diff --git a/lib/iscsi/conn.c b/lib/iscsi/conn.c
index 948bd052c..08af1f36a 100644
--- a/lib/iscsi/conn.c
+++ b/lib/iscsi/conn.c
@@ -763,9 +763,10 @@ spdk_iscsi_conn_check_shutdown(void *arg)
 	struct spdk_event *event;
 
 	if (spdk_iscsi_get_active_conns() == 0) {
+		spdk_poller_unregister(&g_shutdown_timer, NULL);
 		event = spdk_event_allocate(spdk_env_get_current_core(), spdk_iscsi_conn_check_shutdown_cb, NULL,
 					    NULL);
-		spdk_poller_unregister(&g_shutdown_timer, event);
+		spdk_event_call(event);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -830,8 +831,9 @@ spdk_iscsi_conn_stop_poller(struct spdk_iscsi_conn *conn, spdk_event_fn fn_after
 	}
 	__sync_fetch_and_sub(&g_num_connections[spdk_env_get_current_core()], 1);
 	spdk_net_framework_clear_socket_association(conn->sock);
+	spdk_poller_unregister(&conn->poller, NULL);
 	event = spdk_event_allocate(lcore, fn_after_stop, conn, NULL);
-	spdk_poller_unregister(&conn->poller, event);
+	spdk_event_call(event);
 }
 
 void spdk_shutdown_iscsi_conns(void)
@@ -1448,7 +1450,8 @@ spdk_iscsi_conn_login_do_work(void *arg)
 		__sync_fetch_and_sub(&g_num_connections[spdk_env_get_current_core()], 1);
 		__sync_fetch_and_add(&g_num_connections[lcore], 1);
 		spdk_net_framework_clear_socket_association(conn->sock);
-		spdk_poller_unregister(&conn->poller, event);
+		spdk_poller_unregister(&conn->poller, NULL);
+		spdk_event_call(event);
 	}
 }