diff --git a/include/lighttpd/virtualrequest.h b/include/lighttpd/virtualrequest.h
index abc1f7f..1317b99 100644
--- a/include/lighttpd/virtualrequest.h
+++ b/include/lighttpd/virtualrequest.h
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ struct liFilters {
 
 struct liVRequestRef {
 	gint refcount;
+	liWorker *wrk;
 	liVRequest *vr; /* This is only accesible by the worker thread the vrequest belongs to, and it may be NULL if the vrequest is already reset */
 };
 
@@ -116,8 +117,9 @@ LI_API void li_vrequest_free(liVRequest *vr);
  */
 LI_API void li_vrequest_reset(liVRequest *vr, gboolean keepalive);
 
-LI_API liVRequestRef* li_vrequest_acquire_ref(liVRequest *vr);
-LI_API liVRequest* li_vrequest_release_ref(liVRequestRef *vr_ref);
+LI_API liVRequestRef* li_vrequest_get_ref(liVRequest *vr);
+LI_API void li_vrequest_ref_acquire(liVRequestRef *vr_ref);
+LI_API liVRequest* li_vrequest_ref_release(liVRequestRef *vr_ref);
 
 LI_API liFilter* li_vrequest_add_filter_in(liVRequest *vr, liFilterHandlerCB handle_data, liFilterFreeCB handle_free, gpointer param);
 LI_API liFilter* li_vrequest_add_filter_out(liVRequest *vr, liFilterHandlerCB handle_data, liFilterFreeCB handle_free, gpointer param);
@@ -149,7 +151,7 @@ LI_API gboolean li_vrequest_is_handled(liVRequest *vr);
 
 LI_API void li_vrequest_state_machine(liVRequest *vr);
 LI_API void li_vrequest_joblist_append(liVRequest *vr);
-LI_API void li_vrequest_joblist_append_async(liVRequest *vr);
+LI_API void li_vrequest_joblist_append_async(liVRequestRef *vr_ref);
 
 LI_API gboolean li_vrequest_redirect(liVRequest *vr, GString *uri);
 
diff --git a/src/main/virtualrequest.c b/src/main/virtualrequest.c
index a8295be..413ba52 100644
--- a/src/main/virtualrequest.c
+++ b/src/main/virtualrequest.c
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ liVRequest* li_vrequest_new(liConnection *con, liVRequestHandlerCB handle_respon
 	vr->ref = g_slice_new0(liVRequestRef);
 	vr->ref->refcount = 1;
 	vr->ref->vr = vr;
+	vr->ref->wrk = con->wrk;
 	vr->state = LI_VRS_CLEAN;
 
 	vr->handle_response_headers = handle_response_headers;
@@ -312,17 +313,23 @@ void li_vrequest_reset(liVRequest *vr, gboolean keepalive) {
 		vr->ref = g_slice_new0(liVRequestRef);
 		vr->ref->refcount = 1;
 		vr->ref->vr = vr;
+		vr->ref->wrk = vr->wrk;
 	}
 }
 
-liVRequestRef* li_vrequest_acquire_ref(liVRequest *vr) {
+liVRequestRef* li_vrequest_get_ref(liVRequest *vr) {
 	liVRequestRef* vr_ref = vr->ref;
 	g_assert(vr_ref->refcount > 0);
 	g_atomic_int_inc(&vr_ref->refcount);
 	return vr_ref;
 }
 
-liVRequest* li_vrequest_release_ref(liVRequestRef *vr_ref) {
+void li_vrequest_ref_acquire(liVRequestRef *vr_ref) {
+	g_assert(vr_ref->refcount > 0);
+	g_atomic_int_inc(&vr_ref->refcount);
+}
+
+liVRequest* li_vrequest_ref_release(liVRequestRef *vr_ref) {
 	liVRequest *vr = vr_ref->vr;
 	g_assert(vr_ref->refcount > 0);
 	if (g_atomic_int_dec_and_test(&vr_ref->refcount)) {
@@ -648,11 +655,11 @@ void li_vrequest_joblist_append(liVRequest *vr) {
 	ev_timer_start(wrk->loop, &wrk->job_queue_watcher);
 }
 
-void li_vrequest_joblist_append_async(liVRequest *vr) {
-	liWorker *wrk = vr->wrk;
+void li_vrequest_joblist_append_async(liVRequestRef *vr_ref) {
+	liWorker *wrk = vr_ref->wrk;
 	GAsyncQueue *const q = wrk->job_async_queue;
-	if (!g_atomic_int_compare_and_exchange(&vr->queued, 0, 1)) return; /* already in queue */
-	g_async_queue_push(q, li_vrequest_acquire_ref(vr));
+	li_vrequest_ref_acquire(vr_ref);
+	g_async_queue_push(q, vr_ref);
 	ev_async_send(wrk->loop, &wrk->job_async_queue_watcher);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/main/worker.c b/src/main/worker.c
index 947df2a..0fed72a 100644
--- a/src/main/worker.c
+++ b/src/main/worker.c
@@ -196,8 +196,7 @@ static void worker_job_async_queue_cb(struct ev_loop *loop, ev_async *w, int rev
 	UNUSED(revents);
 
 	while (NULL != (vr_ref = g_async_queue_try_pop(q))) {
-		if (NULL != (vr = li_vrequest_release_ref(vr_ref))) {
-			g_assert(g_atomic_int_compare_and_exchange(&vr->queued, 1, 0));
+		if (NULL != (vr = li_vrequest_ref_release(vr_ref))) {
 			li_vrequest_state_machine(vr);
 		}
 	}
@@ -515,7 +514,7 @@ void li_worker_free(liWorker *wrk) {
 		liVRequest *vr;
 
 		while (NULL != (vr_ref = g_async_queue_try_pop(q))) {
-			if (NULL != (vr = li_vrequest_release_ref(vr_ref))) {
+			if (NULL != (vr = li_vrequest_ref_release(vr_ref))) {
 				g_assert(g_atomic_int_compare_and_exchange(&vr->queued, 1, 0));
 				li_vrequest_state_machine(vr);
 			}