diff --git a/binlog_writer.go b/binlog_writer.go
index bc4447e3..6292700e 100644
--- a/binlog_writer.go
+++ b/binlog_writer.go
@@ -25,9 +25,20 @@ type BinlogWriter struct {
 	logger                 Logger
 }
 
-func (b *BinlogWriter) Run() {
+// Initialize allocates the event buffer channel and logger so that
+// BufferBinlogEvents can be called safely before Run() starts in its own
+// goroutine.  Ferry.NewBinlogWriter calls this automatically; external callers
+// that construct a BinlogWriter directly must call Initialize() before
+// registering BufferBinlogEvents as an event listener.
+func (b *BinlogWriter) Initialize() {
 	b.logger = LogWithField("tag", "binlog_writer")
 	b.binlogEventBuffer = make(chan DMLEvent, b.BatchSize)
+}
+
+func (b *BinlogWriter) Run() {
+	if b.binlogEventBuffer == nil {
+		panic("Initialize() has not been called prior to Run()")
+	}
 
 	batch := make([]DMLEvent, 0, b.BatchSize)
 	for {
diff --git a/ferry.go b/ferry.go
index 3cb35d69..9666576c 100644
--- a/ferry.go
+++ b/ferry.go
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ func (f *Ferry) newBinlogStreamer(db *sql.DB, dbConf *DatabaseConfig, schemaRewr
 func (f *Ferry) NewBinlogWriter() *BinlogWriter {
 	f.ensureInitialized()
 
-	return &BinlogWriter{
+	w := &BinlogWriter{
 		DB:               f.TargetDB,
 		DatabaseRewrites: f.Config.DatabaseRewrites,
 		TableRewrites:    f.Config.TableRewrites,
@@ -174,6 +174,8 @@ func (f *Ferry) NewBinlogWriter() *BinlogWriter {
 		ErrorHandler: f.ErrorHandler,
 		StateTracker: f.StateTracker,
 	}
+	w.Initialize()
+	return w
 }
 
 func (f *Ferry) NewBinlogWriterWithoutStateTracker() *BinlogWriter {
diff --git a/test/go/binlog_writer_test.go b/test/go/binlog_writer_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..83b7ba08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/go/binlog_writer_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+package test
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/Shopify/ghostferry"
+	"github.com/go-mysql-org/go-mysql/mysql"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+// stubDMLEvent satisfies the DMLEvent interface with no-op implementations.
+// It is only used to exercise the BinlogWriter buffer without needing a real
+// MySQL connection or a fully populated TableSchema.
+type stubDMLEvent struct{}
+
+func (e *stubDMLEvent) Database() string                        { return "db" }
+func (e *stubDMLEvent) Table() string                           { return "tbl" }
+func (e *stubDMLEvent) TableSchema() *ghostferry.TableSchema    { return nil }
+func (e *stubDMLEvent) AsSQLString(_, _ string) (string, error) { return "", nil }
+func (e *stubDMLEvent) OldValues() ghostferry.RowData           { return nil }
+func (e *stubDMLEvent) NewValues() ghostferry.RowData           { return nil }
+func (e *stubDMLEvent) PaginationKey() (string, error)          { return "", nil }
+func (e *stubDMLEvent) BinlogPosition() mysql.Position          { return mysql.Position{} }
+func (e *stubDMLEvent) ResumableBinlogPosition() mysql.Position { return mysql.Position{} }
+func (e *stubDMLEvent) Annotation() (string, error)             { return "", nil }
+func (e *stubDMLEvent) Timestamp() time.Time                    { return time.Time{} }
+
+// TestBinlogWriterBufferBinlogEventsBeforeRun verifies that BufferBinlogEvents
+// does not block when called before Run() has started in its own goroutine.
+//
+// Regression: BinlogWriter.Run() used to be the sole place that created the
+// binlogEventBuffer channel.  Ferry.Run() launches the writer and streamer
+// goroutines concurrently (ferry.go:733-745).  If the BinlogStreamer receives
+// a row event and calls BufferBinlogEvents before the writer goroutine
+// schedules and reaches the make() call, the send blocks forever on a nil
+// channel, hanging the test (and in production, the entire run).
+//
+// The fix: BinlogWriter.Initialize() creates the channel eagerly, and
+// Ferry.NewBinlogWriter() calls it before any goroutine is started.
+func TestBinlogWriterBufferBinlogEventsBeforeRun(t *testing.T) {
+	w := &ghostferry.BinlogWriter{
+		BatchSize: 10,
+	}
+	w.Initialize()
+
+	done := make(chan error, 1)
+	go func() {
+		done <- w.BufferBinlogEvents([]ghostferry.DMLEvent{&stubDMLEvent{}})
+	}()
+
+	select {
+	case err := <-done:
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal(fmt.Sprintf(
+			"BufferBinlogEvents blocked after Initialize() — nil channel race is not fixed",
+		))
+	}
+
+	// Drain the buffer so the goroutine above can exit cleanly.
+	w.Stop()
+}