diff --git a/tower-batch/src/service.rs b/tower-batch/src/service.rs
index bbe1e582c..176d63fa3 100644
--- a/tower-batch/src/service.rs
+++ b/tower-batch/src/service.rs
@@ -73,21 +73,44 @@ where
         T::Error: Send + Sync,
         Request: Send + 'static,
     {
+        let (batch, worker) = Self::pair(service, max_items, max_latency);
+        tokio::spawn(worker.run());
+        batch
+    }
+
+    /// Creates a new `Batch` wrapping `service`, but returns the background worker.
+    ///
+    /// This is useful if you do not want to spawn directly onto the `tokio`
+    /// runtime but instead want to use your own executor. This will return the
+    /// `Batch` and the background `Worker` that you can then spawn.
+    pub fn pair(
+        service: T,
+        max_items: usize,
+        max_latency: std::time::Duration,
+    ) -> (Self, Worker<T, Request>)
+    where
+        T: Send + 'static,
+        T::Error: Send + Sync,
+        Request: Send + 'static,
+    {
+        let (tx, rx) = mpsc::unbounded_channel();
+
         // The semaphore bound limits the maximum number of concurrent requests
         // (specifically, requests which got a `Ready` from `poll_ready`, but haven't
         // used their semaphore reservation in a `call` yet).
         // We choose a bound that allows callers to check readiness for every item in
         // a batch, then actually submit those items.
         let bound = max_items;
-        let (tx, rx) = mpsc::unbounded_channel();
-        let (handle, worker) = Worker::new(service, rx, max_items, max_latency);
-        tokio::spawn(worker.run());
         let semaphore = Semaphore::new(bound);
-        Batch {
+
+        let (handle, worker) = Worker::new(service, rx, max_items, max_latency);
+        let batch = Batch {
             tx,
             semaphore,
             handle,
-        }
+        };
+
+        (batch, worker)
     }
 
     fn get_worker_error(&self) -> crate::BoxError {