diff --git a/src/async.c b/src/async.c
index 615c9c5..5f7664d 100644
--- a/src/async.c
+++ b/src/async.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 
 typedef struct {
     int fd;
+    int list_idx;
     sock *socket;
     async_evt_t events;
     int flags;
@@ -208,6 +209,7 @@ static int async_add(evt_listen_t *evt) {
 int async_fd(int fd, async_evt_t events, int flags, void *arg, void cb(void *), void to_cb(void *), void err_cb(void *)) {
     evt_listen_t evt = {
             .fd = fd,
+            .list_idx = -1,
             .socket = NULL,
             .events = events,
             .flags = flags,
@@ -222,6 +224,7 @@ int async_fd(int fd, async_evt_t events, int flags, void *arg, void cb(void *),
 int async(sock *s, async_evt_t events, int flags, void *arg, void cb(void *), void to_cb(void *), void err_cb(void *)) {
     evt_listen_t evt = {
             .fd = s->socket,
+            .list_idx = -1,
             .socket = s,
             .events = events,
             .flags = flags,
@@ -289,6 +292,7 @@ void async_thread(void) {
         // fill local list and epoll instance with previously added queue entries
         for (int i = 0; i < l->n; i++) {
             evt_listen_t *evt = l->q[i];
+            evt->list_idx = list_size(local);
             local = list_append(local, &evt);
             if (local == NULL) {
                 critical("Unable to resize async local list");
@@ -303,14 +307,21 @@ void async_thread(void) {
                     // fd already exists, delete old one
                     warning("Unable to add file descriptor to epoll instance");
                     errno = 0;
-                    if (epoll_ctl(epoll_fd, EPOLL_CTL_DEL, evt->fd, NULL) != -1)
+                    if (epoll_ctl(epoll_fd, EPOLL_CTL_DEL, evt->fd, NULL) != -1) {
+                        local = list_remove(local, evt->list_idx);
+                        if (local == NULL) {
+                            critical("Unable to resize async local list");
+                            return;
+                        }
+                        notice("Removed old file descriptor from epoll instance");
                         continue;
+                    }
                 } else if (errno == EBADF || errno == EPERM) {
                     // fd probably already closed or does not support epoll somehow
                     // FIXME should not happen
                     warning("Unable to add file descriptor to epoll instance");
                     errno = 0;
-                    local = list_delete(local, &evt);
+                    local = list_remove(local, evt->list_idx);
                     if (local == NULL) {
                         critical("Unable to resize async local list");
                         return;
@@ -328,7 +339,7 @@ void async_thread(void) {
         // calculate wait timeout
         min_ts = -1000, cur_ts = clock_micros();
         for (int i = 0; i < list_size(local); i++) {
-            evt_listen_t *evt = local[i];
+            const evt_listen_t *evt = local[i];
             if (!evt->socket || evt->socket->timeout_us < 0) continue;
 
             ts = evt->socket->ts_last + evt->socket->timeout_us - cur_ts;
@@ -349,7 +360,10 @@ void async_thread(void) {
 
         for (int i = 0; i < num_fds; i++) {
             evt_listen_t *evt = events[i].data.ptr;
-            if (!list_contains(local, &evt)) continue;
+            if (evt != local[evt->list_idx]) {
+                error("epoll instance reported event not contained in local list");
+                continue;
+            }
 
             void (*cb)(void *) = NULL;
             if (async_exec_cb(evt, async_e2a(events[i].events), &cb) == 0) {
@@ -364,7 +378,7 @@ void async_thread(void) {
                     }
                 }
 
-                local = list_delete(local, &evt);
+                local = list_remove(local, evt->list_idx);
                 if (local == NULL) {
                     critical("Unable to resize async local list");
                     return;
@@ -381,7 +395,7 @@ void async_thread(void) {
         // check, if some socket ran into a timeout
         cur_ts = clock_micros();
         for (int i = 0; i < list_size(local); i++) {
-            evt_listen_t *evt = local[i];
+            const evt_listen_t *evt = local[i];
             if (!evt->socket) continue;
 
             if (evt->socket->timeout_us >= 0 && (cur_ts - evt->socket->ts_last) >= evt->socket->timeout_us) {