diff --git a/src/stratifier.c b/src/stratifier.c
index 32399207..b50ac34c 100644
--- a/src/stratifier.c
+++ b/src/stratifier.c
@@ -364,6 +364,14 @@ struct stratifier_data {
 
 typedef struct stratifier_data sdata_t;
 
+typedef struct json_entry json_entry_t;
+
+struct json_entry{
+	json_entry_t *next;
+	json_entry_t *prev;
+	json_t *val;
+};
+
 /* Priority levels for generator messages */
 #define GEN_LAX 0
 #define GEN_NORMAL 1
@@ -3684,6 +3692,7 @@ out:
  * avoid floods of stat data coming at once. */
 static void update_workerstats(ckpool_t *ckp, sdata_t *sdata)
 {
+	json_entry_t *json_list = NULL, *entry, *tmpentry;
 	user_instance_t *user, *tmp;
 	char cdfield[64];
 	time_t now_t;
@@ -3716,8 +3725,8 @@ static void update_workerstats(ckpool_t *ckp, sdata_t *sdata)
 			continue;
 		DL_FOREACH(user->worker_instances, worker) {
 			double ghs1, ghs5, ghs60, ghs1440;
-			int elapsed;
 			json_t *val;
+			int elapsed;
 
 			/* Send one lot of stats once the worker is idle if
 			 * they have submitted no shares in the last 10 minutes
@@ -3744,10 +3753,19 @@ static void update_workerstats(ckpool_t *ckp, sdata_t *sdata)
 					"createcode", __func__,
 					"createinet", ckp->serverurl[0]);
 			worker->notified_idle = worker->idle;
-			ckdbq_add(ckp, ID_WORKERSTATS, val);
+			entry = ckalloc(sizeof(json_entry_t));
+			entry->val = val;
+			DL_APPEND(json_list, entry);
 		}
 	}
 	ck_runlock(&sdata->instance_lock);
+
+	/* Add all entries outside of the instance lock */
+	DL_FOREACH_SAFE(json_list, entry, tmpentry) {
+		ckdbq_add(ckp, ID_WORKERSTATS, entry->val);
+		DL_DELETE(json_list, entry);
+		free(entry);
+	}
 }
 
 static void *statsupdate(void *arg)