diff --git a/flow.c b/flow.c
index 63eefd6..d6650fc 100644
--- a/flow.c
+++ b/flow.c
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ void flow_alloc_cancel(union flow *flow)
  * @c:		Execution context
  * @hole:	Pointer to recently closed flow
  */
-void flow_table_compact(const struct ctx *c, union flow *hole)
+static void flow_table_compact(const struct ctx *c, union flow *hole)
 {
 	union flow *from;
 
@@ -131,18 +131,23 @@ void flow_defer_handler(const struct ctx *c, const struct timespec *now)
 	}
 
 	for (flow = flowtab + flow_count - 1; flow >= flowtab; flow--) {
+		bool closed = false;
+
 		switch (flow->f.type) {
 		case FLOW_TCP:
-			tcp_flow_defer(c, flow);
+			closed = tcp_flow_defer(flow);
 			break;
 		case FLOW_TCP_SPLICE:
-			tcp_splice_flow_defer(c, flow);
-			if (timer)
+			closed = tcp_splice_flow_defer(flow);
+			if (!closed && timer)
 				tcp_splice_timer(c, flow);
 			break;
 		default:
 			/* Assume other flow types don't need any handling */
 			;
 		}
+
+		if (closed)
+			flow_table_compact(c, flow);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/flow.h b/flow.h
index 44058bf..8064f0e 100644
--- a/flow.h
+++ b/flow.h
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@ static inline bool flow_sidx_eq(flow_sidx_t a, flow_sidx_t b)
 
 union flow;
 
-void flow_table_compact(const struct ctx *c, union flow *hole);
 void flow_defer_handler(const struct ctx *c, const struct timespec *now);
 
 void flow_log_(const struct flow_common *f, int pri, const char *fmt, ...)
diff --git a/tcp.c b/tcp.c
index 5b56786..ee2c3af 100644
--- a/tcp.c
+++ b/tcp.c
@@ -1304,21 +1304,22 @@ static struct tcp_tap_conn *tcp_hash_lookup(const struct ctx *c,
 
 /**
  * tcp_flow_defer() - Deferred per-flow handling (clean up closed connections)
- * @c:		Execution context
  * @flow:	Flow table entry for this connection
+ *
+ * Return: true if the flow is ready to free, false otherwise
  */
-void tcp_flow_defer(const struct ctx *c, union flow *flow)
+bool tcp_flow_defer(union flow *flow)
 {
 	const struct tcp_tap_conn *conn = &flow->tcp;
 
 	if (flow->tcp.events != CLOSED)
-		return;
+		return false;
 
 	close(conn->sock);
 	if (conn->timer != -1)
 		close(conn->timer);
 
-	flow_table_compact(c, flow);
+	return true;
 }
 
 static void tcp_rst_do(struct ctx *c, struct tcp_tap_conn *conn);
diff --git a/tcp_conn.h b/tcp_conn.h
index 825155a..636224e 100644
--- a/tcp_conn.h
+++ b/tcp_conn.h
@@ -158,8 +158,8 @@ extern int init_sock_pool6	[TCP_SOCK_POOL_SIZE];
 void tcp_tap_conn_update(const struct ctx *c, struct tcp_tap_conn *old,
 			 struct tcp_tap_conn *new);
 void tcp_splice_conn_update(const struct ctx *c, struct tcp_splice_conn *new);
-void tcp_flow_defer(const struct ctx *c, union flow *flow);
-void tcp_splice_flow_defer(const struct ctx *c, union flow *flow);
+bool tcp_flow_defer(union flow *flow);
+bool tcp_splice_flow_defer(union flow *flow);
 void tcp_splice_timer(const struct ctx *c, union flow *flow);
 int tcp_conn_pool_sock(int pool[]);
 int tcp_conn_new_sock(const struct ctx *c, sa_family_t af);
diff --git a/tcp_splice.c b/tcp_splice.c
index 3f6f1b3..daef7de 100644
--- a/tcp_splice.c
+++ b/tcp_splice.c
@@ -244,16 +244,17 @@ void tcp_splice_conn_update(const struct ctx *c, struct tcp_splice_conn *new)
 
 /**
  * tcp_splice_flow_defer() - Deferred per-flow handling (clean up closed)
- * @c:		Execution context
  * @flow:	Flow table entry for this connection
+ *
+ * Return: true if the flow is ready to free, false otherwise
  */
-void tcp_splice_flow_defer(const struct ctx *c, union flow *flow)
+bool tcp_splice_flow_defer(union flow *flow)
 {
 	struct tcp_splice_conn *conn = &flow->tcp_splice;
 	unsigned side;
 
 	if (!(flow->tcp_splice.flags & CLOSING))
-		return;
+		return false;
 
 	for (side = 0; side < SIDES; side++) {
 		if (conn->events & SPLICE_ESTABLISHED) {
@@ -277,7 +278,7 @@ void tcp_splice_flow_defer(const struct ctx *c, union flow *flow)
 	conn->flags = 0;
 	flow_dbg(conn, "CLOSED");
 
-	flow_table_compact(c, flow);
+	return true;
 }
 
 /**