diff --git a/core/shared/src/main/scala/cats/effect/IO.scala b/core/shared/src/main/scala/cats/effect/IO.scala
index ed0491e842..dce5b2f69e 100644
--- a/core/shared/src/main/scala/cats/effect/IO.scala
+++ b/core/shared/src/main/scala/cats/effect/IO.scala
@@ -1471,7 +1471,16 @@ object IO extends IOCompanionPlatform with IOLowPriorityImplicits with TuplePara
   def async_[A](k: (Either[Throwable, A] => Unit) => Unit): IO[A] = {
     val body = new Cont[IO, A, A] {
       def apply[G[_]](implicit G: MonadCancel[G, Throwable]) = { (resume, get, lift) =>
-        G.uncancelable(_ => lift(IO.delay(k(resume))).flatMap(_ => get))
+        G.uncancelable(_ =>
+          try {
+            k(resume)
+            get
+          } catch {
+            case t if UnsafeNonFatal(t) =>
+              lift(IO.raiseError(t))
+            case t: Throwable =>
+              throw t
+          })
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/ioapp-tests/src/test/scala/IOAppSpec.scala b/ioapp-tests/src/test/scala/IOAppSpec.scala
index 7d0eff4e1a..8bd7dfa309 100644
--- a/ioapp-tests/src/test/scala/IOAppSpec.scala
+++ b/ioapp-tests/src/test/scala/IOAppSpec.scala
@@ -203,13 +203,6 @@ class IOAppSpec extends Specification {
         h.stdout() must not(contain("sadness"))
       }
 
-      "exit on raising a fatal error inside a map" in {
-        val h = platform("RaiseFatalErrorMap", List.empty)
-        h.awaitStatus() mustEqual 1
-        h.stderr() must contain("Boom!")
-        h.stdout() must not(contain("sadness"))
-      }
-
       "exit on raising a fatal error inside a flatMap" in {
         val h = platform("RaiseFatalErrorFlatMap", List.empty)
         h.awaitStatus() mustEqual 1
@@ -217,6 +210,30 @@ class IOAppSpec extends Specification {
         h.stdout() must not(contain("sadness"))
       }
 
+      "exit on fatal error from CompletableFuture" in {
+        if (platform == JVM) {
+          val h = platform("FatalErrorFromCompletableFuture", List.empty)
+          h.awaitStatus() mustEqual 1
+          h.stderr() must contain("Boom from CompletableFuture!")
+          h.stdout() must not(contain("sadness"))
+        } else {
+          // CompletableFuture is JVM-only
+          ok
+        }
+      }
+
+      "exit on fatal error from async_" in {
+        if (platform == JVM) {
+          val h = platform("FatalErrorFromAsync", List.empty)
+          h.awaitStatus() mustEqual 1
+          h.stderr() must contain("Boom from async!")
+          h.stdout() must not(contain("sadness"))
+        } else {
+          // Fatal error testing is JVM-only
+          ok
+        }
+      }
+
       "warn on global runtime collision" in {
         val h = platform("GlobalRacingInit", List.empty)
         h.awaitStatus() mustEqual 0
diff --git a/kernel/jvm/src/main/scala/cats/effect/kernel/AsyncPlatform.scala b/kernel/jvm/src/main/scala/cats/effect/kernel/AsyncPlatform.scala
index b0e6492770..6c8ac1665e 100644
--- a/kernel/jvm/src/main/scala/cats/effect/kernel/AsyncPlatform.scala
+++ b/kernel/jvm/src/main/scala/cats/effect/kernel/AsyncPlatform.scala
@@ -17,10 +17,18 @@
 package cats
 package effect.kernel
 
+import scala.util.control.ControlThrowable
+
 import java.util.concurrent.{CompletableFuture, CompletionException, CompletionStage}
 
 private[kernel] trait AsyncPlatform[F[_]] extends Serializable { this: Async[F] =>
 
+  private def isNonFatal(t: Throwable): Boolean = t match {
+    case _: VirtualMachineError | _: ThreadDeath | _: LinkageError | _: ControlThrowable =>
+      false
+    case _ => true
+  }
+
   def fromCompletionStage[A](completionStage: F[CompletionStage[A]]): F[A] =
     fromCompletableFuture(flatMap(completionStage) { cs => delay(cs.toCompletableFuture()) })
 
@@ -50,10 +58,15 @@ private[kernel] trait AsyncPlatform[F[_]] extends Serializable { this: Async[F]
                 cf.handle[Unit] {
                   case (a, null) => resume(Right(a))
                   case (_, t) =>
-                    resume(Left(t match {
+                    val actualThrowable = t match {
                       case e: CompletionException if e.getCause ne null => e.getCause
                       case _ => t
-                    }))
+                    }
+                    if (isNonFatal(actualThrowable)) {
+                      resume(Left(actualThrowable))
+                    } else {
+                      throw actualThrowable
+                    }
                 }
               }
 
diff --git a/tests/jvm/src/main/scala/catseffect/examplesplatform.scala b/tests/jvm/src/main/scala/catseffect/examplesplatform.scala
index fddb6e17e1..a0c9bb3f50 100644
--- a/tests/jvm/src/main/scala/catseffect/examplesplatform.scala
+++ b/tests/jvm/src/main/scala/catseffect/examplesplatform.scala
@@ -92,4 +92,24 @@ package examples {
     val run =
       IO.cede.foreverM.start >> IO(Thread.sleep(2.seconds.toMillis))
   }
+
+  object FatalErrorFromCompletableFuture extends IOApp {
+    def run(args: List[String]): IO[ExitCode] = {
+      import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture
+
+      IO.fromCompletableFuture(IO(CompletableFuture.runAsync(() => {
+        throw new OutOfMemoryError("Boom from CompletableFuture!")
+      })))
+        .flatMap(_ => IO.println("sadness"))
+        .as(ExitCode.Success)
+    }
+  }
+
+  object FatalErrorFromAsync extends IOApp {
+    def run(args: List[String]): IO[ExitCode] = {
+      IO.async_[Unit] { cb => cb(Left(new OutOfMemoryError("Boom from async!"))) }
+        .flatMap(_ => IO.println("sadness"))
+        .as(ExitCode.Success)
+    }
+  }
 }