diff --git a/xwords4/relay/ctrl.cpp b/xwords4/relay/ctrl.cpp
index 76cb50bd3..a5b1ce059 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/ctrl.cpp
+++ b/xwords4/relay/ctrl.cpp
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 #include "xwrelay_priv.h"
 #include "configs.h"
 #include "lstnrmgr.h"
+#include "tpool.h"
 
 #define MAX_ARGS 10
 
@@ -190,7 +191,7 @@ cmd_kill_eject( int socket, const char** args )
     if ( 0 == strcmp( args[1], "socket" ) ) {
         int victim = atoi( args[2] );
         if ( victim != 0 ) {
-            killSocket( victim, "ctrl command" );
+            XWThreadPool::GetTPool()-> EnqueueKill( victim, "ctrl command" );
             found = true;
         }
     } else if ( 0 == strcmp( args[1], "cref" ) ) {
diff --git a/xwords4/relay/tpool.cpp b/xwords4/relay/tpool.cpp
index 284300e1c..de30c47eb 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/tpool.cpp
+++ b/xwords4/relay/tpool.cpp
@@ -78,10 +78,11 @@ XWThreadPool::~XWThreadPool()
 } /* ~XWThreadPool */
 
 void
-XWThreadPool::Setup( int nThreads, packet_func pFunc )
+XWThreadPool::Setup( int nThreads, packet_func pFunc, kill_func kFunc )
 {
     m_nThreads = nThreads;
     m_pFunc = pFunc;
+    m_kFunc = kFunc;
 
     pthread_t thread;
 
@@ -148,7 +149,7 @@ XWThreadPool::CloseSocket( int socket )
         RWWriteLock rwl( &m_activeSocketsRWLock );
         deque<QueuePr>::iterator iter = m_queue.begin();
         while ( iter != m_queue.end() ) {
-            if ( iter->second == socket ) {
+            if ( iter->m_socket == socket ) {
                 m_queue.erase( iter );
 /*                 do_interrupt = true; */
                 break;
@@ -167,6 +168,12 @@ XWThreadPool::CloseSocket( int socket )
 /*     } */
 }
 
+void
+XWThreadPool::EnqueueKill( int socket, const char* const why )
+{
+    enqueue( socket, Q_KILL );
+}
+
 bool
 XWThreadPool::get_process_packet( int socket )
 {
@@ -177,18 +184,18 @@ XWThreadPool::get_process_packet( int socket )
     ssize_t nRead = recv( socket, &packetSize, 
                           sizeof(packetSize), MSG_WAITALL );
     if ( nRead != 2 ) {
-        killSocket( socket, "nRead != 2" );
+        EnqueueKill( socket, "nRead != 2" );
     } else {
         packetSize = ntohs( packetSize );
 
         if ( packetSize < 0 || packetSize > MAX_MSG_LEN ) {
-            killSocket( socket, "packetSize wrong" );
+            EnqueueKill( socket, "packetSize wrong" );
         } else {
             unsigned char buf[MAX_MSG_LEN];
             nRead = recv( socket, buf, packetSize, MSG_WAITALL );
 
             if ( nRead != packetSize ) {
-                killSocket( socket, "nRead != packetSize" ); 
+                EnqueueKill( socket, "nRead != packetSize" ); 
             } else {
                 logf( XW_LOGINFO, "read %d bytes", nRead );
 
@@ -213,7 +220,6 @@ XWThreadPool::real_tpool_main()
     logf( XW_LOGINFO, "tpool worker thread starting" );
     int socket = -1;
     for ( ; ; ) {
-
         pthread_mutex_lock( &m_queueMutex );
         release_socket_locked( socket );
 
@@ -227,17 +233,26 @@ XWThreadPool::real_tpool_main()
         }
 
         QueuePr pr;
-        if ( grab_elem_locked( socket, &pr ) ) {
-            socket = pr.second;
-        } else {
-            socket = -1;
-        }
-        pthread_mutex_unlock( &m_queueMutex );
-        logf( XW_LOGINFO, "worker thread got socket %d from queue", socket );
+        grab_elem_locked( socket, &pr );
 
-        if ( socket >= 0 && get_process_packet( socket ) ) {
-            AddSocket( socket );
-        } /* else drop it: error */
+        pthread_mutex_unlock( &m_queueMutex );
+
+        if ( pr.m_socket >= 0 ) {
+            logf( XW_LOGINFO, "worker thread got socket %d from queue", 
+                  pr.m_socket );
+            switch ( pr.m_act ) {
+            case Q_READ:
+                if ( get_process_packet( pr.m_socket ) ) {
+                    AddSocket( pr.m_socket );
+                }
+                break;
+            case Q_KILL:
+                (*m_kFunc)( pr.m_socket );
+                CloseSocket( pr.m_socket );
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+        socket = pr.m_socket;
     }
     logf( XW_LOGINFO, "tpool worker thread exiting" );
     return NULL;
@@ -359,7 +374,7 @@ XWThreadPool::real_listener()
                         enqueue( socket );
                     } else {
                         logf( XW_LOGERROR, "odd revents: %x", curfd->revents );
-                        killSocket( socket, "error/hup in poll()" ); 
+                        EnqueueKill( socket, "error/hup in poll()" ); 
                     }
                     --nEvents;
                 }
@@ -381,10 +396,10 @@ XWThreadPool::listener_main( void* closure )
 }
 
 void
-XWThreadPool::enqueue( int socket ) 
+XWThreadPool::enqueue( int socket, QAction act ) 
 {
     MutexLock ml( &m_queueMutex );
-    pair<QAction, int> pr(Q_READ, socket);
+    QueuePr pr = { act, socket };
     m_queue.push_back( pr );
 
     logf( XW_LOGINFO, "calling pthread_cond_signal" );
@@ -392,13 +407,14 @@ XWThreadPool::enqueue( int socket )
     /* implicit unlock */
 }
 
-bool
+void
 XWThreadPool::grab_elem_locked( int curSock, QueuePr* prp )
 {
     bool found = false;
+    prp->m_socket = -1;
     deque<QueuePr>::iterator iter;
     for ( iter = m_queue.begin(); !found && iter != m_queue.end(); ++iter ) {
-        int socket = iter->second;
+        int socket = iter->m_socket;
         if ( socket == curSock 
              || m_sockets_in_use.end() == m_sockets_in_use.find( socket ) ) {
             *prp = *iter;
@@ -407,8 +423,14 @@ XWThreadPool::grab_elem_locked( int curSock, QueuePr* prp )
             found = true;
         }
     }
+
+    /* I think once an event isn't "found" here there's a chance of events
+       sitting in the queue without the threads knowing to go after them.  So
+       IFF this happens need to deal with it or at least confirm that there's
+       no chance of starvation */
+    // assert( found ); THIS IS FIRING
+
     logf( XW_LOGINFO, "%s()=>%d", __func__, found );
-    return found;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/xwords4/relay/tpool.h b/xwords4/relay/tpool.h
index b99fcecc9..a1e28e45d 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/tpool.h
+++ b/xwords4/relay/tpool.h
@@ -37,11 +37,12 @@ class XWThreadPool {
  public:
     static XWThreadPool* GetTPool();
     typedef bool (*packet_func)( unsigned char* buf, int bufLen, int socket );
+    typedef void (*kill_func)( int socket );
 
     XWThreadPool();
     ~XWThreadPool();
 
-    void Setup( int nThreads, packet_func pFunc );
+    void Setup( int nThreads, packet_func pFunc, kill_func kFunc );
     void Stop();
 
     /* Add to set being listened on */
@@ -49,18 +50,18 @@ class XWThreadPool {
     /* remove from tpool altogether, and close */
     void CloseSocket( int socket );
 
-    void EnqueueKill( int socket );
+    void EnqueueKill( int socket, const char* const why );
 
  private:
     typedef enum { Q_READ, Q_KILL } QAction;
-    typedef pair<QAction, int> QueuePr;
+    typedef struct { QAction m_act; int m_socket; } QueuePr;
 
     /* Remove from set being listened on */
     bool RemoveSocket( int socket );
 
-    void enqueue( int socket );
+    void enqueue( int socket, QAction act = Q_READ );
     void release_socket_locked( int socket );
-    bool grab_elem_locked( int curSock, QueuePr* qpp );
+    void grab_elem_locked( int curSock, QueuePr* qpp );
 
     bool get_process_packet( int socket );
     void interrupt_poll();
@@ -88,6 +89,7 @@ class XWThreadPool {
     bool m_timeToDie;
     int m_nThreads;
     packet_func m_pFunc;
+    kill_func m_kFunc;
 
     static XWThreadPool* g_instance;
 };
diff --git a/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.cpp b/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.cpp
index fa5702262..8c088e7e6 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.cpp
+++ b/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.cpp
@@ -218,9 +218,6 @@ processHeartbeat( unsigned char* buf, int bufLen, int socket )
             SafeCref scr( socket );
             success = scr.HandleHeartbeat( hostID, socket );
         }
-        if ( !success ) {
-            killSocket( socket, "no cref for socket" );
-        }
     }
     return success;
 } /* processHeartbeat */
@@ -424,15 +421,11 @@ processDisconnect( unsigned char* bufp, int bufLen, int socket )
     return success;
 } /* processDisconnect */
 
-void
-killSocket( int socket, const char* why )
+static void
+killSocket( int socket )
 {
-    logf( XW_LOGINFO, "killSocket(%d): %s", socket, why );
+    logf( XW_LOGINFO, "killSocket(%d)", socket );
     CRefMgr::Get()->RemoveSocketRefs( socket );
-    /* Might want to kill the thread it belongs to if we're not in it,
-       e.g. when unable to write to another socket. */
-    logf( XW_LOGINFO,  "killSocket done" );
-    XWThreadPool::GetTPool()->CloseSocket( socket );
 }
 
 time_t
@@ -512,7 +505,7 @@ processMessage( unsigned char* buf, int bufLen, int socket )
     }
 
     if ( !success ) {
-        killSocket( socket, "failure" );
+        XWThreadPool::GetTPool()->EnqueueKill( socket, "failure" );
     }
 
     return success;
@@ -974,7 +967,7 @@ main( int argc, char** argv )
     (void)sigaction( SIGINT, &act, NULL );
 
     XWThreadPool* tPool = XWThreadPool::GetTPool();
-    tPool->Setup( nWorkerThreads, processMessage );
+    tPool->Setup( nWorkerThreads, processMessage, killSocket );
 
     /* set up select call */
     fd_set rfds;
diff --git a/xwords4/relay/xwrelay_priv.h b/xwords4/relay/xwrelay_priv.h
index 6ebeebcdd..50f10a8a2 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/xwrelay_priv.h
+++ b/xwords4/relay/xwrelay_priv.h
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ typedef enum {
 void logf( XW_LogLevel level, const char* format, ... );
 
 void denyConnection( int socket, XWREASON err );
-void killSocket( int socket, const char* why );
 bool send_with_length_unsafe( int socket, unsigned char* buf, int bufLen );
 
 time_t uptime(void);