diff --git a/include/trace/events/rxrpc.h b/include/trace/events/rxrpc.h
index eac513668e33..b969756f97fc 100644
--- a/include/trace/events/rxrpc.h
+++ b/include/trace/events/rxrpc.h
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@
 	EM(rxrpc_conn_get_call_input,		"GET inp-call") \
 	EM(rxrpc_conn_get_conn_input,		"GET inp-conn") \
 	EM(rxrpc_conn_get_idle,			"GET idle    ") \
-	EM(rxrpc_conn_get_poke,			"GET poke    ") \
+	EM(rxrpc_conn_get_poke_timer,		"GET poke    ") \
 	EM(rxrpc_conn_get_service_conn,		"GET svc-conn") \
 	EM(rxrpc_conn_new_client,		"NEW client  ") \
 	EM(rxrpc_conn_new_service,		"NEW service ") \
@@ -126,10 +126,9 @@
 	EM(rxrpc_conn_put_service_reaped,	"PUT svc-reap") \
 	EM(rxrpc_conn_put_unbundle,		"PUT unbundle") \
 	EM(rxrpc_conn_put_unidle,		"PUT unidle  ") \
+	EM(rxrpc_conn_put_work,			"PUT work    ") \
 	EM(rxrpc_conn_queue_challenge,		"QUE chall   ") \
-	EM(rxrpc_conn_queue_retry_work,		"QUE retry-wk") \
 	EM(rxrpc_conn_queue_rx_work,		"QUE rx-work ") \
-	EM(rxrpc_conn_queue_timer,		"QUE timer   ") \
 	EM(rxrpc_conn_see_new_service_conn,	"SEE new-svc ") \
 	EM(rxrpc_conn_see_reap_service,		"SEE reap-svc") \
 	E_(rxrpc_conn_see_work,			"SEE work    ")
diff --git a/net/rxrpc/ar-internal.h b/net/rxrpc/ar-internal.h
index b7023ae360e7..1a9822aa3592 100644
--- a/net/rxrpc/ar-internal.h
+++ b/net/rxrpc/ar-internal.h
@@ -202,6 +202,7 @@ struct rxrpc_host_header {
  * - max 48 bytes (struct sk_buff::cb)
  */
 struct rxrpc_skb_priv {
+	struct rxrpc_connection *conn;	/* Connection referred to (poke packet) */
 	u16		offset;		/* Offset of data */
 	u16		len;		/* Length of data */
 	u8		flags;
@@ -292,6 +293,7 @@ struct rxrpc_local {
 	struct rxrpc_sock __rcu	*service;	/* Service(s) listening on this endpoint */
 	struct rw_semaphore	defrag_sem;	/* control re-enablement of IP DF bit */
 	struct sk_buff_head	rx_queue;	/* Received packets */
+	struct list_head	conn_attend_q;	/* Conns requiring immediate attention */
 	struct list_head	call_attend_q;	/* Calls requiring immediate attention */
 	struct rb_root		client_bundles;	/* Client connection bundles by socket params */
 	spinlock_t		client_bundles_lock; /* Lock for client_bundles */
@@ -441,6 +443,7 @@ struct rxrpc_connection {
 	struct rxrpc_peer	*peer;		/* Remote endpoint */
 	struct rxrpc_net	*rxnet;		/* Network namespace to which call belongs */
 	struct key		*key;		/* Security details */
+	struct list_head	attend_link;	/* Link in local->conn_attend_q */
 
 	refcount_t		ref;
 	atomic_t		active;		/* Active count for service conns */
@@ -905,6 +908,7 @@ void rxrpc_conn_retransmit_call(struct rxrpc_connection *, struct sk_buff *,
 void rxrpc_process_connection(struct work_struct *);
 void rxrpc_process_delayed_final_acks(struct rxrpc_connection *, bool);
 int rxrpc_input_conn_packet(struct rxrpc_connection *conn, struct sk_buff *skb);
+void rxrpc_input_conn_event(struct rxrpc_connection *, struct sk_buff *);
 
 /*
  * conn_object.c
@@ -912,6 +916,7 @@ int rxrpc_input_conn_packet(struct rxrpc_connection *conn, struct sk_buff *skb);
 extern unsigned int rxrpc_connection_expiry;
 extern unsigned int rxrpc_closed_conn_expiry;
 
+void rxrpc_poke_conn(struct rxrpc_connection *, enum rxrpc_conn_trace);
 struct rxrpc_connection *rxrpc_alloc_connection(struct rxrpc_net *, gfp_t);
 struct rxrpc_connection *rxrpc_find_client_connection_rcu(struct rxrpc_local *,
 							  struct sockaddr_rxrpc *,
diff --git a/net/rxrpc/conn_event.c b/net/rxrpc/conn_event.c
index dfd29882126f..7a980a32344f 100644
--- a/net/rxrpc/conn_event.c
+++ b/net/rxrpc/conn_event.c
@@ -412,10 +412,6 @@ static void rxrpc_do_process_connection(struct rxrpc_connection *conn)
 	if (test_and_clear_bit(RXRPC_CONN_EV_CHALLENGE, &conn->events))
 		rxrpc_secure_connection(conn);
 
-	/* Process delayed ACKs whose time has come. */
-	if (conn->flags & RXRPC_CONN_FINAL_ACK_MASK)
-		rxrpc_process_delayed_final_acks(conn, false);
-
 	/* go through the conn-level event packets, releasing the ref on this
 	 * connection that each one has when we've finished with it */
 	while ((skb = skb_dequeue(&conn->rx_queue))) {
@@ -515,3 +511,13 @@ int rxrpc_input_conn_packet(struct rxrpc_connection *conn, struct sk_buff *skb)
 		return -EPROTO;
 	}
 }
+
+/*
+ * Input a connection event.
+ */
+void rxrpc_input_conn_event(struct rxrpc_connection *conn, struct sk_buff *skb)
+{
+	/* Process delayed ACKs whose time has come. */
+	if (conn->flags & RXRPC_CONN_FINAL_ACK_MASK)
+		rxrpc_process_delayed_final_acks(conn, false);
+}
diff --git a/net/rxrpc/conn_object.c b/net/rxrpc/conn_object.c
index 354a5ecb34ee..649c7fc94658 100644
--- a/net/rxrpc/conn_object.c
+++ b/net/rxrpc/conn_object.c
@@ -23,12 +23,30 @@ static void rxrpc_clean_up_connection(struct work_struct *work);
 static void rxrpc_set_service_reap_timer(struct rxrpc_net *rxnet,
 					 unsigned long reap_at);
 
+void rxrpc_poke_conn(struct rxrpc_connection *conn, enum rxrpc_conn_trace why)
+{
+	struct rxrpc_local *local = conn->local;
+	bool busy;
+
+	if (WARN_ON_ONCE(!local))
+		return;
+
+	spin_lock_bh(&local->lock);
+	busy = !list_empty(&conn->attend_link);
+	if (!busy) {
+		rxrpc_get_connection(conn, why);
+		list_add_tail(&conn->attend_link, &local->conn_attend_q);
+	}
+	spin_unlock_bh(&local->lock);
+	rxrpc_wake_up_io_thread(local);
+}
+
 static void rxrpc_connection_timer(struct timer_list *timer)
 {
 	struct rxrpc_connection *conn =
 		container_of(timer, struct rxrpc_connection, timer);
 
-	rxrpc_queue_conn(conn, rxrpc_conn_queue_timer);
+	rxrpc_poke_conn(conn, rxrpc_conn_get_poke_timer);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/net/rxrpc/io_thread.c b/net/rxrpc/io_thread.c
index 0e1a548d35f8..dcf1ade0abdd 100644
--- a/net/rxrpc/io_thread.c
+++ b/net/rxrpc/io_thread.c
@@ -421,6 +421,7 @@ static int rxrpc_input_packet_on_conn(struct rxrpc_connection *conn,
  */
 int rxrpc_io_thread(void *data)
 {
+	struct rxrpc_connection *conn;
 	struct sk_buff_head rx_queue;
 	struct rxrpc_local *local = data;
 	struct rxrpc_call *call;
@@ -436,6 +437,19 @@ int rxrpc_io_thread(void *data)
 	for (;;) {
 		rxrpc_inc_stat(local->rxnet, stat_io_loop);
 
+		/* Deal with connections that want immediate attention. */
+		if ((conn = list_first_entry_or_null(&local->conn_attend_q,
+						     struct rxrpc_connection,
+						     attend_link))) {
+			spin_lock_bh(&local->lock);
+			list_del_init(&conn->attend_link);
+			spin_unlock_bh(&local->lock);
+
+			rxrpc_input_conn_event(conn, NULL);
+			rxrpc_put_connection(conn, rxrpc_conn_put_poke);
+			continue;
+		}
+
 		/* Deal with calls that want immediate attention. */
 		if ((call = list_first_entry_or_null(&local->call_attend_q,
 						     struct rxrpc_call,
@@ -463,6 +477,7 @@ int rxrpc_io_thread(void *data)
 				rxrpc_input_error(local, skb);
 				rxrpc_free_skb(skb, rxrpc_skb_put_error_report);
 				break;
+				break;
 			default:
 				WARN_ON_ONCE(1);
 				rxrpc_free_skb(skb, rxrpc_skb_put_unknown);
@@ -481,7 +496,8 @@ int rxrpc_io_thread(void *data)
 		set_current_state(TASK_INTERRUPTIBLE);
 		should_stop = kthread_should_stop();
 		if (!skb_queue_empty(&local->rx_queue) ||
-		    !list_empty(&local->call_attend_q)) {
+		    !list_empty(&local->call_attend_q) ||
+		    !list_empty(&local->conn_attend_q)) {
 			__set_current_state(TASK_RUNNING);
 			continue;
 		}
diff --git a/net/rxrpc/local_object.c b/net/rxrpc/local_object.c
index c0ac2fe07ec4..8ef6cd8defa4 100644
--- a/net/rxrpc/local_object.c
+++ b/net/rxrpc/local_object.c
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ static struct rxrpc_local *rxrpc_alloc_local(struct net *net,
 		init_rwsem(&local->defrag_sem);
 		init_completion(&local->io_thread_ready);
 		skb_queue_head_init(&local->rx_queue);
+		INIT_LIST_HEAD(&local->conn_attend_q);
 		INIT_LIST_HEAD(&local->call_attend_q);
 		local->client_bundles = RB_ROOT;
 		spin_lock_init(&local->client_bundles_lock);
