diff --git a/action.ts b/action.ts
index 4043bd9..52f1450 100644
--- a/action.ts
+++ b/action.ts
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ export function* take(pattern: ActionPattern): Operation<Action> {
 
 export function* takeEvery<T>(
   pattern: ActionPattern,
-  op: (action: Action) => Operation<T>,
+  op: (action: AnyAction) => Operation<T>,
 ) {
   const fd = useActions(pattern);
   for (const action of yield* each(fd)) {
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ export function* takeEvery<T>(
 
 export function* takeLatest<T>(
   pattern: ActionPattern,
-  op: (action: Action) => Operation<T>,
+  op: (action: AnyAction) => Operation<T>,
 ) {
   const fd = useActions(pattern);
   let lastTask;
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ export function* takeLatest<T>(
 
 export function* takeLeading<T>(
   pattern: ActionPattern,
-  op: (action: Action) => Operation<T>,
+  op: (action: AnyAction) => Operation<T>,
 ) {
   while (true) {
     const action = yield* take(pattern);
diff --git a/query/api.ts b/query/api.ts
index 0678dbb..e6e2cd2 100644
--- a/query/api.ts
+++ b/query/api.ts
@@ -65,7 +65,11 @@ export function createApi<Ctx extends ApiCtx = ApiCtx>(
 
   return {
     use: thunks.use,
-    bootup: thunks.bootup,
+    /**
+     * @deprecated use `register()` instead
+     */
+    bootup: thunks.register,
+    register: thunks.register,
     create: thunks.create,
     routes: thunks.routes,
     reset: thunks.reset,
diff --git a/query/thunk.ts b/query/thunk.ts
index 65c36cc..fc29520 100644
--- a/query/thunk.ts
+++ b/query/thunk.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import { compose } from "../compose.ts";
-import type { ActionWithPayload, Next, Payload } from "../types.ts";
-import { keepAlive } from "../mod.ts";
-import { takeEvery } from "../action.ts";
+import type { ActionWithPayload, AnyAction, Next, Payload } from "../types.ts";
+import { ActionContext, createAction, put, takeEvery } from "../action.ts";
 import { isFn, isObject } from "./util.ts";
 import { createKey } from "./create-key.ts";
 import type {
@@ -14,12 +13,18 @@ import type {
   ThunkCtx,
 } from "./types.ts";
 import { API_ACTION_PREFIX } from "../action.ts";
-import { Callable, Ok, Operation } from "../deps.ts";
+import { Callable, Ok, Operation, Signal, spawn } from "../deps.ts";
+import { supervise } from "../fx/mod.ts";
+
+const registerThunk = createAction<Callable<unknown>>(
+  `${API_ACTION_PREFIX}REGISTER_THUNK`,
+);
 
 export interface ThunksApi<Ctx extends ThunkCtx> {
   use: (fn: Middleware<Ctx>) => void;
   routes: () => Middleware<Ctx>;
   bootup: Callable<void>;
+  register: Callable<void>;
   reset: () => void;
 
   /**
@@ -122,6 +127,7 @@ export function createThunks<Ctx extends ThunkCtx = ThunkCtx<any>>(
     supervisor?: Supervisor;
   } = { supervisor: takeEvery },
 ): ThunksApi<Ctx> {
+  let signal: Signal<AnyAction, void> | undefined = undefined;
   const middleware: Middleware<Ctx>[] = [];
   const visors: { [key: string]: Callable<unknown> } = {};
   const middlewareMap: { [key: string]: Middleware<Ctx> } = {};
@@ -198,13 +204,28 @@ export function createThunks<Ctx extends ThunkCtx = ThunkCtx<any>>(
     function* curVisor() {
       yield* tt(type, onApi);
     }
+    // if we have a signal that means the `register()` function has already been called
+    // so that means we can immediately register the thunk
+    if (signal) {
+      signal.send(registerThunk(curVisor));
+    }
     visors[name] = curVisor;
 
+    const errMsg =
+      `[${name}] is being called before its thunk has been registered. ` +
+      "Run `store.run(thunks.register)` where `thunks` is the name of your `createThunks` or `createApi` variable.";
+
     const actionFn = (options?: Ctx["payload"]) => {
+      if (!signal) {
+        console.error(errMsg);
+      }
       const key = createKey(name, options);
       return action({ name, key, options });
     };
     actionFn.run = (action?: unknown): Operation<Ctx> => {
+      if (!signal) {
+        console.error(errMsg);
+      }
       if (action && Object.hasOwn(action, "type")) {
         return onApi(action as ActionWithPayload<CreateActionPayload>);
       }
@@ -226,8 +247,27 @@ export function createThunks<Ctx extends ThunkCtx = ThunkCtx<any>>(
     return actionFn;
   }
 
+  function* watcher(action: ActionWithPayload<Callable<unknown>>) {
+    yield* supervise(action.payload)();
+  }
+
+  function* register() {
+    // cache the signal so we can use it when creating thunks after we
+    // have already called `register()`
+    signal = yield* ActionContext;
+
+    const task = yield* spawn(function* () {
+      yield* takeEvery(`${registerThunk}`, watcher as any);
+    });
+
+    // register any thunks already created
+    yield* put(Object.values(visors).map(registerThunk));
+
+    yield* task;
+  }
+
   function* bootup() {
-    yield* keepAlive(Object.values(visors));
+    yield* register();
   }
 
   function routes() {
@@ -255,7 +295,11 @@ export function createThunks<Ctx extends ThunkCtx = ThunkCtx<any>>(
     },
     create,
     routes,
+    /**
+     * @deprecated use `register()` instead
+     */
     bootup,
     reset: resetMdw,
+    register,
   };
 }
diff --git a/test.ts b/test.ts
index 88fa907..915a3a6 100644
--- a/test.ts
+++ b/test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 export { assert } from "https://deno.land/std@0.187.0/testing/asserts.ts";
 export {
+  afterAll,
+  beforeAll,
   beforeEach,
   describe,
   it,
diff --git a/test/create-key.test.ts b/test/create-key.test.ts
index 741b251..e9f929c 100644
--- a/test/create-key.test.ts
+++ b/test/create-key.test.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,25 @@
-import { describe, expect, it } from "../test.ts";
+import { afterAll, beforeAll, describe, expect, it } from "../test.ts";
 import { type ActionWithPayload, createApi } from "../mod.ts";
 
 const getKeyOf = (action: ActionWithPayload<{ key: string }>): string =>
   action.payload.key;
 
+const err = console.error;
+beforeAll(() => {
+  console.error = () => {};
+});
+
+afterAll(() => {
+  console.error = err;
+});
+
 const tests = describe("create-key");
 
 it(
   tests,
   "options object keys order for action key identity - 0: empty options",
   () => {
+    console.warn = () => {};
     const api = createApi();
     api.use(api.routes());
     // no param
diff --git a/test/thunk.test.ts b/test/thunk.test.ts
index 3e0705f..92bae05 100644
--- a/test/thunk.test.ts
+++ b/test/thunk.test.ts
@@ -505,3 +505,33 @@ it(tests, "should only call thunk once", () => {
   store.dispatch(action2());
   asserts.assertEquals(acc, "a");
 });
+
+it(tests, "should be able to create thunk after `register()`", () => {
+  const api = createThunks<RoboCtx>();
+  api.use(api.routes());
+  const store = createStore({ initialState: {} });
+  store.run(api.register);
+
+  let acc = "";
+  const action = api.create("/users", function* () {
+    acc += "a";
+  });
+  store.dispatch(action());
+  asserts.assertEquals(acc, "a");
+});
+
+it(tests, "should warn when calling thunk before registered", () => {
+  const err = console.error;
+  let called = false;
+  console.error = () => {
+    called = true;
+  };
+  const api = createThunks<RoboCtx>();
+  api.use(api.routes());
+  const store = createStore({ initialState: {} });
+
+  const action = api.create("/users");
+  store.dispatch(action());
+  asserts.assertEquals(called, true);
+  console.error = err;
+});