diff --git a/iocore/net/P_UnixNetVConnection.h b/iocore/net/P_UnixNetVConnection.h
index 37b4278d550..1fef6b926d7 100644
--- a/iocore/net/P_UnixNetVConnection.h
+++ b/iocore/net/P_UnixNetVConnection.h
@@ -266,6 +266,7 @@ class UnixNetVConnection : public NetVConnection
   const sockaddr *origin_trace_addr;
   int origin_trace_port;
 
+  int startEvent(int event, Event *e);
   int acceptEvent(int event, Event *e);
   int mainEvent(int event, Event *e);
   virtual int connectUp(EThread *t, int fd);
diff --git a/iocore/net/SSLNetVConnection.cc b/iocore/net/SSLNetVConnection.cc
index 881b71a5da9..72b691333a8 100644
--- a/iocore/net/SSLNetVConnection.cc
+++ b/iocore/net/SSLNetVConnection.cc
@@ -957,6 +957,7 @@ SSLNetVConnection::free(EThread *t)
   con.close();
 
   clear();
+  SET_CONTINUATION_HANDLER(this, (SSLNetVConnHandler)&SSLNetVConnection::startEvent);
   ink_assert(con.fd == NO_FD);
   ink_assert(t == this_ethread());
 
diff --git a/iocore/net/UnixNetVConnection.cc b/iocore/net/UnixNetVConnection.cc
index 6fb6fa8ca37..f25f9bb7e0d 100644
--- a/iocore/net/UnixNetVConnection.cc
+++ b/iocore/net/UnixNetVConnection.cc
@@ -894,6 +894,7 @@ UnixNetVConnection::UnixNetVConnection()
     origin_trace_addr(nullptr),
     origin_trace_port(0)
 {
+  SET_HANDLER((NetVConnHandler)&UnixNetVConnection::startEvent);
 }
 
 // Private methods
@@ -1067,6 +1068,22 @@ UnixNetVConnection::netActivity(EThread *lthread)
   net_activity(this, lthread);
 }
 
+int
+UnixNetVConnection::startEvent(int /* event ATS_UNUSED */, Event *e)
+{
+  MUTEX_TRY_LOCK(lock, get_NetHandler(e->ethread)->mutex, e->ethread);
+  if (!lock.is_locked()) {
+    e->schedule_in(HRTIME_MSECONDS(net_retry_delay));
+    return EVENT_CONT;
+  }
+  if (!action_.cancelled) {
+    connectUp(e->ethread, NO_FD);
+  } else {
+    free(e->ethread);
+  }
+  return EVENT_DONE;
+}
+
 int
 UnixNetVConnection::acceptEvent(int event, Event *e)
 {
@@ -1356,6 +1373,7 @@ UnixNetVConnection::free(EThread *t)
   con.close();
 
   clear();
+  SET_CONTINUATION_HANDLER(this, (NetVConnHandler)&UnixNetVConnection::startEvent);
   ink_assert(con.fd == NO_FD);
   ink_assert(t == this_ethread());