diff --git a/packages/svelte/src/compiler/phases/3-transform/client/visitors/CallExpression.js b/packages/svelte/src/compiler/phases/3-transform/client/visitors/CallExpression.js
index 532af08fd1..af3553861c 100644
--- a/packages/svelte/src/compiler/phases/3-transform/client/visitors/CallExpression.js
+++ b/packages/svelte/src/compiler/phases/3-transform/client/visitors/CallExpression.js
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ export function CallExpression(node, context) {
 			);
 
 		case '$effect.pending':
-			return b.call('$.get', b.id('$.pending'));
+			return b.call(b.id('$.pending'));
 
 		case '$inspect':
 		case '$inspect().with':
diff --git a/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/dom/blocks/async.js b/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/dom/blocks/async.js
index 4e9f7c2b93..339c05ded7 100644
--- a/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/dom/blocks/async.js
+++ b/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/dom/blocks/async.js
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ export async function async(node, expressions, fn) {
 	var restore = capture();
 	var boundary = get_pending_boundary();
 
-	boundary.increment();
+	boundary.update_pending_count(1);
 
 	try {
 		const result = await Promise.all(expressions.map((fn) => async_derived(fn)));
@@ -29,6 +29,6 @@ export async function async(node, expressions, fn) {
 	} catch (error) {
 		boundary.error(error);
 	} finally {
-		boundary.decrement();
+		boundary.update_pending_count(-1);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/dom/blocks/boundary.js b/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/dom/blocks/boundary.js
index a6dfc46057..e24d76800e 100644
--- a/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/dom/blocks/boundary.js
+++ b/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/dom/blocks/boundary.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { block, branch, destroy_effect, pause_effect } from '../../reactivity/ef
 import {
 	active_effect,
 	active_reaction,
+	get,
 	set_active_effect,
 	set_active_reaction
 } from '../../runtime.js';
@@ -24,6 +25,8 @@ import * as e from '../../../shared/errors.js';
 import { DEV } from 'esm-env';
 import { from_async_derived, set_from_async_derived } from '../../reactivity/deriveds.js';
 import { Batch } from '../../reactivity/batch.js';
+import { source, update } from '../../reactivity/sources.js';
+import { tag } from '../../dev/tracing.js';
 
 /**
  * @typedef {{
@@ -82,6 +85,8 @@ export class Boundary {
 	#pending_count = 0;
 	#is_creating_fallback = false;
 
+	effect_pending = source(0);
+
 	/**
 	 * @param {TemplateNode} node
 	 * @param {BoundaryProps} props
@@ -98,6 +103,10 @@ export class Boundary {
 
 		this.pending = !!this.#props.pending;
 
+		if (DEV) {
+			tag(this.effect_pending, '$effect.pending()');
+		}
+
 		this.#effect = block(() => {
 			/** @type {Effect} */ (active_effect).b = this;
 
@@ -210,19 +219,26 @@ export class Boundary {
 		}
 	}
 
-	increment() {
-		this.#pending_count++;
-	}
+	/** @param {1 | -1} d */
+	#update_pending_count(d) {
+		this.#pending_count += d;
 
-	decrement() {
-		if (--this.#pending_count === 0) {
+		if (this.#pending_count === 0) {
 			this.commit();
+		}
+	}
 
-			if (this.#main_effect !== null) {
-				// TODO do we also need to `resume_effect` here?
-				// schedule_effect(this.#main_effect);
-			}
+	/** @param {1 | -1} d */
+	update_pending_count(d) {
+		if (this.has_pending_snippet()) {
+			this.#update_pending_count(d);
+		} else if (this.parent) {
+			this.parent.#update_pending_count(d);
 		}
+
+		queueMicrotask(() => {
+			update(this.effect_pending, d);
+		});
 	}
 
 	/** @param {unknown} error */
@@ -373,10 +389,10 @@ export function capture(track = true) {
 export function suspend() {
 	let boundary = get_pending_boundary();
 
-	boundary.increment();
+	boundary.update_pending_count(1);
 
 	return function unsuspend() {
-		boundary.decrement();
+		boundary.update_pending_count(-1);
 	};
 }
 
@@ -401,3 +417,14 @@ function exit() {
 	set_active_reaction(null);
 	set_component_context(null);
 }
+
+export function pending() {
+	// TODO throw helpful error if called outside an effect
+	const boundary = /** @type {Effect} */ (active_effect).b;
+
+	if (boundary === null) {
+		return 0; // TODO eventually we will need this to be global
+	}
+
+	return get(boundary.effect_pending);
+}
diff --git a/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/index.js b/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/index.js
index c300f00b3d..8f3b86536d 100644
--- a/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/index.js
+++ b/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/index.js
@@ -115,15 +115,7 @@ export {
 	user_effect,
 	user_pre_effect
 } from './reactivity/effects.js';
-export {
-	mutable_source,
-	mutate,
-	pending,
-	set,
-	state,
-	update,
-	update_pre
-} from './reactivity/sources.js';
+export { mutable_source, mutate, set, state, update, update_pre } from './reactivity/sources.js';
 export {
 	prop,
 	rest_props,
@@ -143,7 +135,7 @@ export {
 	update_store,
 	mark_store_binding
 } from './reactivity/store.js';
-export { boundary, save, suspend } from './dom/blocks/boundary.js';
+export { boundary, pending, save, suspend } from './dom/blocks/boundary.js';
 export { set_text } from './render.js';
 export {
 	get,
diff --git a/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/reactivity/batch.js b/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/reactivity/batch.js
index d48d225a56..e51fab23f9 100644
--- a/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/reactivity/batch.js
+++ b/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/reactivity/batch.js
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@ import {
 	set_signal_status,
 	update_effect
 } from '../runtime.js';
-import { raf } from '../timing.js';
-import { internal_set, pending } from './sources.js';
 
 /** @type {Set<Batch>} */
 const batches = new Set();
@@ -19,11 +17,6 @@ const batches = new Set();
 /** @type {Batch | null} */
 export let current_batch = null;
 
-/** Update `$effect.pending()` */
-function update_pending() {
-	internal_set(pending, batches.size > 0);
-}
-
 /** @type {Map<Derived, any> | null} */
 export let batch_deriveds = null;
 
@@ -239,8 +232,6 @@ export class Batch {
 		}
 
 		this.#callbacks.clear();
-
-		raf.tick(update_pending);
 	}
 
 	increment() {
@@ -295,10 +286,6 @@ export class Batch {
 
 	static ensure() {
 		if (current_batch === null) {
-			if (batches.size === 0) {
-				raf.tick(update_pending);
-			}
-
 			const batch = (current_batch = new Batch());
 			batches.add(current_batch);
 
@@ -315,3 +302,13 @@ export class Batch {
 		return current_batch;
 	}
 }
+
+/**
+ * Forcibly remove all current batches
+ * TODO investigate why we need this in tests
+ */
+export function clear() {
+	for (const batch of batches) {
+		batch.remove();
+	}
+}
diff --git a/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/reactivity/deriveds.js b/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/reactivity/deriveds.js
index 6a7a6bd240..92fd7b18e6 100644
--- a/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/reactivity/deriveds.js
+++ b/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/reactivity/deriveds.js
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ import { destroy_effect, render_effect } from './effects.js';
 import { inspect_effects, internal_set, set_inspect_effects, source } from './sources.js';
 import { get_stack } from '../dev/tracing.js';
 import { tracing_mode_flag } from '../../flags/index.js';
-import { get_pending_boundary } from '../dom/blocks/boundary.js';
+import { Boundary, get_pending_boundary } from '../dom/blocks/boundary.js';
 import { component_context } from '../context.js';
 import { UNINITIALIZED } from '../../../constants.js';
 import { current_batch } from './batch.js';
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ export function async_derived(fn, location) {
 		throw new Error('TODO cannot create unowned async derived');
 	}
 
-	let boundary = get_pending_boundary();
+	var boundary = /** @type {Boundary} */ (parent.b);
 
 	var promise = /** @type {Promise<V>} */ (/** @type {unknown} */ (undefined));
 	var signal = source(/** @type {V} */ (UNINITIALIZED));
@@ -135,7 +135,8 @@ export function async_derived(fn, location) {
 		var pending = boundary.pending;
 
 		if (should_suspend) {
-			(pending ? boundary : batch).increment();
+			boundary.update_pending_count(1);
+			if (!pending) batch.increment();
 		}
 
 		/**
@@ -148,7 +149,8 @@ export function async_derived(fn, location) {
 			from_async_derived = null;
 
 			if (should_suspend) {
-				(pending ? boundary : batch).decrement();
+				boundary.update_pending_count(-1);
+				if (!pending) batch.decrement();
 			}
 
 			if (!pending) batch.restore();
diff --git a/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/reactivity/sources.js b/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/reactivity/sources.js
index 2300baed91..48c8ecf575 100644
--- a/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/reactivity/sources.js
+++ b/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/reactivity/sources.js
@@ -43,9 +43,6 @@ export let inspect_effects = new Set();
 /** @type {Map<Source, any>} */
 export const old_values = new Map();
 
-/** Internal representation of `$effect.pending()` */
-export let pending = source(false);
-
 /**
  * @param {Set<any>} v
  */
diff --git a/packages/svelte/tests/runtime-legacy/shared.ts b/packages/svelte/tests/runtime-legacy/shared.ts
index 25e89e7db8..4ccd602afc 100644
--- a/packages/svelte/tests/runtime-legacy/shared.ts
+++ b/packages/svelte/tests/runtime-legacy/shared.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { assert_html_equal, assert_html_equal_with_options } from '../html_equal
 import { raf } from '../animation-helpers.js';
 import type { CompileOptions } from '#compiler';
 import { suite_with_variants, type BaseTest } from '../suite.js';
+import { clear } from '../../src/internal/client/reactivity/batch.js';
 
 type Assert = typeof import('vitest').assert & {
 	htmlEqual(a: string, b: string, description?: string): void;
@@ -521,6 +522,8 @@ async function run_test_variant(
 		console.log = console_log;
 		console.warn = console_warn;
 		console.error = console_error;
+
+		clear();
 	}
 }