diff --git a/src/connection.c b/src/connection.c
index d5641c0c..27c2021c 100644
--- a/src/connection.c
+++ b/src/connection.c
@@ -93,13 +93,19 @@ typedef struct client_queue_tag {
     struct client_queue_tag *next;
 } client_queue_entry_t;
 
-static spin_t _connection_lock; // protects _current_id, _con_queue, _con_queue_tail
+typedef struct {
+    client_queue_entry_t *head;
+    client_queue_entry_t **tail;
+    mutex_t mutex;
+} client_queue_t;
+
+static spin_t _connection_lock; // protects _current_id
 static volatile connection_id_t _current_id = 0;
 static int _initialized = 0;
 
-static volatile client_queue_entry_t *_req_queue = NULL, **_req_queue_tail = &_req_queue;
-static volatile client_queue_entry_t *_con_queue = NULL, **_con_queue_tail = &_con_queue;
-static volatile client_queue_entry_t *_body_queue = NULL, **_body_queue_tail = &_body_queue;
+static client_queue_t _request_queue;
+static client_queue_t _connection_queue;
+static client_queue_t _body_queue;
 static bool tls_ok = false;
 static tls_ctx_t *tls_ctx;
 
@@ -111,6 +117,54 @@ rwlock_t _source_shutdown_rwlock;
 static void _handle_connection(void);
 static void get_tls_certificate(ice_config_t *config);
 
+static void client_queue_init(client_queue_t *queue)
+{
+    memset(queue, 0, sizeof(*queue));
+    queue->tail = &(queue->head);
+    thread_mutex_create(&(queue->mutex));
+}
+
+static void client_queue_destroy(client_queue_t *queue)
+{
+    thread_mutex_destroy(&(queue->mutex));
+}
+
+static void client_queue_add(client_queue_t *queue, client_queue_entry_t *entry)
+{
+    thread_mutex_lock(&(queue->mutex));
+    *(queue->tail) = entry;
+    queue->tail = &(entry->next);
+    thread_mutex_unlock(&(queue->mutex));
+}
+
+static client_queue_entry_t * client_queue_shift(client_queue_t *queue, client_queue_entry_t *stop)
+{
+    client_queue_entry_t *ret;
+
+    thread_mutex_lock(&(queue->mutex));
+    ret = queue->head;
+    if (ret) {
+        if (ret == stop) {
+            ret = NULL;
+        } else {
+            queue->head = ret->next;
+            if (!queue->head) {
+                queue->tail = &(queue->head);
+            }
+            ret->next = NULL;
+        }
+    }
+    thread_mutex_unlock(&(queue->mutex));
+
+    return ret;
+}
+
+static bool client_queue_empty(client_queue_t *queue)
+{
+    /* No need to lock here as this is a point-in-time thing anyway */
+    return queue->head == NULL ? true : false;
+}
+
 void connection_initialize(void)
 {
     if (_initialized)
@@ -119,12 +173,9 @@ void connection_initialize(void)
     thread_spin_create (&_connection_lock);
     thread_mutex_create(&move_clients_mutex);
     thread_rwlock_create(&_source_shutdown_rwlock);
-    _req_queue = NULL;
-    _req_queue_tail = &_req_queue;
-    _con_queue = NULL;
-    _con_queue_tail = &_con_queue;
-    _body_queue = NULL;
-    _body_queue_tail = &_body_queue;
+    client_queue_init(&_request_queue);
+    client_queue_init(&_connection_queue);
+    client_queue_init(&_body_queue);
 
     _initialized = 1;
 }
@@ -141,6 +192,9 @@ void connection_shutdown(void)
     thread_rwlock_destroy(&_source_shutdown_rwlock);
     thread_spin_destroy (&_connection_lock);
     thread_mutex_destroy(&move_clients_mutex);
+    client_queue_destroy(&_request_queue);
+    client_queue_destroy(&_connection_queue);
+    client_queue_destroy(&_body_queue);
 
     _initialized = 0;
 }
@@ -391,161 +445,118 @@ int connection_read_put_back(connection_t *con, const void *buf, size_t len)
     }
 }
 
-/* add client to connection queue. At this point some header information
- * has been collected, so we now pass it onto the connection thread for
- * further processing
- */
-static void _add_connection(client_queue_entry_t *node)
+/* run along queue checking for any data that has come in or a timeout */
+static bool process_request_queue_one (client_queue_entry_t *node, int timeout)
 {
-    thread_spin_lock(&_connection_lock);
-    *_con_queue_tail = node;
-    _con_queue_tail = (volatile client_queue_entry_t **) &node->next;
-    thread_spin_unlock(&_connection_lock);
-}
+    client_t *client = node->client;
+    int len = PER_CLIENT_REFBUF_SIZE - 1 - node->offset;
+    char *buf = client->refbuf->data + node->offset;
 
+    ICECAST_LOG_DDEBUG("Checking on client %p", client);
 
-/* this returns queued clients for the connection thread. headers are
- * already provided, but need to be parsed.
- */
-static client_queue_entry_t *_get_connection(void)
-{
-    client_queue_entry_t *node = NULL;
-
-    thread_spin_lock(&_connection_lock);
-
-    if (_con_queue){
-        node = (client_queue_entry_t *)_con_queue;
-        _con_queue = node->next;
-        if (_con_queue == NULL)
-            _con_queue_tail = &_con_queue;
-        node->next = NULL;
+    if (client->con->tlsmode == ICECAST_TLSMODE_AUTO || client->con->tlsmode == ICECAST_TLSMODE_AUTO_NO_PLAIN) {
+        char peak;
+        if (recv(client->con->sock, &peak, 1, MSG_PEEK) == 1) {
+            if (peak == 0x16) { /* TLS Record Protocol Content type 0x16 == Handshake */
+                connection_uses_tls(client->con);
+            }
+        }
     }
 
-    thread_spin_unlock(&_connection_lock);
-    return node;
+    if (len > 0) {
+        if (client->con->con_time + timeout <= time(NULL)) {
+            len = 0;
+        } else {
+            len = client_read_bytes(client, buf, len);
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (len > 0 || node->shoutcast > 1) {
+        ssize_t stream_offset = -1;
+        int pass_it = 1;
+        char *ptr;
+
+        if (len < 0 && node->shoutcast > 1)
+            len = 0;
+
+        /* handle \n, \r\n and nsvcap which for some strange reason has
+         * EOL as \r\r\n */
+        node->offset += len;
+        client->refbuf->data[node->offset] = '\000';
+        do {
+            if (node->shoutcast == 1) {
+                /* password line */
+                if (strstr (client->refbuf->data, "\r\r\n") != NULL)
+                    break;
+                if (strstr (client->refbuf->data, "\r\n") != NULL)
+                    break;
+                if (strstr (client->refbuf->data, "\n") != NULL)
+                    break;
+            }
+            /* stream_offset refers to the start of any data sent after the
+             * http style headers, we don't want to lose those */
+            ptr = strstr(client->refbuf->data, "\r\r\n\r\r\n");
+            if (ptr) {
+                stream_offset = (ptr+6) - client->refbuf->data;
+                break;
+            }
+            ptr = strstr(client->refbuf->data, "\r\n\r\n");
+            if (ptr) {
+                stream_offset = (ptr+4) - client->refbuf->data;
+                break;
+            }
+            ptr = strstr(client->refbuf->data, "\n\n");
+            if (ptr) {
+                stream_offset = (ptr+2) - client->refbuf->data;
+                break;
+            }
+            pass_it = 0;
+        } while (0);
+
+        ICECAST_LOG_DDEBUG("pass_it=%i, len=%i", pass_it, (int)len);
+        ICECAST_LOG_DDEBUG("Client %p has buffer: %H", client, client->refbuf->data);
+
+        if (pass_it) {
+            if (stream_offset != -1) {
+                connection_read_put_back(client->con, client->refbuf->data + stream_offset, node->offset - stream_offset);
+                node->offset = stream_offset;
+            }
+            client_queue_add(&_connection_queue, node);
+            return true;
+        }
+    } else {
+        if (len == 0 || client->con->error) {
+            client_destroy(client);
+            free(node);
+            return true;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return false;
 }
 
-
-/* run along queue checking for any data that has come in or a timeout */
 static void process_request_queue (void)
 {
-    client_queue_entry_t **node_ref = (client_queue_entry_t **)&_req_queue;
+    client_queue_entry_t *stop = NULL;
+    client_queue_entry_t *node;
     ice_config_t *config;
     int timeout;
-    char peak;
 
     config = config_get_config();
     timeout = config->header_timeout;
     config_release_config();
 
-    while (*node_ref) {
-        client_queue_entry_t *node = *node_ref;
-        client_t *client = node->client;
-        int len = PER_CLIENT_REFBUF_SIZE - 1 - node->offset;
-        char *buf = client->refbuf->data + node->offset;
-
-        ICECAST_LOG_DDEBUG("Checking on client %p", client);
-
-        if (client->con->tlsmode == ICECAST_TLSMODE_AUTO || client->con->tlsmode == ICECAST_TLSMODE_AUTO_NO_PLAIN) {
-            if (recv(client->con->sock, &peak, 1, MSG_PEEK) == 1) {
-                if (peak == 0x16) { /* TLS Record Protocol Content type 0x16 == Handshake */
-                    connection_uses_tls(client->con);
-                }
-            }
+    while ((node = client_queue_shift(&_request_queue, stop))) {
+        if (!process_request_queue_one(node, timeout)) {
+            client_queue_add(&_request_queue, node);
+            if (!stop)
+                stop = node;
         }
-
-        if (len > 0) {
-            if (client->con->con_time + timeout <= time(NULL)) {
-                len = 0;
-            } else {
-                len = client_read_bytes(client, buf, len);
-            }
-        }
-
-        if (len > 0 || node->shoutcast > 1) {
-            ssize_t stream_offset = -1;
-            int pass_it = 1;
-            char *ptr;
-
-            if (len < 0 && node->shoutcast > 1)
-                len = 0;
-
-            /* handle \n, \r\n and nsvcap which for some strange reason has
-             * EOL as \r\r\n */
-            node->offset += len;
-            client->refbuf->data[node->offset] = '\000';
-            do {
-                if (node->shoutcast == 1) {
-                    /* password line */
-                    if (strstr (client->refbuf->data, "\r\r\n") != NULL)
-                        break;
-                    if (strstr (client->refbuf->data, "\r\n") != NULL)
-                        break;
-                    if (strstr (client->refbuf->data, "\n") != NULL)
-                        break;
-                }
-                /* stream_offset refers to the start of any data sent after the
-                 * http style headers, we don't want to lose those */
-                ptr = strstr(client->refbuf->data, "\r\r\n\r\r\n");
-                if (ptr) {
-                    stream_offset = (ptr+6) - client->refbuf->data;
-                    break;
-                }
-                ptr = strstr(client->refbuf->data, "\r\n\r\n");
-                if (ptr) {
-                    stream_offset = (ptr+4) - client->refbuf->data;
-                    break;
-                }
-                ptr = strstr(client->refbuf->data, "\n\n");
-                if (ptr) {
-                    stream_offset = (ptr+2) - client->refbuf->data;
-                    break;
-                }
-                pass_it = 0;
-            } while (0);
-
-            ICECAST_LOG_DDEBUG("pass_it=%i, len=%i", pass_it, (int)len);
-            ICECAST_LOG_DDEBUG("Client %p has buffer: %H", client, client->refbuf->data);
-
-            if (pass_it) {
-                if (stream_offset != -1) {
-                    connection_read_put_back(client->con, client->refbuf->data + stream_offset, node->offset - stream_offset);
-                    node->offset = stream_offset;
-                }
-                if ((client_queue_entry_t **)_req_queue_tail == &(node->next))
-                    _req_queue_tail = (volatile client_queue_entry_t **)node_ref;
-                *node_ref = node->next;
-                node->next = NULL;
-                _add_connection(node);
-                continue;
-            }
-        } else {
-            if (len == 0 || client->con->error) {
-                if ((client_queue_entry_t **)_req_queue_tail == &node->next)
-                    _req_queue_tail = (volatile client_queue_entry_t **)node_ref;
-                *node_ref = node->next;
-                client_destroy(client);
-                free(node);
-                continue;
-            }
-        }
-        node_ref = &node->next;
     }
+
     _handle_connection();
 }
 
-/* add client to body queue.
- */
-static void _add_body_client(client_queue_entry_t *node)
-{
-    ICECAST_LOG_DEBUG("Putting client %p in body queue.", node->client);
-
-    thread_spin_lock(&_connection_lock);
-    *_body_queue_tail = node;
-    _body_queue_tail = (volatile client_queue_entry_t **) &node->next;
-    thread_spin_unlock(&_connection_lock);
-}
-
 static client_slurp_result_t process_request_body_queue_one(client_queue_entry_t *node, time_t timeout, size_t body_size_limit)
 {
         client_t *client = node->client;
@@ -586,22 +597,20 @@ static client_slurp_result_t process_request_body_queue_one(client_queue_entry_t
 /* This queue reads data from the body of clients. */
 static void process_request_body_queue (void)
 {
-    client_queue_entry_t **node_ref = (client_queue_entry_t **)&_body_queue;
+    client_queue_entry_t *stop = NULL;
+    client_queue_entry_t *node;
     ice_config_t *config;
     time_t timeout;
     size_t body_size_limit;
 
     ICECAST_LOG_DDEBUG("Processing body queue.");
 
-    ICECAST_LOG_DDEBUG("_body_queue=%p, &_body_queue=%p, _body_queue_tail=%p", _body_queue, &_body_queue, _body_queue_tail);
-
     config = config_get_config();
     timeout = time(NULL) - config->body_timeout;
     body_size_limit = config->body_size_limit;
     config_release_config();
 
-    while (*node_ref) {
-        client_queue_entry_t *node = *node_ref;
+    while ((node = client_queue_shift(&_body_queue, stop))) {
         client_t *client = node->client;
         client_slurp_result_t res;
 
@@ -611,29 +620,19 @@ static void process_request_body_queue (void)
 
         res = process_request_body_queue_one(node, timeout, body_size_limit);
 
-        if (res != CLIENT_SLURP_NEEDS_MORE_DATA) {
+        if (res == CLIENT_SLURP_NEEDS_MORE_DATA) {
+            client_queue_add(&_body_queue, node);
+            if (!stop)
+                stop = node;
+        } else {
             ICECAST_LOG_DEBUG("Putting client %p back in connection queue.", client);
 
-            if ((client_queue_entry_t **)_body_queue_tail == &(node->next))
-                _body_queue_tail = (volatile client_queue_entry_t **)node_ref;
-            *node_ref = node->next;
-            node->next = NULL;
-            _add_connection(node);
+            client_queue_add(&_connection_queue, node);
             continue;
         }
-        node_ref = &node->next;
     }
 }
 
-/* add node to the queue of requests. This is where the clients are when
- * initial http details are read.
- */
-static void _add_request_queue(client_queue_entry_t *node)
-{
-    *_req_queue_tail = node;
-    _req_queue_tail = (volatile client_queue_entry_t **)&node->next;
-}
-
 static client_queue_entry_t *create_client_node(client_t *client)
 {
     client_queue_entry_t *node = calloc (1, sizeof (client_queue_entry_t));
@@ -692,7 +691,7 @@ void connection_queue(connection_t *con)
         return;
     }
 
-    _add_request_queue(node);
+    client_queue_add(&_request_queue, node);
     stats_event_inc(NULL, "connections");
 }
 
@@ -713,7 +712,7 @@ void connection_accept_loop(void)
             connection_queue(con);
             duration = 5;
         } else {
-            if (_req_queue == NULL)
+            if (client_queue_empty(&_request_queue) && client_queue_empty(&_body_queue))
                 duration = 300; /* use longer timeouts when nothing waiting */
         }
         process_request_queue();
@@ -863,7 +862,7 @@ static void _handle_shoutcast_compatible(client_queue_entry_t *node)
         memmove(client->refbuf->data, headers, node->offset+1);
         node->shoutcast = 2;
         /* we've checked the password, now send it back for reading headers */
-        _add_request_queue(node);
+        client_queue_add(&_request_queue, node);
         ICECAST_LOG_DDEBUG("Client %p re-added to request queue", client);
         return;
     }
@@ -937,7 +936,7 @@ static void _handle_connection(void)
     client_queue_entry_t *node;
 
     while (1) {
-        node = _get_connection();
+        node = client_queue_shift(&_connection_queue, NULL);
         if (node) {
             client_t *client = node->client;
             int already_parsed = 0;
@@ -964,7 +963,7 @@ static void _handle_connection(void)
                 /* early check if we need more data */
                 client_complete(client);
                 if (_need_body(node)) {
-                    /* Just calling _add_body_client() would do the job.
+                    /* Just calling client_queue_add(&_body_queue, node) would do the job.
                      * However, if the client only has a small body this might work without moving it between queues.
                      * -> much faster.
                      */
@@ -980,7 +979,8 @@ static void _handle_connection(void)
 
                     res = process_request_body_queue_one(node, timeout, body_size_limit);
                     if (res != CLIENT_SLURP_SUCCESS) {
-                        _add_body_client(node);
+                        ICECAST_LOG_DEBUG("Putting client %p in body queue.", client);
+                        client_queue_add(&_body_queue, node);
                         continue;
                     } else {
                         ICECAST_LOG_DEBUG("Success on fast lane");
@@ -1080,5 +1080,5 @@ void connection_close(connection_t *con)
 void connection_queue_client(client_t *client)
 {
     client_queue_entry_t *node = create_client_node(client);
-    _add_connection(node);
+    client_queue_add(&_connection_queue, node);
 }