diff --git a/pyinfra/queue/queue_manager.py b/pyinfra/queue/queue_manager.py
index 135ea5e..c961de9 100644
--- a/pyinfra/queue/queue_manager.py
+++ b/pyinfra/queue/queue_manager.py
@@ -31,30 +31,38 @@ def _get_n_previous_attempts(props):
 
 class QueueManager(object):
     def __init__(self, config: Config):
-        connection_params = get_connection_params(config)
+        self.logger = logging.getLogger("queue_manager")
+        self.logger.setLevel(config.logging_level_root)
+
+        self._consumer_token = None
+
+        self._connection_params = get_connection_params(config)
+
+        self._input_queue = config.request_queue
+        self._output_queue = config.response_queue
+        self._dead_letter_queue = config.dead_letter_queue
 
         atexit.register(self.stop_consuming)
         signal.signal(signal.SIGTERM, self._handle_stop_signal)
         signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, self._handle_stop_signal)
 
-        self._connection = pika.BlockingConnection(parameters=connection_params)
+    def _open_channel(self):
+        self._connection = pika.BlockingConnection(parameters=self._connection_params)
         self._channel = self._connection.channel()
         self._channel.basic_qos(prefetch_count=1)
 
-        args = {"x-dead-letter-exchange": "", "x-dead-letter-routing-key": config.dead_letter_queue}
-
-        self._input_queue = config.request_queue
-        self._output_queue = config.response_queue
+        args = {"x-dead-letter-exchange": "", "x-dead-letter-routing-key": self._dead_letter_queue}
 
         self._channel.queue_declare(self._input_queue, arguments=args, auto_delete=False, durable=True)
         self._channel.queue_declare(self._output_queue, arguments=args, auto_delete=False, durable=True)
 
-        self._consumer_token = None
-
-        self.logger = logging.getLogger("queue_manager")
-        self.logger.setLevel(config.logging_level_root)
+    def _close_channel(self):
+        self._channel.close()
+        self._connection.close()
 
     def start_consuming(self, process_message_callback: Callable):
+        self._open_channel()
+
         callback = self._create_queue_callback(process_message_callback)
 
         self.logger.info("Consuming from queue")
@@ -63,18 +71,21 @@ class QueueManager(object):
             self._consumer_token = self._channel.basic_consume(self._input_queue, callback)
             self.logger.info(f"Registered with consumer-tag: {self._consumer_token}")
             self._channel.start_consuming()
+        except Exception as ex:
+            self.logger.warning(
+                f"An unexpected exception occurred while consuming messages.  Consuming will stop.\n{ex}"
+            )
         finally:
-            self.logger.warning("An unhandled exception occurred while consuming messages.  Consuming will stop.")
             self.stop_consuming()
 
     def stop_consuming(self):
         if self._consumer_token and self._connection:
             self.logger.info(f"Cancelling subscription for consumer-tag: {self._consumer_token}")
             self._channel.basic_cancel(self._consumer_token)
-            self._connection.close()
-
             self._consumer_token = None
 
+            self._close_channel()
+
     def _handle_stop_signal(self, signal_number, _stack_frame, *args, **kwargs):
         self.logger.info(f"Received signal {signal_number}")
         self.stop_consuming()