diff --git a/src/generator.c b/src/generator.c
index acd61fcf..8cba9777 100644
--- a/src/generator.c
+++ b/src/generator.c
@@ -644,7 +644,7 @@ retry:
 		goto out;
 	}
 	proxi->nonce2len = size;
-	if (!proxi->proxy) {
+	if (proxi->proxy == proxi) {
 		/* Set the number of clients per proxy on the parent proxy */
 		proxi->clients_per_proxy = 1ll << ((size - 3) * 8);
 		LOGNOTICE("Proxy %d:%s clients per proxy: %"PRId64, proxi->id, proxi->si->url,
@@ -1370,6 +1370,8 @@ static void passthrough_add_send(proxy_instance_t *proxi, const char *msg)
 	ckmsgq_add(proxi->passsends, pm);
 }
 
+static bool recruit_subproxy(proxy_instance_t *proxi, int epfd);
+
 static bool proxy_alive(ckpool_t *ckp, server_instance_t *si, proxy_instance_t *proxi,
 			connsock_t *cs, bool pinging, int epfd)
 {
@@ -1428,10 +1430,57 @@ out:
 		/* Add this connsock_t to the epoll list */
 		if (unlikely(epoll_ctl(epfd, EPOLL_CTL_ADD, cs->fd, &event) == -1))
 			quit(1, "FATAL: Failed to add epfd to epoll_ctl in proxy_alive");
+		if (!ckp->passthrough && proxi->proxy == proxi) {
+			while (proxi->client_headroom < 42) {
+				/* Note recursive call of proxy_alive here */
+				if (!recruit_subproxy(proxi, epfd)) {
+					LOGWARNING("Unable to recruit extra subproxies after just %"PRId64,
+						   proxi->client_headroom);
+					break;
+				}
+				LOGWARNING("Proxy %d:%s recruited extra subproxy!",
+					   proxi->id, cs->url);
+			}
+		}
 	}
 	return ret;
 }
 
+/* Creates a duplicate instance or proxi to be used as a subproxy, ignoring
+ * fields we don't use in the subproxy. */
+static proxy_instance_t *create_subproxy(proxy_instance_t *proxi)
+{
+	proxy_instance_t *subproxy = ckzalloc(sizeof(proxy_instance_t));
+
+	subproxy->ckp = proxi->ckp;
+	subproxy->cs = ckzalloc(sizeof(connsock_t));
+	subproxy->si = proxi->si;
+	subproxy->id = proxi->subproxy_count++;
+	subproxy->auth = proxi->auth;
+	subproxy->pass = proxi->pass;
+	subproxy->proxy = proxi;
+	return subproxy;
+}
+
+static bool recruit_subproxy(proxy_instance_t *proxi, int epfd)
+{
+	proxy_instance_t *subproxy = create_subproxy(proxi);
+
+	if (!proxy_alive(subproxy->ckp, subproxy->si, subproxy, subproxy->cs, false, epfd)) {
+		LOGNOTICE("Subproxy failed proxy_alive testing");
+		free(subproxy->cs);
+		free(subproxy);
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	mutex_lock(&proxi->proxy_lock);
+	HASH_ADD_INT(proxi->subproxies, id, subproxy);
+	proxi->client_headroom += proxi->clients_per_proxy;
+	mutex_unlock(&proxi->proxy_lock);
+
+	return true;
+}
+
 /* For receiving messages from an upstream pool to pass downstream. Responsible
  * for setting up the connection and testing pool is live. */
 static void *passthrough_recv(void *arg)
@@ -1537,10 +1586,11 @@ static void *proxy_recv(void *arg)
 	while (42) {
 		notify_instance_t *ni, *tmp;
 		share_msg_t *share, *tmpshare;
+		proxy_instance_t *subproxy;
 		time_t now;
 		int ret;
 
-		while (!proxy_alive(ckp, si, proxi, cs, true, epfd)) {
+		while (!proxy_alive(ckp, si, proxi, proxi->cs, true, epfd)) {
 			if (proxi->alive) {
 				proxi->alive = false;
 				send_proc(ckp->generator, "reconnect");
@@ -1584,8 +1634,11 @@ static void *proxy_recv(void *arg)
 		/* If we don't get an update within 10 minutes the upstream pool
 		 * has likely stopped responding. */
 		ret = epoll_wait(epfd, &event, 1, 600000);
-		if (likely(ret > 0))
+		if (likely(ret > 0)) {
+			subproxy = event.data.ptr;
+			cs = subproxy->cs;
 			ret = read_socket_line(cs, 5);
+		}
 		if (ret < 1) {
 			if (proxi->alive) {
 				LOGWARNING("Proxy %d:%s failed to epoll/read_socket_line in proxy_recv, attempting reconnect",
@@ -1617,30 +1670,10 @@ static void *proxy_recv(void *arg)
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-/* Creates a duplicate instance or proxi to be used as a subproxy, ignoring
- * fields we don't use in the subproxy. */
-static proxy_instance_t *create_subproxy(proxy_instance_t *proxi)
-{
-	proxy_instance_t *subproxy = ckzalloc(sizeof(proxy_instance_t));
-
-	subproxy->ckp = proxi->ckp;
-	subproxy->cs = ckzalloc(sizeof(connsock_t));
-	subproxy->si = proxi->si;
-	subproxy->id = proxi->subproxy_count++;
-	subproxy->auth = proxi->auth;
-	subproxy->pass = proxi->pass;
-	subproxy->proxy = proxi;
-	return subproxy;
-}
-
-/* Create a single subproxy instance immediately to be the first used
- * by the stratifier. To be used in future code */
 static void prepare_proxy(proxy_instance_t *proxi)
 {
-	proxy_instance_t *subproxy = create_subproxy(proxi);
-
+	proxi->proxy = proxi;
 	mutex_init(&proxi->proxy_lock);
-	HASH_ADD_INT(proxi->subproxies, id, subproxy);
 	mutex_init(&proxi->psend_lock);
 	cond_init(&proxi->psend_cond);
 	create_pthread(&proxi->pth_psend, proxy_send, proxi);