diff --git a/iocore/net/UnixNet.cc b/iocore/net/UnixNet.cc
index a0cdc50f2ba..06da4146762 100644
--- a/iocore/net/UnixNet.cc
+++ b/iocore/net/UnixNet.cc
@@ -689,7 +689,6 @@ void
 NetHandler::add_to_keep_alive_queue(UnixNetVConnection *vc)
 {
   Debug("net_queue", "NetVC: %p", vc);
-  ink_assert(mutex->thread_holding == this_ethread());
 
   if (keep_alive_queue.in(vc)) {
     // already in the keep-alive queue, move the head
@@ -709,8 +708,6 @@ void
 NetHandler::remove_from_keep_alive_queue(UnixNetVConnection *vc)
 {
   Debug("net_queue", "NetVC: %p", vc);
-  ink_assert(mutex->thread_holding == this_ethread());
-
   if (keep_alive_queue.in(vc)) {
     keep_alive_queue.remove(vc);
     --keep_alive_queue_size;
@@ -723,7 +720,6 @@ NetHandler::add_to_active_queue(UnixNetVConnection *vc)
   Debug("net_queue", "NetVC: %p", vc);
   Debug("net_queue", "max_connections_per_thread_in: %d active_queue_size: %d keep_alive_queue_size: %d",
         max_connections_per_thread_in, active_queue_size, keep_alive_queue_size);
-  ink_assert(mutex->thread_holding == this_ethread());
 
   // if active queue is over size then close inactive connections
   if (manage_active_queue() == false) {
@@ -748,8 +744,6 @@ void
 NetHandler::remove_from_active_queue(UnixNetVConnection *vc)
 {
   Debug("net_queue", "NetVC: %p", vc);
-  ink_assert(mutex->thread_holding == this_ethread());
-
   if (active_queue.in(vc)) {
     active_queue.remove(vc);
     --active_queue_size;
diff --git a/iocore/net/UnixNetVConnection.cc b/iocore/net/UnixNetVConnection.cc
index 7b581657a9b..2981ab1f691 100644
--- a/iocore/net/UnixNetVConnection.cc
+++ b/iocore/net/UnixNetVConnection.cc
@@ -1543,48 +1543,25 @@ UnixNetVConnection::migrateToCurrentThread(Continuation *cont, EThread *t)
 void
 UnixNetVConnection::add_to_keep_alive_queue()
 {
-  MUTEX_TRY_LOCK(lock, nh->mutex, this_ethread());
-  if (lock.is_locked()) {
-    nh->add_to_keep_alive_queue(this);
-  } else {
-    ink_release_assert(!"BUG: It must have acquired the NetHandler's lock before doing anything on keep_alive_queue.");
-  }
+  nh->add_to_keep_alive_queue(this);
 }
 
 void
 UnixNetVConnection::remove_from_keep_alive_queue()
 {
-  MUTEX_TRY_LOCK(lock, nh->mutex, this_ethread());
-  if (lock.is_locked()) {
-    nh->remove_from_keep_alive_queue(this);
-  } else {
-    ink_release_assert(!"BUG: It must have acquired the NetHandler's lock before doing anything on keep_alive_queue.");
-  }
+  nh->remove_from_keep_alive_queue(this);
 }
 
 bool
 UnixNetVConnection::add_to_active_queue()
 {
-  bool result = false;
-
-  MUTEX_TRY_LOCK(lock, nh->mutex, this_ethread());
-  if (lock.is_locked()) {
-    result = nh->add_to_active_queue(this);
-  } else {
-    ink_release_assert(!"BUG: It must have acquired the NetHandler's lock before doing anything on active_queue.");
-  }
-  return result;
+  return nh->add_to_active_queue(this);
 }
 
 void
 UnixNetVConnection::remove_from_active_queue()
 {
-  MUTEX_TRY_LOCK(lock, nh->mutex, this_ethread());
-  if (lock.is_locked()) {
-    nh->remove_from_active_queue(this);
-  } else {
-    ink_release_assert(!"BUG: It must have acquired the NetHandler's lock before doing anything on active_queue.");
-  }
+  nh->remove_from_active_queue(this);
 }
 
 int