diff --git a/src/queue.c b/src/queue.c
index 6cf86f175..e16331f6d 100644
--- a/src/queue.c
+++ b/src/queue.c
@@ -213,32 +213,22 @@ void pendconn_unlink(struct pendconn *p)
 	}
 }
 
-/* Retrieve the first pendconn from queue <queue>, which must *not* be
- * locked. The queue will be locked as needed, and will be left locked
- * if an element is returned, in which case it will be up to the caller
- * to unlock it.
- * Classes are always considered first, then the time offset. The time
- * does wrap, so the lookup is performed twice, one to retrieve the first
- * class and a second time to retrieve the earliest time in this class.
+/* Retrieve the first pendconn from tree <pendconns>. Classes are always
+ * considered first, then the time offset. The time does wrap, so the
+ * lookup is performed twice, one to retrieve the first class and a second
+ * time to retrieve the earliest time in this class.
  */
-static struct pendconn *pendconn_first(struct queue *queue)
+static struct pendconn *pendconn_first(struct eb_root *pendconns)
 {
 	struct eb32_node *node, *node2 = NULL;
 	u32 key;
 
-	if (!queue->length)
+	node = eb32_first(pendconns);
+	if (!node)
 		return NULL;
 
-	HA_SPIN_LOCK(QUEUE_LOCK, &queue->lock);
-
-	node = eb32_first(&queue->head);
-	if (!node) {
-		HA_SPIN_UNLOCK(QUEUE_LOCK, &queue->lock);
-		return NULL;
-	}
-
 	key = KEY_CLASS_OFFSET_BOUNDARY(node->key);
-	node2 = eb32_lookup_ge(&queue->head, key);
+	node2 = eb32_lookup_ge(pendconns, key);
 
 	if (!node2 ||
 	    KEY_CLASS(node2->key) != KEY_CLASS(node->key)) {
@@ -279,9 +269,21 @@ static struct pendconn *pendconn_process_next_strm(struct server *srv, struct pr
 	struct pendconn *pp = NULL;
 	u32 pkey, ppkey;
 
-	p = pendconn_first(&srv->queue);
-	if (px_ok)
-		pp = pendconn_first(&px->queue);
+	p = NULL;
+	if (srv->queue.length) {
+		HA_SPIN_LOCK(QUEUE_LOCK, &srv->queue.lock);
+		p = pendconn_first(&srv->queue.head);
+		if (!p)
+			HA_SPIN_UNLOCK(QUEUE_LOCK, &srv->queue.lock);
+	}
+
+	pp = NULL;
+	if (px_ok && px->queue.length) {
+		HA_SPIN_LOCK(QUEUE_LOCK, &px->queue.lock);
+		pp = pendconn_first(&px->queue.head);
+		if (!pp)
+			HA_SPIN_UNLOCK(QUEUE_LOCK, &px->queue.lock);
+	}
 
 	if (!p && !pp)
 		return NULL;
@@ -508,17 +510,19 @@ int pendconn_grab_from_px(struct server *s)
 	     ((s != s->proxy->lbprm.fbck) && !(s->proxy->options & PR_O_USE_ALL_BK))))
 		return 0;
 
+	HA_SPIN_LOCK(QUEUE_LOCK, &s->proxy->queue.lock);
 	maxconn = srv_dynamic_maxconn(s);
-	while ((!s->maxconn || s->served + xferred < maxconn) &&
-	       (p = pendconn_first(&s->proxy->queue))) {
-		__pendconn_unlink_prx(p);
-		HA_SPIN_UNLOCK(QUEUE_LOCK, &s->proxy->queue.lock);
+	while ((p = pendconn_first(&s->proxy->queue.head))) {
+		if (s->maxconn && s->served + xferred >= maxconn)
+			break;
 
+		__pendconn_unlink_prx(p);
 		p->target = s;
 
 		task_wakeup(p->strm->task, TASK_WOKEN_RES);
 		xferred++;
 	}
+	HA_SPIN_UNLOCK(QUEUE_LOCK, &s->proxy->queue.lock);
 	if (xferred) {
 		_HA_ATOMIC_SUB(&s->proxy->queue.length, xferred);
 		_HA_ATOMIC_SUB(&s->proxy->totpend, xferred);