diff --git a/src/connector.c b/src/connector.c
index 58281bf4..64b77afd 100644
--- a/src/connector.c
+++ b/src/connector.c
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ struct client_instance {
 	int64_t id;
 	int fd;
 
+	/* Reference count for when this instance is used outside of the
+	 * connector_data lock */
+	int ref;
+
 	/* For dead_clients list */
 	struct client_instance *next;
 
@@ -84,6 +88,25 @@ struct connector_data {
 
 typedef struct connector_data cdata_t;
 
+/* Increase the reference count of instance */
+static void __inc_instance_ref(client_instance_t *client)
+{
+	client->ref++;
+}
+
+/* Increase the reference count of instance */
+static void __dec_instance_ref(client_instance_t *client)
+{
+	client->ref--;
+}
+
+static void dec_instance_ref(cdata_t *cdata, client_instance_t *client)
+{
+	ck_wlock(&cdata->lock);
+	__dec_instance_ref(client);
+	ck_wunlock(&cdata->lock);
+}
+
 /* Accepts incoming connections on the server socket and generates client
  * instances */
 static int accept_client(cdata_t *cdata, int epfd)
@@ -155,6 +178,11 @@ static int accept_client(cdata_t *cdata, int epfd)
 		return 0;
 	}
 
+	/* We increase the ref count on this client as epoll creates a pointer
+	 * to it. We drop that reference when the socket is closed which
+	 * removes it automatically from the epoll list. */
+	__inc_instance_ref(client);
+
 	ck_wlock(&cdata->lock);
 	client->id = cdata->client_id++;
 	HASH_ADD_I64(cdata->clients, id, client);
@@ -164,6 +192,7 @@ static int accept_client(cdata_t *cdata, int epfd)
 	return 1;
 }
 
+/* Client must hold a reference count */
 static int drop_client(cdata_t *cdata, client_instance_t *client)
 {
 	int fd;
@@ -174,6 +203,9 @@ static int drop_client(cdata_t *cdata, client_instance_t *client)
 		Close(client->fd);
 		HASH_DEL(cdata->clients, client);
 		LL_PREPEND(cdata->dead_clients, client);
+		/* This is the reference to this client's presence in the
+		 * epoll list. */
+		__dec_instance_ref(client);
 	}
 	ck_wunlock(&cdata->lock);
 
@@ -192,18 +224,34 @@ static void stratifier_drop_client(ckpool_t *ckp, int64_t id)
 }
 
 /* Invalidate this instance. Remove them from the hashtables we look up
- * regularly but keep the instances in a linked list indefinitely in case we
- * still reference any of its members. */
+ * regularly but keep the instances in a linked list until their ref count
+ * drops to zero when we can remove them lazily. Client must hold a reference
+ * count. */
 static void invalidate_client(ckpool_t *ckp, cdata_t *cdata, client_instance_t *client)
 {
+	client_instance_t *tmp;
+
 	drop_client(cdata, client);
 	if (ckp->passthrough)
 		return;
 	stratifier_drop_client(ckp, client->id);
+
+	/* Cull old unused clients lazily when there are no more reference
+	 * counts for them. */
+	ck_wlock(&cdata->lock);
+	LL_FOREACH_SAFE(cdata->dead_clients, client, tmp) {
+		if (!client->ref) {
+			LL_DELETE(cdata->dead_clients, client);
+			LOGINFO("Connector discarding client %ld", client->id);
+			free(client);
+		}
+	}
+	ck_wunlock(&cdata->lock);
 }
 
 static void send_client(cdata_t *cdata, int64_t id, char *buf);
 
+/* Client is holding a reference count from being on the epoll list */
 static void parse_client_msg(cdata_t *cdata, client_instance_t *client)
 {
 	int buflen, ret, selfail = 0;
@@ -412,9 +460,7 @@ void *sender(void *arg)
 
 		if (fd == -1) {
 			LOGDEBUG("Discarding message sent to invalidated client");
-			free(sender_send->buf);
-			free(sender_send);
-			continue;
+			goto contfree;
 		}
 		/* If this socket is not ready to receive data from us, put the
 		 * send back on the tail of the list and decrease the timeout
@@ -425,15 +471,13 @@ void *sender(void *arg)
 			if (ret < 0) {
 				LOGINFO("Client id %d fd %d interrupted", client->id, fd);
 				invalidate_client(ckp, cdata, client);
-				free(sender_send->buf);
-				free(sender_send);
-				continue;
+				goto contfree;
 			}
 			LOGDEBUG("Client %d not ready for writes", client->id);
 
 			/* Append it to the tail of the delayed sends list.
 			 * This is the only function that alters it so no
-			 * locking is required. */
+			 * locking is required. Keep the client ref. */
 			DL_APPEND(cdata->delayed_sends, sender_send);
 			continue;
 		}
@@ -448,8 +492,10 @@ void *sender(void *arg)
 			ofs += ret;
 			sender_send->len -= ret;
 		}
+contfree:
 		free(sender_send->buf);
 		free(sender_send);
+		dec_instance_ref(cdata, client);
 	}
 
 	return NULL;
@@ -474,11 +520,17 @@ static void send_client(cdata_t *cdata, int64_t id, char *buf)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	ck_rlock(&cdata->lock);
+	ck_ilock(&cdata->lock);
 	HASH_FIND_I64(cdata->clients, &id, client);
-	if (likely(client))
+	if (likely(client)) {
+		ck_ulock(&cdata->lock);
 		fd = client->fd;
-	ck_runlock(&cdata->lock);
+		/* Grab a reference to this client until the sender_send has
+		 * completed processing. */
+		__inc_instance_ref(client);
+		ck_dwilock(&cdata->lock);
+	}
+	ck_uilock(&cdata->lock);
 
 	if (unlikely(fd == -1)) {
 		ckpool_t *ckp = cdata->ckp;
@@ -506,13 +558,18 @@ static void send_client(cdata_t *cdata, int64_t id, char *buf)
 	mutex_unlock(&cdata->sender_lock);
 }
 
-static client_instance_t *client_by_id(cdata_t *cdata, int64_t id)
+static client_instance_t *ref_client_by_id(cdata_t *cdata, int64_t id)
 {
 	client_instance_t *client;
 
-	ck_rlock(&cdata->lock);
+	ck_ilock(&cdata->lock);
 	HASH_FIND_I64(cdata->clients, &id, client);
-	ck_runlock(&cdata->lock);
+	if (client) {
+		ck_ulock(&cdata->lock);
+		__inc_instance_ref(client);
+		ck_dwilock(&cdata->lock);
+	}
+	ck_uilock(&cdata->lock);
 
 	return client;
 }
@@ -605,12 +662,13 @@ retry:
 			goto retry;
 		}
 		client_id = client_id64 & 0xffffffffll;
-		client = client_by_id(cdata, client_id);
+		client = ref_client_by_id(cdata, client_id);
 		if (unlikely(!client)) {
 			LOGINFO("Connector failed to find client id %ld to drop", client_id);
 			goto retry;
 		}
 		ret = drop_client(cdata, client);
+		dec_instance_ref(cdata, client);
 		if (ret >= 0)
 			LOGINFO("Connector dropped client id: %ld", client_id);
 		goto retry;
@@ -623,12 +681,13 @@ retry:
 			LOGDEBUG("Connector failed to parse passthrough command: %s", buf);
 			goto retry;
 		}
-		client = client_by_id(cdata, client_id);
+		client = ref_client_by_id(cdata, client_id);
 		if (unlikely(!client)) {
 			LOGINFO("Connector failed to find client id %ld to pass through", client_id);
 			goto retry;
 		}
 		passthrough_client(cdata, client);
+		dec_instance_ref(cdata, client);
 		goto retry;
 	}
 	if (cmdmatch(buf, "getfd")) {