diff --git a/src/fdevent.c b/src/fdevent.c
index 232cfead..2300821b 100644
--- a/src/fdevent.c
+++ b/src/fdevent.c
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ fdevents *fdevent_init(server *srv, size_t maxfds, int type) {
 		return NULL;
 	}
 	ev->maxfds = maxfds;
-	ev->highfd = -1;
 
 	switch(type) {
 	case FDEVENT_HANDLER_POLL:
@@ -119,7 +118,10 @@ void fdevent_free(fdevents *ev) {
 	if (ev->free) ev->free(ev);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < ev->maxfds; i++) {
-		if (ev->fdarray[i] > (fdnode *)0x2) free(ev->fdarray[i]);
+		/* (fdevent_sched_run() should already have been run,
+		 *  but take reasonable precautions anyway) */
+		if (ev->fdarray[i])
+			free((fdnode *)((uintptr_t)ev->fdarray[i] & ~0x3));
 	}
 
 	free(ev->fdarray);
@@ -165,6 +167,7 @@ int fdevent_unregister(fdevents *ev, int fd) {
 
 	if (!ev) return 0;
 	fdn = ev->fdarray[fd];
+	if ((uintptr_t)fdn & 0x3) return 0; /*(should not happen)*/
 
 	fdnode_free(fdn);
 
@@ -174,22 +177,29 @@ int fdevent_unregister(fdevents *ev, int fd) {
 }
 
 void fdevent_sched_close(fdevents *ev, int fd, int issock) {
+	fdnode *fdn;
 	if (!ev) return;
-	ev->fdarray[fd] = (issock ? (fdnode *)0x1 : (fdnode *)0x2);
-	if (ev->highfd < fd) ev->highfd = fd;
+	fdn = ev->fdarray[fd];
+	if ((uintptr_t)fdn & 0x3) return;
+	ev->fdarray[fd] = (fdnode *)((uintptr_t)fdn | (issock ? 0x1 : 0x2));
+	fdn->ctx = ev->pendclose;
+	ev->pendclose = fdn;
 }
 
 void fdevent_sched_run(server *srv, fdevents *ev) {
-	const int highfd = ev->highfd;
-	for (int fd = 0; fd <= highfd; ++fd) {
-		fdnode * const fdn = ev->fdarray[fd];
-		int rc;
-		if (!((uintptr_t)fdn & 0x3)) continue;
+	for (fdnode *fdn = ev->pendclose; fdn; ) {
+		int fd, rc;
+		fdnode *fdn_tmp;
 	      #ifdef _WIN32
-		if (fdn == (fdnode *)0x1) {
+		rc = (uintptr_t)fdn & 0x3;
+	      #endif
+		fdn = (fdnode *)((uintptr_t)fdn & ~0x3);
+		fd = fdn->fd;
+	      #ifdef _WIN32
+		if (rc == 0x1) {
 			rc = closesocket(fd);
 		}
-		else if (fdn == (fdnode *)0x2) {
+		else if (rc == 0x2) {
 			rc = close(fd);
 		}
 	      #else
@@ -199,16 +209,22 @@ void fdevent_sched_run(server *srv, fdevents *ev) {
 		if (0 != rc) {
 			log_error_write(srv, __FILE__, __LINE__, "sds", "close failed ", fd, strerror(errno));
 		}
+		else {
+			--srv->cur_fds;
+		}
 
+		fdn_tmp = fdn;
+		fdn = (fdnode *)fdn->ctx; /* next */
+		/*(fdevent_unregister)*/
+		fdnode_free(fdn_tmp);
 		ev->fdarray[fd] = NULL;
-		--srv->cur_fds;
 	}
-	ev->highfd = -1;
+	ev->pendclose = NULL;
 }
 
 void fdevent_event_del(fdevents *ev, int *fde_ndx, int fd) {
 	if (-1 == fd) return;
-	if (ev->fdarray[fd] <= (fdnode *)0x2) return;
+	if ((uintptr_t)ev->fdarray[fd] & 0x3) return;
 
 	if (ev->event_del) *fde_ndx = ev->event_del(ev, *fde_ndx, fd);
 	ev->fdarray[fd]->events = 0;
diff --git a/src/fdevent.h b/src/fdevent.h
index 4453636d..b69d2f8c 100644
--- a/src/fdevent.h
+++ b/src/fdevent.h
@@ -124,8 +124,8 @@ typedef struct fdevents {
 	fdevent_handler_t type;
 
 	fdnode **fdarray;
+	fdnode *pendclose;
 	size_t maxfds;
-	int highfd;
 
 #ifdef USE_LINUX_EPOLL
 	int epoll_fd;
diff --git a/src/gw_backend.c b/src/gw_backend.c
index 0cf7b57b..8eb92608 100644
--- a/src/gw_backend.c
+++ b/src/gw_backend.c
@@ -1656,7 +1656,7 @@ void gw_set_transparent(server *srv, gw_handler_ctx *hctx) {
 static void gw_backend_close(server *srv, gw_handler_ctx *hctx) {
     if (hctx->fd >= 0) {
         fdevent_event_del(srv->ev, &(hctx->fde_ndx), hctx->fd);
-        fdevent_unregister(srv->ev, hctx->fd);
+        /*fdevent_unregister(srv->ev, hctx->fd);*//*(handled below)*/
         fdevent_sched_close(srv->ev, hctx->fd, 1);
         hctx->fd = -1;
         hctx->fde_ndx = -1;
diff --git a/src/mod_cgi.c b/src/mod_cgi.c
index d5f7596f..0c95cc7c 100644
--- a/src/mod_cgi.c
+++ b/src/mod_cgi.c
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ static void cgi_pid_del(plugin_data *p, size_t i) {
 static void cgi_connection_close_fdtocgi(server *srv, handler_ctx *hctx) {
 	/*(closes only hctx->fdtocgi)*/
 	fdevent_event_del(srv->ev, &(hctx->fde_ndx_tocgi), hctx->fdtocgi);
-	fdevent_unregister(srv->ev, hctx->fdtocgi);
+	/*fdevent_unregister(srv->ev, hctx->fdtocgi);*//*(handled below)*/
 	fdevent_sched_close(srv->ev, hctx->fdtocgi, 0);
 	hctx->fdtocgi = -1;
 }
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ static void cgi_connection_close(server *srv, handler_ctx *hctx) {
 	if (hctx->fd != -1) {
 		/* close connection to the cgi-script */
 		fdevent_event_del(srv->ev, &(hctx->fde_ndx), hctx->fd);
-		fdevent_unregister(srv->ev, hctx->fd);
+		/*fdevent_unregister(srv->ev, hctx->fd);*//*(handled below)*/
 		fdevent_sched_close(srv->ev, hctx->fd, 0);
 	}