diff --git a/src/common/mainloop.cpp b/src/common/mainloop.cpp
index f2024fbbe4a..73fd073c73a 100644
--- a/src/common/mainloop.cpp
+++ b/src/common/mainloop.cpp
@@ -33,11 +33,11 @@ namespace otbr {
 
 MainloopProcessor::MainloopProcessor(void)
 {
-    MainloopManager::GetInstance().AddMainloopProcessor(this);
+    MainloopManager::GetInstance().AddMainloopProcessor(*this);
 }
 
 MainloopProcessor::~MainloopProcessor(void)
 {
-    MainloopManager::GetInstance().RemoveMainloopProcessor(this);
+    MainloopManager::GetInstance().RemoveMainloopProcessor(*this);
 }
 } // namespace otbr
diff --git a/src/common/mainloop_manager.cpp b/src/common/mainloop_manager.cpp
index 93c73bfbf91..c595d08c40a 100644
--- a/src/common/mainloop_manager.cpp
+++ b/src/common/mainloop_manager.cpp
@@ -31,15 +31,29 @@
 
 namespace otbr {
 
-void MainloopManager::AddMainloopProcessor(MainloopProcessor *aMainloopProcessor)
+MainloopManager::MainloopManager(void)
+    : mProcessing(false)
 {
-    assert(aMainloopProcessor != nullptr);
-    mMainloopProcessorList.emplace_back(aMainloopProcessor);
 }
 
-void MainloopManager::RemoveMainloopProcessor(MainloopProcessor *aMainloopProcessor)
+void MainloopManager::AddMainloopProcessor(MainloopProcessor &aMainloopProcessor)
 {
-    mMainloopProcessorList.remove(aMainloopProcessor);
+    mToAdd.emplace_back(&aMainloopProcessor);
+
+    if (!mProcessing)
+    {
+        UpdateList();
+    }
+}
+
+void MainloopManager::RemoveMainloopProcessor(MainloopProcessor &aMainloopProcessor)
+{
+    mToRemove.emplace_back(&aMainloopProcessor);
+
+    if (!mProcessing)
+    {
+        UpdateList();
+    }
 }
 
 void MainloopManager::Update(MainloopContext &aMainloop)
@@ -52,9 +66,30 @@ void MainloopManager::Update(MainloopContext &aMainloop)
 
 void MainloopManager::Process(const MainloopContext &aMainloop)
 {
-    for (auto &mainloopProcessor : mMainloopProcessorList)
+    mProcessing = true;
+
+    for (auto &mainloopProcessor : mList)
     {
         mainloopProcessor->Process(aMainloop);
     }
+
+    mProcessing = false;
+    UpdateList();
+}
+
+void MainloopManager::UpdateList(void)
+{
+    assert(!mProcessing);
+
+    mList.instert(mList.end(), mToAdd.begin(), mToAdd.end());
+
+    for (auto &processor : mToRemove)
+    {
+        mList.remove(processor);
+    }
+
+    mToAdd.clear();
+    mToRemove.clear();
 }
+
 } // namespace otbr
diff --git a/src/common/mainloop_manager.hpp b/src/common/mainloop_manager.hpp
index 381ebfb53e8..573f0ff8df4 100644
--- a/src/common/mainloop_manager.hpp
+++ b/src/common/mainloop_manager.hpp
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class MainloopManager : private NonCopyable
      * The constructor to initialize the mainloop manager.
      *
      */
-    MainloopManager() = default;
+    MainloopManager(void);
 
     /**
      * This method returns the singleton instance of the mainloop manager.
@@ -72,18 +72,18 @@ class MainloopManager : private NonCopyable
     /**
      * This method adds a mainloop processors to the mainloop managger.
      *
-     * @param[in] aMainloopProcessor  A pointer to the mainloop processor.
+     * @param[in] aMainloopProcessor  A mainloop processor.
      *
      */
-    void AddMainloopProcessor(MainloopProcessor *aMainloopProcessor);
+    void AddMainloopProcessor(MainloopProcessor &aMainloopProcessor);
 
     /**
      * This method removes a mainloop processors from the mainloop managger.
      *
-     * @param[in] aMainloopProcessor  A pointer to the mainloop processor.
+     * @param[in] aMainloopProcessor  A mainloop processor.
      *
      */
-    void RemoveMainloopProcessor(MainloopProcessor *aMainloopProcessor);
+    void RemoveMainloopProcessor(MainloopProcessor &aMainloopProcessor);
 
     /**
      * This method updates the mainloop context of all mainloop processors.
@@ -102,7 +102,12 @@ class MainloopManager : private NonCopyable
     void Process(const MainloopContext &aMainloop);
 
 private:
-    std::list<MainloopProcessor *> mMainloopProcessorList;
+    void UpdateList(void);
+
+    std::list<MainloopProcessor *> mList;
+    std::list<MainloopProcessor *> mToRemove;
+    std::list<MainloopProcessor *> mToAdd;
+    bool                           mProcessing;
 };
 } // namespace otbr
 #endif // OTBR_COMMON_MAINLOOP_MANAGER_HPP_