diff --git a/src/adaptors/tcp/tcp_adaptor.c b/src/adaptors/tcp/tcp_adaptor.c
index 812896999..8deac62a7 100644
--- a/src/adaptors/tcp/tcp_adaptor.c
+++ b/src/adaptors/tcp/tcp_adaptor.c
@@ -499,8 +499,14 @@ static void free_connection_IO(void *context)
         if (conn->common.parent->context_type == TL_LISTENER) {
             qd_tcp_listener_t *listener = (qd_tcp_listener_t*) conn->common.parent;
             sys_mutex_lock(&listener->lock);
-            DEQ_REMOVE(listener->connections, conn);
             listener->connections_closed++;
+            if (IS_ATOMIC_FLAG_SET(&listener->closing)) {
+                // Wake up the next conn on the list to get it closed
+                qd_tcp_connection_t *next_conn = DEQ_NEXT(conn);
+                if (!!next_conn)
+                    pn_raw_connection_wake(next_conn->raw_conn);
+            }
+            DEQ_REMOVE(listener->connections, conn);
             sys_mutex_unlock(&listener->lock);
             //
             // Call listener decref when a connection associated with the listener is removed (DEQ_REMOVE(listener->connections, conn))
@@ -511,6 +517,12 @@ static void free_connection_IO(void *context)
             qd_tcp_connector_t *connector = (qd_tcp_connector_t*) conn->common.parent;
             sys_mutex_lock(&connector->lock);
             connector->connections_closed++;
+            if (IS_ATOMIC_FLAG_SET(&connector->closing)) {
+                // Wake up the next conn on the list to get it closed
+                qd_tcp_connection_t *next_conn = DEQ_NEXT(conn);
+                if (!!next_conn)
+                    pn_raw_connection_wake(next_conn->raw_conn);
+            }
             DEQ_REMOVE(connector->connections, conn);
             sys_mutex_unlock(&connector->lock);
             //
@@ -1222,6 +1234,9 @@ static uint64_t handle_first_outbound_delivery_CSIDE(qd_tcp_connector_t *connect
     conn->context.context = conn;
     conn->context.handler = on_connection_event_CSIDE_IO;
 
+    conn->raw_conn = pn_raw_connection();
+    pn_raw_connection_set_context(conn->raw_conn, &conn->context);
+
     sys_mutex_lock(&connector->lock);
     DEQ_INSERT_TAIL(connector->connections, conn);
     connector->connections_opened++;
@@ -1229,9 +1244,6 @@ static uint64_t handle_first_outbound_delivery_CSIDE(qd_tcp_connector_t *connect
     vflow_set_ref_from_record(conn->common.vflow, VFLOW_ATTRIBUTE_CONNECTOR, connector->common.vflow);
     sys_mutex_unlock(&connector->lock);
 
-    conn->raw_conn = pn_raw_connection();
-    pn_raw_connection_set_context(conn->raw_conn, &conn->context);
-
     //
     // The raw connection establishment must be the last thing done in this function.
     // After this call, a separate IO thread may immediately be invoked in the context
@@ -2047,18 +2059,19 @@ static void on_accept(qd_adaptor_listener_t *adaptor_listener, pn_listener_t *pn
     conn->context.context = conn;
     conn->context.handler = on_connection_event_LSIDE_IO;
 
+    conn->raw_conn = pn_raw_connection();
+    pn_raw_connection_set_context(conn->raw_conn, &conn->context);
+
+    if (listener->protocol_observer) {
+        conn->observer_handle = qdpo_begin(listener->protocol_observer, conn->common.vflow, conn, conn->conn_id);
+    }
+
     sys_mutex_lock(&listener->lock);
     DEQ_INSERT_TAIL(listener->connections, conn);
     listener->connections_opened++;
     vflow_set_uint64(listener->common.vflow, VFLOW_ATTRIBUTE_FLOW_COUNT_L4, listener->connections_opened);
     sys_mutex_unlock(&listener->lock);
 
-    if (listener->protocol_observer) {
-        conn->observer_handle = qdpo_begin(listener->protocol_observer, conn->common.vflow, conn, conn->conn_id);
-    }
-
-    conn->raw_conn = pn_raw_connection();
-    pn_raw_connection_set_context(conn->raw_conn, &conn->context);
     // Note: this will trigger the connection's event handler on another thread:
     pn_listener_raw_accept(pn_listener, conn->raw_conn);
 }
@@ -2405,10 +2418,8 @@ QD_EXPORT void qd_dispatch_delete_tcp_listener(qd_dispatch_t *qd, void *impl)
             sys_mutex_lock(&listener->lock);
             SET_ATOMIC_FLAG(&listener->closing);
             qd_tcp_connection_t *conn = DEQ_HEAD(listener->connections);
-            while (conn) {
+            if (conn)
                 pn_raw_connection_wake(conn->raw_conn);
-                conn = DEQ_NEXT(conn);
-            }
             sys_mutex_unlock(&listener->lock);
         }
         //
@@ -2447,10 +2458,8 @@ QD_EXPORT void qd_dispatch_delete_tcp_connector(qd_dispatch_t *qd, void *impl)
             sys_mutex_lock(&connector->lock);
             SET_ATOMIC_FLAG(&connector->closing);
             qd_tcp_connection_t *conn = DEQ_HEAD(connector->connections);
-            while (conn) {
+            if (conn)
                 pn_raw_connection_wake(conn->raw_conn);
-                conn = DEQ_NEXT(conn);
-            }
             sys_mutex_unlock(&connector->lock);
         }
         //