
+    if (state_ == kCancelled) return;
+    if (state_ == kIdle) {
+      state_ = kCancelled;
+      lk.unlock();
+      // Release the lock before (potentially) calling application code.
+      promise_.set_value(Cancelled());
+      return;
+    }
+    state_ = kCancelled;
     alarm_.Cancel();
   }
 
@@ -78,18 +91,22 @@ class AsyncTimerFuture : public AsyncGrpcOperation {
 
   bool Notify(bool ok) override {
     ScopedCallContext scope(call_context_);
-    promise_.set_value(ok ? ValueType(deadline_) : Canceled());
+    promise_.set_value(ok ? ValueType(deadline_) : Cancelled());
     return true;
   }
 
-  static ValueType Canceled() {
+  static ValueType Cancelled() {
     return Status{StatusCode::kCancelled, "timer canceled"};
   }
 
+  enum State { kIdle, kSet, kCancelled };
+
   promise<ValueType> promise_;
   std::chrono::system_clock::time_point deadline_;
-  grpc::Alarm alarm_;
   CallContext call_context_;
+  std::mutex mu_;
+  State state_ = kIdle;
+  grpc::Alarm alarm_;
 };
 
 }  // namespace
@@ -190,11 +207,9 @@ void DefaultCompletionQueueImpl::Run() {
 }
 
 void DefaultCompletionQueueImpl::Shutdown() {
-  {
-    std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lk(mu_);
-    shutdown_ = true;
-    shutdown_guard_.reset();
-  }
+  std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lk(mu_);
+  shutdown_ = true;
+  shutdown_guard_.reset();
 }
 
 void DefaultCompletionQueueImpl::CancelAll() {