diff --git a/lib/jsonrpc/jsonrpc_internal.h b/lib/jsonrpc/jsonrpc_internal.h
index b0ea21e29..2caaba2e7 100644
--- a/lib/jsonrpc/jsonrpc_internal.h
+++ b/lib/jsonrpc/jsonrpc_internal.h
@@ -80,13 +80,18 @@ struct spdk_jsonrpc_server_conn {
 	STAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_jsonrpc_request) send_queue;
 
 	struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *send_request;
+
+	TAILQ_ENTRY(spdk_jsonrpc_server_conn) link;
 };
 
 struct spdk_jsonrpc_server {
 	int sockfd;
 	spdk_jsonrpc_handle_request_fn handle_request;
-	struct spdk_jsonrpc_server_conn conns[SPDK_JSONRPC_MAX_CONNS];
-	int num_conns;
+
+	TAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_jsonrpc_server_conn) free_conns;
+	TAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_jsonrpc_server_conn) conns;
+
+	struct spdk_jsonrpc_server_conn conns_array[SPDK_JSONRPC_MAX_CONNS];
 };
 
 /* jsonrpc_server_tcp */
diff --git a/lib/jsonrpc/jsonrpc_server_tcp.c b/lib/jsonrpc/jsonrpc_server_tcp.c
index 64f92f6b6..4c65dc7ca 100644
--- a/lib/jsonrpc/jsonrpc_server_tcp.c
+++ b/lib/jsonrpc/jsonrpc_server_tcp.c
@@ -40,13 +40,20 @@ spdk_jsonrpc_server_listen(int domain, int protocol,
 			   spdk_jsonrpc_handle_request_fn handle_request)
 {
 	struct spdk_jsonrpc_server *server;
-	int rc, val, flag;
+	int rc, val, flag, i;
 
 	server = calloc(1, sizeof(struct spdk_jsonrpc_server));
 	if (server == NULL) {
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
+	TAILQ_INIT(&server->free_conns);
+	TAILQ_INIT(&server->conns);
+
+	for (i = 0; i < SPDK_JSONRPC_MAX_CONNS; i++) {
+		TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&server->free_conns, &server->conns_array[i], link);
+	}
+
 	server->handle_request = handle_request;
 
 	server->sockfd = socket(domain, SOCK_STREAM, protocol);
@@ -93,12 +100,12 @@ spdk_jsonrpc_server_listen(int domain, int protocol,
 void
 spdk_jsonrpc_server_shutdown(struct spdk_jsonrpc_server *server)
 {
-	int i;
+	struct spdk_jsonrpc_server_conn *conn;
 
 	close(server->sockfd);
 
-	for (i = 0; i < server->num_conns; i++) {
-		close(server->conns[i].sockfd);
+	TAILQ_FOREACH(conn, &server->conns, link) {
+		close(conn->sockfd);
 	}
 
 	free(server);
@@ -119,29 +126,27 @@ static void
 spdk_jsonrpc_server_conn_remove(struct spdk_jsonrpc_server_conn *conn)
 {
 	struct spdk_jsonrpc_server *server = conn->server;
-	int conn_idx = conn - server->conns;
 
 	spdk_jsonrpc_server_conn_close(conn);
 
 	pthread_spin_destroy(&conn->queue_lock);
 	assert(STAILQ_EMPTY(&conn->send_queue));
 
-	/* Swap conn with the last entry in conns */
-	server->conns[conn_idx] = server->conns[server->num_conns - 1];
-	server->num_conns--;
+	TAILQ_REMOVE(&server->conns, conn, link);
+	TAILQ_INSERT_HEAD(&server->free_conns, conn, link);
 }
 
 static int
 spdk_jsonrpc_server_accept(struct spdk_jsonrpc_server *server)
 {
 	struct spdk_jsonrpc_server_conn *conn;
-	int rc, conn_idx, flag;
+	int rc, flag;
 
 	rc = accept(server->sockfd, NULL, NULL);
 	if (rc >= 0) {
-		assert(server->num_conns < SPDK_JSONRPC_MAX_CONNS);
-		conn_idx = server->num_conns;
-		conn = &server->conns[conn_idx];
+		conn = TAILQ_FIRST(&server->free_conns);
+		assert(conn != NULL);
+
 		conn->server = server;
 		conn->sockfd = rc;
 		conn->closed = false;
@@ -159,8 +164,8 @@ spdk_jsonrpc_server_accept(struct spdk_jsonrpc_server *server)
 			return -1;
 		}
 
-		server->num_conns++;
-
+		TAILQ_REMOVE(&server->free_conns, conn, link);
+		TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&server->conns, conn, link);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
@@ -332,12 +337,10 @@ more:
 int
 spdk_jsonrpc_server_poll(struct spdk_jsonrpc_server *server)
 {
-	int rc, i;
-	struct spdk_jsonrpc_server_conn *conn;
-
-	for (i = 0; i < server->num_conns; i++) {
-		conn = &server->conns[i];
+	int rc;
+	struct spdk_jsonrpc_server_conn *conn, *conn_tmp;
 
+	TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(conn, &server->conns, link, conn_tmp) {
 		if (conn->closed) {
 			struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request;
 
@@ -365,13 +368,11 @@ spdk_jsonrpc_server_poll(struct spdk_jsonrpc_server *server)
 	}
 
 	/* Check listen socket */
-	if (server->num_conns < SPDK_JSONRPC_MAX_CONNS) {
+	if (!TAILQ_EMPTY(&server->free_conns)) {
 		spdk_jsonrpc_server_accept(server);
 	}
 
-	for (i = 0; i < server->num_conns; i++) {
-		conn = &server->conns[i];
-
+	TAILQ_FOREACH(conn, &server->conns, link) {
 		if (conn->closed) {
 			continue;
 		}