diff --git a/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/PickFirstLeafLoadBalancer.java b/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/PickFirstLeafLoadBalancer.java
index c3f9a52404e..253422d3dbd 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/PickFirstLeafLoadBalancer.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/PickFirstLeafLoadBalancer.java
@@ -214,14 +214,13 @@ public void handleNameResolutionError(Status error) {
     updateBalancingState(TRANSIENT_FAILURE, new Picker(PickResult.withError(error)));
   }
 
-  void processSubchannelState(Subchannel subchannel, ConnectivityStateInfo stateInfo) {
+  void processSubchannelState(SubchannelData subchannelData, ConnectivityStateInfo stateInfo) {
     ConnectivityState newState = stateInfo.getState();
 
-    SubchannelData subchannelData = subchannels.get(getAddress(subchannel));
     // Shutdown channels/previously relevant subchannels can still callback with state updates.
     // To prevent pickers from returning these obsolete subchannels, this logic
     // is included to check if the current list of active subchannels includes this subchannel.
-    if (subchannelData == null || subchannelData.getSubchannel() != subchannel) {
+    if (subchannelData != subchannels.get(getAddress(subchannelData.subchannel))) {
       return;
     }
 
@@ -269,7 +268,7 @@ void processSubchannelState(Subchannel subchannel, ConnectivityStateInfo stateIn
 
       case READY:
         shutdownRemaining(subchannelData);
-        addressIndex.seekTo(getAddress(subchannel));
+        addressIndex.seekTo(getAddress(subchannelData.subchannel));
         rawConnectivityState = READY;
         updateHealthCheckedState(subchannelData);
         break;
@@ -277,7 +276,7 @@ void processSubchannelState(Subchannel subchannel, ConnectivityStateInfo stateIn
       case TRANSIENT_FAILURE:
         // If we are looking at current channel, request a connection if possible
         if (addressIndex.isValid()
-            && subchannels.get(addressIndex.getCurrentAddress()).getSubchannel() == subchannel) {
+            && subchannels.get(addressIndex.getCurrentAddress()) == subchannelData) {
           if (addressIndex.increment()) {
             cancelScheduleTask();
             requestConnection(); // is recursive so might hit the end of the addresses
@@ -317,7 +316,7 @@ private void updateHealthCheckedState(SubchannelData subchannelData) {
           new FixedResultPicker(PickResult.withSubchannel(subchannelData.subchannel)));
     } else if (subchannelData.getHealthState() == TRANSIENT_FAILURE) {
       updateBalancingState(TRANSIENT_FAILURE, new Picker(PickResult.withError(
-          subchannelData.healthListener.healthStateInfo.getStatus())));
+          subchannelData.healthStateInfo.getStatus())));
     } else if (concludedState != TRANSIENT_FAILURE) {
       updateBalancingState(subchannelData.getHealthState(),
           new Picker(PickResult.withNoResult()));
@@ -377,25 +376,24 @@ public void requestConnection() {
       return;
     }
 
-    Subchannel subchannel;
-    SocketAddress currentAddress;
-    currentAddress = addressIndex.getCurrentAddress();
-    subchannel = subchannels.containsKey(currentAddress)
-        ? subchannels.get(currentAddress).getSubchannel()
-        : createNewSubchannel(currentAddress, addressIndex.getCurrentEagAttributes());
+    SocketAddress currentAddress = addressIndex.getCurrentAddress();
+    SubchannelData subchannelData = subchannels.get(currentAddress);
+    if (subchannelData == null) {
+      subchannelData = createNewSubchannel(currentAddress, addressIndex.getCurrentEagAttributes());
+    }
 
-    ConnectivityState subchannelState = subchannels.get(currentAddress).getState();
+    ConnectivityState subchannelState = subchannelData.getState();
     switch (subchannelState) {
       case IDLE:
-        subchannel.requestConnection();
-        subchannels.get(currentAddress).updateState(CONNECTING);
+        subchannelData.subchannel.requestConnection();
+        subchannelData.updateState(CONNECTING);
         scheduleNextConnection();
         break;
       case CONNECTING:
         if (enableHappyEyeballs) {
           scheduleNextConnection();
         } else {
-          subchannel.requestConnection();
+          subchannelData.subchannel.requestConnection();
         }
         break;
       case TRANSIENT_FAILURE:
@@ -455,7 +453,7 @@ private void cancelScheduleTask() {
     }
   }
 
-  private Subchannel createNewSubchannel(SocketAddress addr, Attributes attrs) {
+  private SubchannelData createNewSubchannel(SocketAddress addr, Attributes attrs) {
     HealthListener hcListener = new HealthListener();
     final Subchannel subchannel = helper.createSubchannel(
         CreateSubchannelArgs.newBuilder()
@@ -467,15 +465,15 @@ private Subchannel createNewSubchannel(SocketAddress addr, Attributes attrs) {
       log.warning("Was not able to create subchannel for " + addr);
       throw new IllegalStateException("Can't create subchannel");
     }
-    SubchannelData subchannelData = new SubchannelData(subchannel, IDLE, hcListener);
+    SubchannelData subchannelData = new SubchannelData(subchannel, IDLE);
     hcListener.subchannelData = subchannelData;
     subchannels.put(addr, subchannelData);
     Attributes scAttrs = subchannel.getAttributes();
     if (scAttrs.get(LoadBalancer.HAS_HEALTH_PRODUCER_LISTENER_KEY) == null) {
-      hcListener.healthStateInfo = ConnectivityStateInfo.forNonError(READY);
+      subchannelData.healthStateInfo = ConnectivityStateInfo.forNonError(READY);
     }
-    subchannel.start(stateInfo -> processSubchannelState(subchannel, stateInfo));
-    return subchannel;
+    subchannel.start(stateInfo -> processSubchannelState(subchannelData, stateInfo));
+    return subchannelData;
   }
 
   private boolean isPassComplete() {
@@ -492,17 +490,15 @@ private boolean isPassComplete() {
   }
 
   private final class HealthListener implements SubchannelStateListener {
-    private ConnectivityStateInfo healthStateInfo = ConnectivityStateInfo.forNonError(IDLE);
     private SubchannelData subchannelData;
 
     @Override
     public void onSubchannelState(ConnectivityStateInfo newState) {
       log.log(Level.FINE, "Received health status {0} for subchannel {1}",
           new Object[]{newState, subchannelData.subchannel});
-      healthStateInfo = newState;
+      subchannelData.healthStateInfo = newState;
       try {
-        SubchannelData curSubChanData = subchannels.get(addressIndex.getCurrentAddress());
-        if (curSubChanData != null && curSubChanData.healthListener == this) {
+        if (subchannelData == subchannels.get(addressIndex.getCurrentAddress())) {
           updateHealthCheckedState(subchannelData);
         }
       } catch (IllegalStateException e) {
@@ -663,14 +659,12 @@ public int size() {
   private static final class SubchannelData {
     private final Subchannel subchannel;
     private ConnectivityState state;
-    private final HealthListener healthListener;
     private boolean completedConnectivityAttempt = false;
+    private ConnectivityStateInfo healthStateInfo = ConnectivityStateInfo.forNonError(IDLE);
 
-    public SubchannelData(Subchannel subchannel, ConnectivityState state,
-                          HealthListener subchannelHealthListener) {
+    public SubchannelData(Subchannel subchannel, ConnectivityState state) {
       this.subchannel = subchannel;
       this.state = state;
-      this.healthListener = subchannelHealthListener;
     }
 
     public Subchannel getSubchannel() {
@@ -695,7 +689,7 @@ private void updateState(ConnectivityState newState) {
     }
 
     private ConnectivityState getHealthState() {
-      return healthListener.healthStateInfo.getState();
+      return healthStateInfo.getState();
     }
   }