diff --git a/lib/core-net/adopt.c b/lib/core-net/adopt.c
index 03bad8393..a9d2d6d39 100644
--- a/lib/core-net/adopt.c
+++ b/lib/core-net/adopt.c
@@ -132,6 +132,12 @@ lws_adopt_descriptor_vhost(struct lws_vhost *vh, lws_adoption_type type,
 	}
 #endif
 
+	/*
+	 * Notice that in SMP case, the wsi may being being created on an
+	 * entirely different pt / tsi for load balancing.  In that case as
+	 * we initialize it, it may become "live" concurrently unexpectedly...
+	 */
+
 	n = -1;
 	if (parent)
 		n = parent->tsi;
@@ -194,6 +200,15 @@ lws_adopt_descriptor_vhost(struct lws_vhost *vh, lws_adoption_type type,
 		if (context->event_loop_ops->accept(new_wsi))
 			goto fail;
 
+#if LWS_MAX_SMP > 1
+	/*
+	 * Caution: after this point the wsi is live on its service thread
+	 * which may be concurrent to this.  We mark the wsi as still undergoing
+	 * init in another pt so the assigned pt leaves it alone.
+	 */
+	new_wsi->undergoing_init_from_other_pt = 1;
+#endif
+
 	if (!(type & LWS_ADOPT_ALLOW_SSL)) {
 		lws_pt_lock(pt, __func__);
 		if (__insert_wsi_socket_into_fds(context, new_wsi)) {
@@ -224,6 +239,12 @@ lws_adopt_descriptor_vhost(struct lws_vhost *vh, lws_adoption_type type,
 	lws_role_call_adoption_bind(new_wsi, type | _LWS_ADOPT_FINISH,
 				    vh_prot_name);
 
+#if LWS_MAX_SMP > 1
+	/* its actual pt can service it now */
+
+	new_wsi->undergoing_init_from_other_pt = 0;
+#endif
+
 	lws_cancel_service_pt(new_wsi);
 
 	return new_wsi;
diff --git a/lib/core-net/private.h b/lib/core-net/private.h
index 3d4b4c420..6048e3b40 100644
--- a/lib/core-net/private.h
+++ b/lib/core-net/private.h
@@ -623,6 +623,10 @@ struct lws {
 	/* volatile to make sure code is aware other thread can change */
 	volatile char handling_pollout;
 	volatile char leave_pollout_active;
+#if LWS_MAX_SMP > 1
+	volatile char undergoing_init_from_other_pt;
+#endif
+
 };
 
 #define lws_is_flowcontrolled(w) (!!(wsi->rxflow_bitmap))
diff --git a/lib/core-net/service.c b/lib/core-net/service.c
index f4014a733..481141534 100644
--- a/lib/core-net/service.c
+++ b/lib/core-net/service.c
@@ -960,6 +960,15 @@ lws_service_fd_tsi(struct lws_context *context, struct lws_pollfd *pollfd,
 		/* not lws connection ... leave revents alone and return */
 		return 0;
 
+#if LWS_MAX_SMP > 1
+	if (wsi->undergoing_init_from_other_pt)
+		/*
+		 * Temporary situation that other service thread is initializing
+		 * this wsi right now for use on our service thread.
+		 */
+		return 0;
+#endif
+
 	/*
 	 * so that caller can tell we handled, past here we need to
 	 * zero down pollfd->revents after handling
diff --git a/lib/roles/listen/ops-listen.c b/lib/roles/listen/ops-listen.c
index a1661cabb..662434509 100644
--- a/lib/roles/listen/ops-listen.c
+++ b/lib/roles/listen/ops-listen.c
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ rops_handle_POLLIN_listen(struct lws_context_per_thread *pt, struct lws *wsi,
 			/* already closed cleanly as necessary */
 			return LWS_HPI_RET_WSI_ALREADY_DIED;
 		}
-
+/*
 		if (lws_server_socket_service_ssl(cwsi, accept_fd)) {
 			lws_close_free_wsi(cwsi, LWS_CLOSE_STATUS_NOSTATUS,
 					   "listen svc fail");
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ rops_handle_POLLIN_listen(struct lws_context_per_thread *pt, struct lws *wsi,
 
 		lwsl_info("%s: new wsi %p: wsistate 0x%x, role_ops %s\n",
 			    __func__, cwsi, cwsi->wsistate, cwsi->role_ops->name);
+*/
 
 	} while (pt->fds_count < context->fd_limit_per_thread - 1 &&
 		 wsi->position_in_fds_table != LWS_NO_FDS_POS &&