diff --git a/lib/vhost/rte_vhost/socket.c b/lib/vhost/rte_vhost/socket.c
index cb29b5bf8..a4bc436bb 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/rte_vhost/socket.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/rte_vhost/socket.c
@@ -713,9 +713,7 @@ rte_vhost_driver_unregister(const char *path)
 {
 	int i;
 	int count;
-	struct vhost_user_connection *conn, *next;
-	struct vhost_user_connection_list del_conn_list =
-			TAILQ_HEAD_INITIALIZER(del_conn_list);
+	struct vhost_user_connection *conn;
 
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&vhost_user.mutex);
 
@@ -732,25 +730,16 @@ rte_vhost_driver_unregister(const char *path)
 			}
 
 			pthread_mutex_lock(&vsocket->conn_mutex);
-			for (conn = TAILQ_FIRST(&vsocket->conn_list);
-			     conn != NULL;
-			     conn = next) {
-				next = TAILQ_NEXT(conn, next);
-
-				TAILQ_REMOVE(&vsocket->conn_list, conn, next);
-				TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&del_conn_list, conn, next);
+			TAILQ_FOREACH(conn, &vsocket->conn_list, next) {
+				close(conn->connfd);
 			}
 			pthread_mutex_unlock(&vsocket->conn_mutex);
 
-			TAILQ_FOREACH(conn, &del_conn_list, next) {
-				fdset_del(&vhost_user.fdset, conn->connfd);
-				RTE_LOG(INFO, VHOST_CONFIG,
-					"free connfd = %d for device '%s'\n",
-					conn->connfd, path);
-				close(conn->connfd);
-				vhost_destroy_device(conn->vid);
-				free(conn);
-			}
+			do {
+				pthread_mutex_lock(&vsocket->conn_mutex);
+				conn = TAILQ_FIRST(&vsocket->conn_list);
+				pthread_mutex_unlock(&vsocket->conn_mutex);
+			} while (conn != NULL);
 
 			free(vsocket->path);
 			free(vsocket);