diff --git a/lib/jsonrpc/jsonrpc_internal.h b/lib/jsonrpc/jsonrpc_internal.h
index 2caaba2e7..4be95cc32 100644
--- a/lib/jsonrpc/jsonrpc_internal.h
+++ b/lib/jsonrpc/jsonrpc_internal.h
@@ -99,11 +99,14 @@ void spdk_jsonrpc_server_handle_request(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request,
 					const struct spdk_json_val *method,
 					const struct spdk_json_val *params);
 void spdk_jsonrpc_server_handle_error(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request, int error);
-void spdk_jsonrpc_server_send_response(struct spdk_jsonrpc_server_conn *conn,
-				       struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request);
+
+/* Might be called from any thread */
+void spdk_jsonrpc_server_send_response(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request);
 
 /* jsonrpc_server */
 int spdk_jsonrpc_parse_request(struct spdk_jsonrpc_server_conn *conn, void *json, size_t size);
+
+/* Must be called only from server poll thread */
 void spdk_jsonrpc_free_request(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/lib/jsonrpc/jsonrpc_server.c b/lib/jsonrpc/jsonrpc_server.c
index 7aa21fb52..9cb777942 100644
--- a/lib/jsonrpc/jsonrpc_server.c
+++ b/lib/jsonrpc/jsonrpc_server.c
@@ -243,13 +243,20 @@ begin_response(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request)
 	return w;
 }
 
+static void
+skip_response(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request)
+{
+	request->send_len = 0;
+	spdk_jsonrpc_server_send_response(request);
+}
+
 static void
 end_response(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request, struct spdk_json_write_ctx *w)
 {
 	spdk_json_write_object_end(w);
 	spdk_json_write_end(w);
 	spdk_jsonrpc_server_write_cb(request, "\n", 1);
-	spdk_jsonrpc_server_send_response(request->conn, request);
+	spdk_jsonrpc_server_send_response(request);
 }
 
 void
@@ -267,13 +274,13 @@ spdk_jsonrpc_begin_result(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request)
 
 	if (request->id.type == SPDK_JSON_VAL_INVALID) {
 		/* Notification - no response required */
-		spdk_jsonrpc_free_request(request);
+		skip_response(request);
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
 	w = begin_response(request);
 	if (w == NULL) {
-		spdk_jsonrpc_free_request(request);
+		skip_response(request);
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
@@ -303,7 +310,7 @@ spdk_jsonrpc_send_error_response(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request,
 
 	w = begin_response(request);
 	if (w == NULL) {
-		free(request);
+		skip_response(request);
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -332,7 +339,7 @@ spdk_jsonrpc_send_error_response_fmt(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request,
 
 	w = begin_response(request);
 	if (w == NULL) {
-		free(request);
+		skip_response(request);
 		return;
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/jsonrpc/jsonrpc_server_tcp.c b/lib/jsonrpc/jsonrpc_server_tcp.c
index 4c65dc7ca..c69d7483c 100644
--- a/lib/jsonrpc/jsonrpc_server_tcp.c
+++ b/lib/jsonrpc/jsonrpc_server_tcp.c
@@ -259,9 +259,10 @@ spdk_jsonrpc_server_conn_recv(struct spdk_jsonrpc_server_conn *conn)
 }
 
 void
-spdk_jsonrpc_server_send_response(struct spdk_jsonrpc_server_conn *conn,
-				  struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request)
+spdk_jsonrpc_server_send_response(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request)
 {
+	struct spdk_jsonrpc_server_conn *conn = request->conn;
+
 	/* Queue the response to be sent */
 	pthread_spin_lock(&conn->queue_lock);
 	STAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&conn->send_queue, request, link);
@@ -296,9 +297,6 @@ more:
 
 	if (conn->send_request == NULL) {
 		conn->send_request = spdk_jsonrpc_server_dequeue_request(conn);
-		if (conn->send_request == NULL) {
-			return 0;
-		}
 	}
 
 	request = conn->send_request;
@@ -307,20 +305,22 @@ more:
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	rc = send(conn->sockfd, request->send_buf + request->send_offset,
-		  request->send_len, 0);
-	if (rc < 0) {
-		if (errno == EAGAIN || errno == EWOULDBLOCK || errno == EINTR) {
-			return 0;
+	if (request->send_len > 0) {
+		rc = send(conn->sockfd, request->send_buf + request->send_offset,
+			  request->send_len, 0);
+		if (rc < 0) {
+			if (errno == EAGAIN || errno == EWOULDBLOCK || errno == EINTR) {
+				return 0;
+			}
+
+			SPDK_DEBUGLOG(SPDK_LOG_RPC, "send() failed: %s\n", spdk_strerror(errno));
+			return -1;
 		}
 
-		SPDK_DEBUGLOG(SPDK_LOG_RPC, "send() failed: %s\n", spdk_strerror(errno));
-		return -1;
+		request->send_offset += rc;
+		request->send_len -= rc;
 	}
 
-	request->send_offset += rc;
-	request->send_len -= rc;
-
 	if (request->send_len == 0) {
 		/*
 		 * Full response has been sent.
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/jsonrpc/jsonrpc_server.c/jsonrpc_server_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/jsonrpc/jsonrpc_server.c/jsonrpc_server_ut.c
index f37268a26..3c62e41f7 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/jsonrpc/jsonrpc_server.c/jsonrpc_server_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/jsonrpc/jsonrpc_server.c/jsonrpc_server_ut.c
@@ -219,8 +219,7 @@ spdk_jsonrpc_server_handle_request(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request,
 }
 
 void
-spdk_jsonrpc_server_send_response(struct spdk_jsonrpc_server_conn *conn,
-				  struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request)
+spdk_jsonrpc_server_send_response(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request)
 {
 	/* TODO */
 }