diff --git a/src/ev_epoll.c b/src/ev_epoll.c
index a2e5e0a60..9e72802dc 100644
--- a/src/ev_epoll.c
+++ b/src/ev_epoll.c
@@ -139,7 +139,6 @@ REGPRM2 static void _do_poll(struct poller *p, int exp)
 		/* it looks complicated but gcc can optimize it away when constants
 		 * have same values... In fact it depends on gcc :-(
 		 */
-		fdtab[fd].ev &= FD_POLL_STICKY;
 		if (EPOLLIN == FD_POLL_IN && EPOLLOUT == FD_POLL_OUT &&
 		    EPOLLPRI == FD_POLL_PRI && EPOLLERR == FD_POLL_ERR &&
 		    EPOLLHUP == FD_POLL_HUP) {
@@ -158,13 +157,7 @@ REGPRM2 static void _do_poll(struct poller *p, int exp)
 			cur_poller.flags |= HAP_POLL_F_RDHUP;
 			n |= FD_POLL_HUP;
 		}
-
-		fdtab[fd].ev |= n;
-		if (fdtab[fd].ev & (FD_POLL_IN | FD_POLL_HUP | FD_POLL_ERR))
-			fd_may_recv(fd);
-
-		if (fdtab[fd].ev & (FD_POLL_OUT | FD_POLL_ERR))
-			fd_may_send(fd);
+		fd_update_events(fd, n);
 	}
 	/* the caller will take care of cached events */
 }
diff --git a/src/ev_kqueue.c b/src/ev_kqueue.c
index f1c0b8d00..02723cca6 100644
--- a/src/ev_kqueue.c
+++ b/src/ev_kqueue.c
@@ -117,30 +117,25 @@ REGPRM2 static void _do_poll(struct poller *p, int exp)
 	measure_idle();
 
 	for (count = 0; count < status; count++) {
+		unsigned int n = 0;
 		fd = kev[count].ident;
 
 		if (!fdtab[fd].owner)
 			continue;
 
-		fdtab[fd].ev &= FD_POLL_STICKY;
-
 		if (kev[count].filter ==  EVFILT_READ) {
 			if (kev[count].data)
-				fdtab[fd].ev |= FD_POLL_IN;
+				n |= FD_POLL_IN;
 			if (kev[count].flags & EV_EOF)
-				fdtab[fd].ev |= FD_POLL_HUP;
+				n |= FD_POLL_HUP;
 		}
 		else if (kev[count].filter ==  EVFILT_WRITE) {
-			fdtab[fd].ev |= FD_POLL_OUT;
+			n |= FD_POLL_OUT;
 			if (kev[count].flags & EV_EOF)
-				fdtab[fd].ev |= FD_POLL_ERR;
+				n |= FD_POLL_ERR;
 		}
 
-		if (fdtab[fd].ev & (FD_POLL_IN | FD_POLL_HUP | FD_POLL_ERR))
-			fd_may_recv(fd);
-
-		if (fdtab[fd].ev & (FD_POLL_OUT | FD_POLL_ERR))
-			fd_may_send(fd);
+		fd_update_events(fd, n);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/ev_poll.c b/src/ev_poll.c
index 90ac9e5e1..1cb8d2d62 100644
--- a/src/ev_poll.c
+++ b/src/ev_poll.c
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ REGPRM2 static void _do_poll(struct poller *p, int exp)
 	measure_idle();
 
 	for (count = 0; status > 0 && count < nbfd; count++) {
+		unsigned int n;
 		int e = poll_events[count].revents;
 		fd = poll_events[count].fd;
 	  
@@ -147,14 +148,12 @@ REGPRM2 static void _do_poll(struct poller *p, int exp)
 		/* it looks complicated but gcc can optimize it away when constants
 		 * have same values... In fact it depends on gcc :-(
 		 */
-		fdtab[fd].ev &= FD_POLL_STICKY;
 		if (POLLIN == FD_POLL_IN && POLLOUT == FD_POLL_OUT &&
 		    POLLERR == FD_POLL_ERR && POLLHUP == FD_POLL_HUP) {
-			fdtab[fd].ev |= e & (POLLIN|POLLOUT|POLLERR|POLLHUP);
+			n = e & (POLLIN|POLLOUT|POLLERR|POLLHUP);
 		}
 		else {
-			fdtab[fd].ev |=
-				((e & POLLIN ) ? FD_POLL_IN  : 0) |
+			n =     ((e & POLLIN ) ? FD_POLL_IN  : 0) |
 				((e & POLLOUT) ? FD_POLL_OUT : 0) |
 				((e & POLLERR) ? FD_POLL_ERR : 0) |
 				((e & POLLHUP) ? FD_POLL_HUP : 0);
@@ -163,14 +162,10 @@ REGPRM2 static void _do_poll(struct poller *p, int exp)
 		/* always remap RDHUP to HUP as they're used similarly */
 		if (e & POLLRDHUP) {
 			cur_poller.flags |= HAP_POLL_F_RDHUP;
-			fdtab[fd].ev |= FD_POLL_HUP;
+			n |= FD_POLL_HUP;
 		}
 
-		if (fdtab[fd].ev & (FD_POLL_IN | FD_POLL_HUP | FD_POLL_ERR))
-			fd_may_recv(fd);
-
-		if (fdtab[fd].ev & (FD_POLL_OUT | FD_POLL_ERR))
-			fd_may_send(fd);
+		fd_update_events(fd, n);
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/src/ev_select.c b/src/ev_select.c
index 1b40ea102..cf80ac856 100644
--- a/src/ev_select.c
+++ b/src/ev_select.c
@@ -129,24 +129,21 @@ REGPRM2 static void _do_poll(struct poller *p, int exp)
 			continue;
 
 		for (count = BITS_PER_INT, fd = fds * BITS_PER_INT; count && fd < maxfd; count--, fd++) {
+			unsigned int n = 0;
+
 			/* if we specify read first, the accepts and zero reads will be
 			 * seen first. Moreover, system buffers will be flushed faster.
 			 */
 			if (!fdtab[fd].owner)
 				continue;
 
-			fdtab[fd].ev &= FD_POLL_STICKY;
 			if (FD_ISSET(fd, tmp_evts[DIR_RD]))
-				fdtab[fd].ev |= FD_POLL_IN;
+				n |= FD_POLL_IN;
 
 			if (FD_ISSET(fd, tmp_evts[DIR_WR]))
-				fdtab[fd].ev |= FD_POLL_OUT;
+				n |= FD_POLL_OUT;
 
-			if (fdtab[fd].ev & (FD_POLL_IN | FD_POLL_HUP | FD_POLL_ERR))
-				fd_may_recv(fd);
-
-			if (fdtab[fd].ev & (FD_POLL_OUT | FD_POLL_ERR))
-				fd_may_send(fd);
+			fd_update_events(fd, n);
 		}
 	}
 }