diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetclient.c b/src/rpc/virnetclient.c
index d88288d920..3a60db62d7 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetclient.c
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetclient.c
@@ -1265,6 +1265,13 @@ static void virNetClientIOEventLoopPassTheBuck(virNetClientPtr client, virNetCli
     }
     client->haveTheBuck = false;
 
+    /* Remove non-blocking calls from the dispatch list since there is no
+     * call with a thread in the list which could take care of them.
+     */
+    virNetClientCallRemovePredicate(&client->waitDispatch,
+                                    virNetClientIOEventLoopRemoveNonBlocking,
+                                    thiscall);
+
     VIR_DEBUG("No thread to pass the buck to");
     if (client->wantClose) {
         virNetClientCloseLocked(client);
@@ -1308,12 +1315,9 @@ static int virNetClientIOEventLoop(virNetClientPtr client,
         if (virNetSocketHasCachedData(client->sock) || client->wantClose)
             timeout = 0;
 
-        /* If there are any non-blocking calls in the queue,
-         * then we don't want to sleep in poll()
+        /* If we are non-blocking, we don't want to sleep in poll()
          */
-        if (virNetClientCallMatchPredicate(client->waitDispatch,
-                                           virNetClientIOEventLoopWantNonBlock,
-                                           NULL))
+        if (thiscall->nonBlock)
             timeout = 0;
 
         fds[0].events = fds[0].revents = 0;
@@ -1418,13 +1422,6 @@ static int virNetClientIOEventLoop(virNetClientPtr client,
                                         virNetClientIOEventLoopRemoveDone,
                                         thiscall);
 
-        /* Iterate through waiting calls and if any are
-         * non-blocking, remove them from the dispatch list...
-         */
-        virNetClientCallRemovePredicate(&client->waitDispatch,
-                                        virNetClientIOEventLoopRemoveNonBlocking,
-                                        thiscall);
-
         /* Now see if *we* are done */
         if (thiscall->mode == VIR_NET_CLIENT_MODE_COMPLETE) {
             virNetClientCallRemove(&client->waitDispatch, thiscall);