diff --git a/lib/isc/async.c b/lib/isc/async.c
index a4d08eaadf..8eab9dba72 100644
--- a/lib/isc/async.c
+++ b/lib/isc/async.c
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 #include <isc/barrier.h>
 #include <isc/condition.h>
 #include <isc/job.h>
-#include <isc/list.h>
 #include <isc/loop.h>
 #include <isc/magic.h>
 #include <isc/mem.h>
@@ -28,6 +27,7 @@
 #include <isc/refcount.h>
 #include <isc/result.h>
 #include <isc/signal.h>
+#include <isc/stack.h>
 #include <isc/strerr.h>
 #include <isc/thread.h>
 #include <isc/util.h>
@@ -49,10 +49,12 @@ isc_async_run(isc_loop_t *loop, isc_job_cb cb, void *cbarg) {
 
 	/*
 	 * Now send the half-initialized job to the loop queue.
+	 *
+	 * The ISC_ASTACK_PUSH is counterintuitive here, but uv_idle
+	 * drains its queue backwards, so if there's more than one event
+	 * to be processed then they need to be in reverse order.
 	 */
-	LOCK(&loop->queue_lock);
-	ISC_LIST_APPEND(loop->queue_jobs, job, link);
-	UNLOCK(&loop->queue_lock);
+	ISC_ASTACK_PUSH(loop->queue_jobs, job, link);
 
 	r = uv_async_send(&loop->queue_trigger);
 	UV_RUNTIME_CHECK(uv_async_send, r);
diff --git a/lib/isc/job.c b/lib/isc/job.c
index 904b537a63..6bd588a63f 100644
--- a/lib/isc/job.c
+++ b/lib/isc/job.c
@@ -108,12 +108,11 @@ isc__job_new(isc_loop_t *loop, isc_job_cb cb, void *cbarg) {
 		.magic = JOB_MAGIC,
 		.cb = cb,
 		.cbarg = cbarg,
+		.link = ISC_LINK_INITIALIZER,
 	};
 
 	isc_loop_attach(loop, &job->loop);
 
-	ISC_LINK_INIT(job, link);
-
 	return (job);
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/isc/loop.c b/lib/isc/loop.c
index 6482b6be50..81578b8dd8 100644
--- a/lib/isc/loop.c
+++ b/lib/isc/loop.c
@@ -180,31 +180,17 @@ shutdown_cb(uv_async_t *handle) {
 static void
 queue_cb(uv_async_t *handle) {
 	isc_loop_t *loop = uv_handle_get_data(handle);
-	isc_job_t *job = NULL;
-	ISC_LIST(isc_job_t) list;
 
 	REQUIRE(VALID_LOOP(loop));
 
-	ISC_LIST_INIT(list);
+	ISC_STACK(isc_job_t) drain = ISC_ASTACK_TO_STACK(loop->queue_jobs);
+	isc_job_t *job = ISC_STACK_POP(drain, link);
 
-	LOCK(&loop->queue_lock);
-	ISC_LIST_MOVE(list, loop->queue_jobs);
-	UNLOCK(&loop->queue_lock);
-
-	/*
-	 * The ISC_LIST_TAIL is counterintuitive here, but uv_idle
-	 * drains its queue backwards, so if there's more than one event to
-	 * be processed then they need to be in reverse order.
-	 */
-	job = ISC_LIST_TAIL(list);
 	while (job != NULL) {
-		isc_job_t *next = ISC_LIST_PREV(job, link);
-		ISC_LIST_UNLINK(list, job, link);
-
 		isc__job_init(loop, job);
 		isc__job_run(job);
 
-		job = next;
+		job = ISC_STACK_POP(drain, link);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -213,6 +199,9 @@ loop_init(isc_loop_t *loop, isc_loopmgr_t *loopmgr, uint32_t tid) {
 	*loop = (isc_loop_t){
 		.tid = tid,
 		.loopmgr = loopmgr,
+		.queue_jobs = ISC_ASTACK_INITIALIZER,
+		.setup_jobs = ISC_LIST_INITIALIZER,
+		.teardown_jobs = ISC_LIST_INITIALIZER,
 	};
 
 	int r = uv_loop_init(&loop->loop);
@@ -239,12 +228,6 @@ loop_init(isc_loop_t *loop, isc_loopmgr_t *loopmgr, uint32_t tid) {
 	isc_mem_create(&loop->mctx);
 	isc_mem_setname(loop->mctx, name);
 
-	isc_mutex_init(&loop->queue_lock);
-
-	ISC_LIST_INIT(loop->queue_jobs);
-	ISC_LIST_INIT(loop->setup_jobs);
-	ISC_LIST_INIT(loop->teardown_jobs);
-
 	isc_refcount_init(&loop->references, 1);
 
 	loop->magic = LOOP_MAGIC;
@@ -278,8 +261,7 @@ loop_close(isc_loop_t *loop) {
 	int r = uv_loop_close(&loop->loop);
 	UV_RUNTIME_CHECK(uv_loop_close, r);
 
-	isc_mutex_destroy(&loop->queue_lock);
-	INSIST(ISC_LIST_EMPTY(loop->queue_jobs));
+	INSIST(ISC_ASTACK_EMPTY(loop->queue_jobs));
 
 	loop->magic = 0;
 
diff --git a/lib/isc/loop_p.h b/lib/isc/loop_p.h
index 6322ca576f..e9e2fb5883 100644
--- a/lib/isc/loop_p.h
+++ b/lib/isc/loop_p.h
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <isc/refcount.h>
 #include <isc/result.h>
 #include <isc/signal.h>
+#include <isc/stack.h>
 #include <isc/thread.h>
 #include <isc/types.h>
 #include <isc/uv.h>
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@
 #define VALID_LOOP(t) ISC_MAGIC_VALID(t, LOOP_MAGIC)
 
 typedef ISC_LIST(isc_job_t) isc_joblist_t;
+typedef ISC_ASTACK(isc_job_t) isc_jobstack_t;
 
 struct isc_loop {
 	int magic;
@@ -55,8 +57,7 @@ struct isc_loop {
 
 	/* Async queue */
 	uv_async_t queue_trigger;
-	isc_mutex_t queue_lock;
-	isc_joblist_t queue_jobs;
+	isc_jobstack_t queue_jobs;
 
 	/* Pause */
 	uv_async_t pause_trigger;
@@ -127,7 +128,7 @@ struct isc_job {
 	isc_loop_t *loop;
 	isc_job_cb cb;
 	void *cbarg;
-	LINK(isc_job_t) link;
+	ISC_LINK(isc_job_t) link;
 };
 
 /*