diff --git a/app/vmalert/Makefile b/app/vmalert/Makefile
index d49984ddfe..0d94393985 100644
--- a/app/vmalert/Makefile
+++ b/app/vmalert/Makefile
@@ -52,7 +52,9 @@ publish-vmalert:
 	APP_NAME=vmalert $(MAKE) publish-via-docker
 
 test-vmalert:
-	go test -race -cover ./app/vmalert
+	go test -v -race -cover ./app/vmalert -loggerLevel=ERROR
+	go test -v -race -cover ./app/vmalert/datasource
+	go test -v -race -cover ./app/vmalert/notifier
 
 run-vmalert: vmalert
 	./bin/vmalert -rule=app/vmalert/testdata/rules0-good.rules \
diff --git a/app/vmalert/config.go b/app/vmalert/config.go
index e46c0c4978..b84e7044d6 100644
--- a/app/vmalert/config.go
+++ b/app/vmalert/config.go
@@ -32,8 +32,9 @@ func Parse(pathPatterns []string, validateAnnotations bool) ([]Group, error) {
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("one file can not contain groups with the same name %s, filepath:%s", g.Name, file)
 			}
 			g.File = file
-			g.done = make(chan struct{})
-			g.finished = make(chan struct{})
+			g.doneCh = make(chan struct{})
+			g.finishedCh = make(chan struct{})
+			g.updateCh = make(chan Group)
 
 			groupsNames[g.Name] = struct{}{}
 			for _, rule := range g.Rules {
diff --git a/app/vmalert/group.go b/app/vmalert/group.go
index d4713496f9..f666c69341 100644
--- a/app/vmalert/group.go
+++ b/app/vmalert/group.go
@@ -19,13 +19,16 @@ type Group struct {
 	File  string
 	Rules []*Rule
 
-	done     chan struct{}
-	finished chan struct{}
+	doneCh     chan struct{}
+	finishedCh chan struct{}
+	// channel accepts new Group obj
+	// which supposed to update current group
+	updateCh chan Group
 }
 
 // ID return unique group ID that consists of
 // rules file and group name
-func (g Group) ID() uint64 {
+func (g *Group) ID() uint64 {
 	hash := fnv.New64a()
 	hash.Write([]byte(g.File))
 	hash.Write([]byte("\xff"))
@@ -47,8 +50,8 @@ func (g *Group) Restore(ctx context.Context, q datasource.Querier, lookback time
 }
 
 // updateWith updates existing group with
-// passed group object. Must be called
-// under mutex lock.
+// passed group object.
+// Not thread-safe.
 func (g *Group) updateWith(newGroup Group) {
 	rulesRegistry := make(map[string]*Rule)
 	for _, nr := range newGroup.Rules {
@@ -106,11 +109,11 @@ var (
 )
 
 func (g *Group) close() {
-	if g.done == nil {
+	if g.doneCh == nil {
 		return
 	}
-	close(g.done)
-	<-g.finished
+	close(g.doneCh)
+	<-g.finishedCh
 }
 
 func (g *Group) start(ctx context.Context, interval time.Duration,
@@ -122,12 +125,14 @@ func (g *Group) start(ctx context.Context, interval time.Duration,
 		select {
 		case <-ctx.Done():
 			logger.Infof("group %q: context cancelled", g.Name)
-			close(g.finished)
+			close(g.finishedCh)
 			return
-		case <-g.done:
+		case <-g.doneCh:
 			logger.Infof("group %q: received stop signal", g.Name)
-			close(g.finished)
+			close(g.finishedCh)
 			return
+		case ng := <-g.updateCh:
+			g.updateWith(ng)
 		case <-t.C:
 			iterationTotal.Inc()
 			iterationStart := time.Now()
diff --git a/app/vmalert/manager.go b/app/vmalert/manager.go
index 38504fd52c..4429ca8d30 100644
--- a/app/vmalert/manager.go
+++ b/app/vmalert/manager.go
@@ -87,8 +87,7 @@ func (m *manager) update(ctx context.Context, path []string, validate, restore b
 
 	m.groupsMu.Lock()
 	for _, og := range m.groups {
-		id := og.ID()
-		ng, ok := groupsRegistry[id]
+		ng, ok := groupsRegistry[og.ID()]
 		if !ok {
 			// old group is not present in new list
 			// and must be stopped and deleted
@@ -97,7 +96,7 @@ func (m *manager) update(ctx context.Context, path []string, validate, restore b
 			og = nil
 			continue
 		}
-		og.updateWith(ng)
+		og.updateCh <- ng
 		delete(groupsRegistry, ng.ID())
 	}
 
diff --git a/app/vmalert/manager_test.go b/app/vmalert/manager_test.go
index afe30d5b73..1e96e6b493 100644
--- a/app/vmalert/manager_test.go
+++ b/app/vmalert/manager_test.go
@@ -26,24 +26,35 @@ func TestManagerUpdateError(t *testing.T) {
 // execution of configuration update.
 // Should be executed with -race flag
 func TestManagerUpdateConcurrent(t *testing.T) {
-	m := &manager{groups: make(map[uint64]*Group)}
+	m := &manager{
+		groups:   make(map[uint64]*Group),
+		storage:  &fakeQuerier{},
+		notifier: &fakeNotifier{},
+	}
 	paths := []string{
 		"testdata/dir/rules0-good.rules",
 		"testdata/dir/rules1-good.rules",
 		"testdata/rules0-good.rules",
 	}
+	*evaluationInterval = time.Millisecond
+	if err := m.start(context.Background(), []string{paths[0]}, true); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to start: %s", err)
+	}
 
-	const n = 500
+	const workers = 500
+	const iterations = 10
 	wg := sync.WaitGroup{}
-	wg.Add(n)
-	for i := 0; i < n; i++ {
+	wg.Add(workers)
+	for i := 0; i < workers; i++ {
 		go func() {
 			defer wg.Done()
-			rnd := rand.Intn(len(paths))
-			path := []string{paths[rnd]}
-			err := m.update(context.Background(), path, true, false)
-			if err != nil {
-				t.Errorf("update error: %s", err)
+			for i := 0; i < iterations; i++ {
+				rnd := rand.Intn(len(paths))
+				path := []string{paths[rnd]}
+				err := m.update(context.Background(), path, true, false)
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Errorf("update error: %s", err)
+				}
 			}
 		}()
 	}
@@ -111,7 +122,7 @@ func TestManagerUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.TODO())
-			m := &manager{groups: make(map[uint64]*Group)}
+			m := &manager{groups: make(map[uint64]*Group), storage: &fakeQuerier{}}
 			path := []string{tc.initPath}
 			if err := m.update(ctx, path, true, false); err != nil {
 				t.Fatalf("failed to complete initial rules update: %s", err)