diff --git a/concurrency-limits-core/src/main/java/com/netflix/concurrency/limits/executors/BlockingAdaptiveExecutor.java b/concurrency-limits-core/src/main/java/com/netflix/concurrency/limits/executors/BlockingAdaptiveExecutor.java
index 8c06b51e..a76bef88 100644
--- a/concurrency-limits-core/src/main/java/com/netflix/concurrency/limits/executors/BlockingAdaptiveExecutor.java
+++ b/concurrency-limits-core/src/main/java/com/netflix/concurrency/limits/executors/BlockingAdaptiveExecutor.java
@@ -86,10 +86,12 @@ public Thread newThread(Runnable r) {
             }
 
             if (limiter == null) {
-                limiter = SimpleLimiter.newBuilder()
+                limiter = BlockingLimiter.wrap(SimpleLimiter.newBuilder()
                         .metricRegistry(metricRegistry)
                         .limit(AIMDLimit.newBuilder().build())
-                        .build();
+                        .build());
+            } else if (!(limiter instanceof BlockingLimiter)) {
+                limiter = BlockingLimiter.wrap(limiter);
             }
 
             return new BlockingAdaptiveExecutor(this);
diff --git a/concurrency-limits-core/src/test/java/com/netflix/concurrency/limits/executor/BlockingAdaptiveExecutorTest.java b/concurrency-limits-core/src/test/java/com/netflix/concurrency/limits/executor/BlockingAdaptiveExecutorTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7880328d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/concurrency-limits-core/src/test/java/com/netflix/concurrency/limits/executor/BlockingAdaptiveExecutorTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+package com.netflix.concurrency.limits.executor;
+
+import com.netflix.concurrency.limits.Limiter;
+import com.netflix.concurrency.limits.executors.BlockingAdaptiveExecutor;
+import com.netflix.concurrency.limits.limit.SettableLimit;
+import com.netflix.concurrency.limits.limiter.SimpleLimiter;
+import org.junit.Assert;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
+
+public class BlockingAdaptiveExecutorTest {
+
+    @Test
+    public void testBuilderWithNoLimiter() {
+        BlockingAdaptiveExecutor executor = BlockingAdaptiveExecutor.newBuilder().build();
+        AtomicBoolean executed = new AtomicBoolean(false);
+        executor.execute(() -> executed.set(true));
+
+        try {
+            Thread.sleep(100);
+        } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+            Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
+        }
+
+        Assert.assertTrue("Task should have been executed", executed.get());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testBuilderWithSimpleLimiter() throws InterruptedException {
+        SettableLimit limit = SettableLimit.startingAt(2);
+        Limiter<Void> simpleLimiter = SimpleLimiter.newBuilder()
+            .limit(limit)
+            .build();
+
+        BlockingAdaptiveExecutor executor = BlockingAdaptiveExecutor.newBuilder()
+            .limiter(simpleLimiter)
+            .build();
+
+        CountDownLatch taskStarted = new CountDownLatch(2);
+        CountDownLatch taskComplete = new CountDownLatch(1);
+        CountDownLatch thirdTaskComplete = new CountDownLatch(1);
+
+        for (int i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
+            executor.execute(() -> {
+                taskStarted.countDown();
+                try {
+                    taskComplete.await(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+                } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+                    Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
+                }
+            });
+        }
+
+        Assert.assertTrue("Tasks should start", taskStarted.await(1, TimeUnit.SECONDS));
+
+        AtomicBoolean thirdTaskStarted = new AtomicBoolean(false);
+        Thread blockedThread = new Thread(() ->
+            executor.execute(() -> {
+                thirdTaskStarted.set(true);
+                thirdTaskComplete.countDown();
+        }));
+
+        blockedThread.start();
+        Thread.sleep(200);
+
+        Assert.assertFalse("Third task should be blocked", thirdTaskStarted.get());
+
+        taskComplete.countDown();
+
+        Assert.assertTrue("Third task should eventually execute",
+                thirdTaskComplete.await(1, TimeUnit.SECONDS));
+    }
+
+}
diff --git a/concurrency-limits-servlet-jakarta/src/test/java/com/netflix/concurrency/limits/ConcurrencyLimitServletFilterSimulationTest.java b/concurrency-limits-servlet-jakarta/src/test/java/com/netflix/concurrency/limits/ConcurrencyLimitServletFilterSimulationTest.java
index 98fcc3b7..29cb42ce 100644
--- a/concurrency-limits-servlet-jakarta/src/test/java/com/netflix/concurrency/limits/ConcurrencyLimitServletFilterSimulationTest.java
+++ b/concurrency-limits-servlet-jakarta/src/test/java/com/netflix/concurrency/limits/ConcurrencyLimitServletFilterSimulationTest.java
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ public class ConcurrencyLimitServletFilterSimulationTest {
     @Ignore
     public void simulation() throws Exception {
         Limit limit = VegasLimit.newDefault();
-        BlockingAdaptiveExecutor executor = new BlockingAdaptiveExecutor(
-                SimpleLimiter.newBuilder().limit(limit).build());
+        BlockingAdaptiveExecutor executor = BlockingAdaptiveExecutor.newBuilder().limiter(
+              SimpleLimiter.newBuilder().limit(limit).build()).build();
         AtomicInteger errors = new AtomicInteger();
         AtomicInteger success = new AtomicInteger();
 
diff --git a/concurrency-limits-servlet/src/test/java/com/netflix/concurrency/limits/ConcurrencyLimitServletFilterSimulationTest.java b/concurrency-limits-servlet/src/test/java/com/netflix/concurrency/limits/ConcurrencyLimitServletFilterSimulationTest.java
index 0012a662..695b71a7 100644
--- a/concurrency-limits-servlet/src/test/java/com/netflix/concurrency/limits/ConcurrencyLimitServletFilterSimulationTest.java
+++ b/concurrency-limits-servlet/src/test/java/com/netflix/concurrency/limits/ConcurrencyLimitServletFilterSimulationTest.java
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ public class ConcurrencyLimitServletFilterSimulationTest {
     @Ignore
     public void simulation() throws Exception {
         Limit limit = VegasLimit.newDefault();
-        BlockingAdaptiveExecutor executor = new BlockingAdaptiveExecutor(
-                SimpleLimiter.newBuilder().limit(limit).build());
+        BlockingAdaptiveExecutor executor =  BlockingAdaptiveExecutor.newBuilder().limiter(
+                SimpleLimiter.newBuilder().limit(limit).build()).build();
         AtomicInteger errors = new AtomicInteger();
         AtomicInteger success = new AtomicInteger();