diff --git a/lib/client-handshake.c b/lib/client-handshake.c
index 83bcef29..03488f22 100644
--- a/lib/client-handshake.c
+++ b/lib/client-handshake.c
@@ -234,9 +234,6 @@ lws_client_connect_2(struct lws *wsi)
 			if (lws_change_pollfd(wsi, 0, LWS_POLLOUT))
 				goto failed;
 
-			lws_libev_io(wsi, LWS_EV_START | LWS_EV_WRITE);
-			lws_libuv_io(wsi, LWS_EV_START | LWS_EV_WRITE);
-
 			return wsi;
 		}
 
diff --git a/lib/client.c b/lib/client.c
index ad15ed0a..fd9fb578 100644
--- a/lib/client.c
+++ b/lib/client.c
@@ -145,9 +145,6 @@ lws_client_socket_service(struct lws_context *context, struct lws *wsi,
 		if (lws_change_pollfd(wsi, LWS_POLLOUT, 0))
 			return -1;
 
-		lws_libev_io(wsi, LWS_EV_STOP | LWS_EV_WRITE);
-		lws_libuv_io(wsi, LWS_EV_STOP | LWS_EV_WRITE);
-
 #ifdef LWS_OPENSSL_SUPPORT
 		/* we can retry this... just cook the SSL BIO the first time */
 
diff --git a/lib/pollfd.c b/lib/pollfd.c
index 0b0dece1..48e12df9 100644
--- a/lib/pollfd.c
+++ b/lib/pollfd.c
@@ -49,6 +49,23 @@ _lws_change_pollfd(struct lws *wsi, int _and, int _or, struct lws_pollargs *pa)
 		goto bail;
 	}
 
+	if (_and & LWS_POLLIN) {
+		lws_libev_io(wsi, LWS_EV_STOP | LWS_EV_READ);
+		lws_libuv_io(wsi, LWS_EV_STOP | LWS_EV_READ);
+	}
+	if (_or & LWS_POLLIN) {
+		lws_libev_io(wsi, LWS_EV_START | LWS_EV_READ);
+		lws_libuv_io(wsi, LWS_EV_START | LWS_EV_READ);
+	}
+	if (_and & LWS_POLLOUT) {
+		lws_libev_io(wsi, LWS_EV_STOP | LWS_EV_WRITE);
+		lws_libuv_io(wsi, LWS_EV_STOP | LWS_EV_WRITE);
+	}
+	if (_or & LWS_POLLOUT) {
+		lws_libev_io(wsi, LWS_EV_START | LWS_EV_WRITE);
+		lws_libuv_io(wsi, LWS_EV_START | LWS_EV_WRITE);
+	}
+
 	/*
 	 * if we changed something in this pollfd...
 	 *   ... and we're running in a different thread context
@@ -315,9 +332,6 @@ network_sock:
 	if (lws_change_pollfd(wsi, 0, LWS_POLLOUT))
 		return -1;
 
-	lws_libev_io(wsi, LWS_EV_START | LWS_EV_WRITE);
-	lws_libuv_io(wsi, LWS_EV_START | LWS_EV_WRITE);
-
 	return 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/server.c b/lib/server.c
index aa69f680..6984fe90 100644
--- a/lib/server.c
+++ b/lib/server.c
@@ -901,9 +901,6 @@ try_pollout:
 			goto fail;
 		}
 
-		lws_libev_io(wsi, LWS_EV_STOP | LWS_EV_WRITE);
-		lws_libuv_io(wsi, LWS_EV_STOP | LWS_EV_WRITE);
-
 		if (wsi->state != LWSS_HTTP_ISSUING_FILE) {
 			n = user_callback_handle_rxflow(wsi->protocol->callback,
 					wsi, LWS_CALLBACK_HTTP_WRITEABLE,
diff --git a/lib/service.c b/lib/service.c
index a71d20e4..2e4570fd 100644
--- a/lib/service.c
+++ b/lib/service.c
@@ -231,16 +231,12 @@ lws_handle_POLLOUT_event(struct lws *wsi, struct lws_pollfd *pollfd)
 user_service:
 	/* one shot */
 
-	if (pollfd) {
+	if (pollfd)
 		if (lws_change_pollfd(wsi, LWS_POLLOUT, 0)) {
 			lwsl_info("failed at set pollfd\n");
 			return 1;
 		}
 
-		lws_libev_io(wsi, LWS_EV_STOP | LWS_EV_WRITE);
-		lws_libuv_io(wsi, LWS_EV_STOP | LWS_EV_WRITE);
-	}
-
 #ifdef LWS_USE_HTTP2
 	/*
 	 * we are the 'network wsi' for potentially many muxed child wsi with
diff --git a/lib/ssl.c b/lib/ssl.c
index 5a60a4e5..0f15d7d7 100644
--- a/lib/ssl.c
+++ b/lib/ssl.c
@@ -664,9 +664,6 @@ lws_server_socket_service_ssl(struct lws *wsi, lws_sockfd_type accept_fd)
 		if (lws_change_pollfd(wsi, LWS_POLLOUT, 0))
 			goto fail;
 
-		lws_libev_io(wsi, LWS_EV_STOP | LWS_EV_WRITE);
-		lws_libuv_io(wsi, LWS_EV_STOP | LWS_EV_WRITE);
-
 		lws_latency_pre(context, wsi);
 
 		n = recv(wsi->sock, (char *)pt->serv_buf, LWS_MAX_SOCKET_IO_BUF,
@@ -733,9 +730,6 @@ go_again:
 			if (lws_change_pollfd(wsi, 0, LWS_POLLIN))
 				goto fail;
 
-			lws_libev_io(wsi, LWS_EV_START | LWS_EV_READ);
-			lws_libuv_io(wsi, LWS_EV_START | LWS_EV_READ);
-
 			lwsl_info("SSL_ERROR_WANT_READ\n");
 			break;
 		}
@@ -743,8 +737,6 @@ go_again:
 			if (lws_change_pollfd(wsi, 0, LWS_POLLOUT))
 				goto fail;
 
-			lws_libev_io(wsi, LWS_EV_START | LWS_EV_WRITE);
-			lws_libuv_io(wsi, LWS_EV_START | LWS_EV_WRITE);
 			break;
 		}
 		lwsl_debug("SSL_accept failed skt %u: %s\n",