diff --git a/src/mod/event_handlers/mod_event_socket/mod_event_socket.c b/src/mod/event_handlers/mod_event_socket/mod_event_socket.c
index c8d8a23501..93514c8c1d 100644
--- a/src/mod/event_handlers/mod_event_socket/mod_event_socket.c
+++ b/src/mod/event_handlers/mod_event_socket/mod_event_socket.c
@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@ struct listener {
 	time_t linger_timeout;
 	struct listener *next;
 	switch_pollfd_t *pollfd;
+	uint8_t lock_acquired;
+	uint8_t finished;
 };
 
 typedef struct listener listener_t;
@@ -163,7 +165,7 @@ SWITCH_DECLARE_GLOBAL_STRING_FUNC(set_pref_ip, prefs.ip);
 SWITCH_DECLARE_GLOBAL_STRING_FUNC(set_pref_pass, prefs.password);
 
 static void *SWITCH_THREAD_FUNC listener_run(switch_thread_t *thread, void *obj);
-static void launch_listener_thread(listener_t *listener);
+static switch_status_t launch_listener_thread(listener_t *listener);
 
 static switch_status_t socket_logger(const switch_log_node_t *node, switch_log_level_t level)
 {
@@ -523,9 +525,17 @@ SWITCH_STANDARD_APP(socket_function)
 	if (switch_test_flag(listener, LFLAG_ASYNC)) {
 		const char *var;
 
-		launch_listener_thread(listener);
+		if (launch_listener_thread(listener) != SWITCH_STATUS_SUCCESS) {
+			switch_log_printf(SWITCH_CHANNEL_SESSION_LOG(session), SWITCH_LOG_ERROR, "Failed to start listener\n");
+			return;
+		}
 
-		while (switch_channel_ready(channel) && !switch_test_flag(listener, LFLAG_CONNECTED)) {
+		/* Wait until listener_thread acquires session read lock */
+		while (!listener->lock_acquired && !listener->finished) {
+			switch_cond_next();
+		}
+
+		while (switch_channel_ready(channel) && !listener->finished && !switch_test_flag(listener, LFLAG_CONNECTED)) {
 			switch_cond_next();
 		}
 
@@ -2637,10 +2647,13 @@ static void *SWITCH_THREAD_FUNC listener_run(switch_thread_t *thread, void *obj)
 
 	if ((session = listener->session)) {
 		if (switch_core_session_read_lock(session) != SWITCH_STATUS_SUCCESS) {
-			switch_log_printf(SWITCH_CHANNEL_SESSION_LOG(session), SWITCH_LOG_ERROR, "Unable to lock session!\n");
+			switch_log_printf(SWITCH_CHANNEL_LOG, SWITCH_LOG_ERROR, "Unable to lock session!\n");
 			locked = 0;
+			session = NULL;
 			goto done;
 		}
+
+		listener->lock_acquired = 1;
 	}
 
 	if (!listener->sock) {
@@ -2791,7 +2804,7 @@ static void *SWITCH_THREAD_FUNC listener_run(switch_thread_t *thread, void *obj)
 	}
 	switch_mutex_unlock(listener->filter_mutex);
 
-	if (listener->session) {
+	if (listener->session && locked) {
 		channel = switch_core_session_get_channel(listener->session);
 	}
 
@@ -2823,7 +2836,9 @@ static void *SWITCH_THREAD_FUNC listener_run(switch_thread_t *thread, void *obj)
 	}
 
 	if (listener->session) {
-		switch_channel_clear_flag(switch_core_session_get_channel(listener->session), CF_CONTROLLED);
+		if (locked) {
+			switch_channel_clear_flag(switch_core_session_get_channel(listener->session), CF_CONTROLLED);
+		}
 		switch_clear_flag_locked(listener, LFLAG_SESSION);
 		if (locked) {
 			switch_core_session_rwunlock(listener->session);
@@ -2837,12 +2852,14 @@ static void *SWITCH_THREAD_FUNC listener_run(switch_thread_t *thread, void *obj)
 	prefs.threads--;
 	switch_mutex_unlock(globals.listener_mutex);
 
+	listener->finished = 1;
+
 	return NULL;
 }
 
 
 /* Create a thread for the socket and launch it */
-static void launch_listener_thread(listener_t *listener)
+static switch_status_t launch_listener_thread(listener_t *listener)
 {
 	switch_thread_t *thread;
 	switch_threadattr_t *thd_attr = NULL;
@@ -2850,7 +2867,7 @@ static void launch_listener_thread(listener_t *listener)
 	switch_threadattr_create(&thd_attr, listener->pool);
 	switch_threadattr_detach_set(thd_attr, 1);
 	switch_threadattr_stacksize_set(thd_attr, SWITCH_THREAD_STACKSIZE);
-	switch_thread_create(&thread, thd_attr, listener_run, listener, listener->pool);
+	return switch_thread_create(&thread, thd_attr, listener_run, listener, listener->pool);
 }
 
 static int config(void)
@@ -3033,8 +3050,8 @@ SWITCH_MODULE_RUNTIME_FUNCTION(mod_event_socket_runtime)
 		if (switch_socket_addr_get(&listener->sa, SWITCH_TRUE, listener->sock) == SWITCH_STATUS_SUCCESS && listener->sa) {
 			switch_get_addr(listener->remote_ip, sizeof(listener->remote_ip), listener->sa);
 			if ((listener->remote_port = switch_sockaddr_get_port(listener->sa))) {
-				launch_listener_thread(listener);
-				continue;
+				if (launch_listener_thread(listener) == SWITCH_STATUS_SUCCESS)
+					continue;
 			}
 		}