diff --git a/src/vlibmemory/socket_api.c b/src/vlibmemory/socket_api.c
index a07d717..32d1e70 100644
--- a/src/vlibmemory/socket_api.c
+++ b/src/vlibmemory/socket_api.c
@@ -190,16 +190,13 @@
 }
 
 void
-vl_socket_process_api_msg (clib_file_t * uf, vl_api_registration_t * rp,
-			   i8 * input_v)
+vl_socket_process_api_msg (vl_api_registration_t * rp, i8 * input_v)
 {
   msgbuf_t *mbp = (msgbuf_t *) input_v;
 
   u8 *the_msg = (u8 *) (mbp->data);
-  socket_main.current_uf = uf;
   socket_main.current_rp = rp;
   vl_msg_api_socket_handler (the_msg);
-  socket_main.current_uf = 0;
   socket_main.current_rp = 0;
 }
 
@@ -235,8 +232,9 @@
   u32 msgbuf_len;
   u32 save_input_buffer_length = vec_len (socket_main.input_buffer);
   vl_socket_args_for_process_t *a;
+  u32 reg_index = uf->private_data;
 
-  rp = pool_elt_at_index (socket_main.registration_pool, uf->private_data);
+  rp = vl_socket_get_registration (reg_index);
 
   /* Ignore unprocessed_input for now, n describes input_buffer for now. */
   n = read (uf->file_descriptor, socket_main.input_buffer,
@@ -248,17 +246,7 @@
 	{
 	  /* Severe error, close the file. */
 	  clib_file_del (fm, uf);
-
-	  if (!pool_is_free (socket_main.registration_pool, rp))
-	    {
-	      u32 index = rp - socket_main.registration_pool;
-	      vl_socket_free_registration_index (index);
-	    }
-	  else
-	    {
-	      clib_warning ("client index %d already free?",
-			    rp->vl_api_registration_pool_index);
-	    }
+	  vl_socket_free_registration_index (reg_index);
 	}
       /* EAGAIN means we do not close the file, but no data to process anyway. */
       return 0;
@@ -326,8 +314,7 @@
       _vec_len (data_for_process) = msgbuf_len;
       /* Everything is ready to signal the SOCKET_READ_EVENT. */
       pool_get (socket_main.process_args, a);
-      a->clib_file = uf;
-      a->regp = rp;
+      a->reg_index = reg_index;
       a->data = data_for_process;
 
       vlib_process_signal_event (vm, vl_api_clnt_node.index,
diff --git a/src/vlibmemory/socket_api.h b/src/vlibmemory/socket_api.h
index 7192e0f..41835e3 100644
--- a/src/vlibmemory/socket_api.h
+++ b/src/vlibmemory/socket_api.h
@@ -29,8 +29,7 @@
 
 typedef struct
 {
-  clib_file_t *clib_file;
-  vl_api_registration_t *regp;
+  u32 reg_index;
   u8 *data;
 } vl_socket_args_for_process_t;
 
@@ -53,7 +52,6 @@
    * or to a shared-memory connection.
    */
   vl_api_registration_t *current_rp;
-  clib_file_t *current_uf;
   /* One input buffer, shared across all sockets */
   i8 *input_buffer;
 
@@ -66,12 +64,19 @@
 
 extern socket_main_t socket_main;
 
+always_inline vl_api_registration_t *
+vl_socket_get_registration (u32 reg_index)
+{
+  if (pool_is_free_index (socket_main.registration_pool, reg_index))
+    return 0;
+  return pool_elt_at_index (socket_main.registration_pool, reg_index);
+}
+
 void vl_socket_free_registration_index (u32 pool_index);
 clib_error_t *vl_socket_read_ready (struct clib_file *uf);
 clib_error_t *vl_socket_write_ready (struct clib_file *uf);
 void vl_socket_api_send (vl_api_registration_t * rp, u8 * elem);
-void vl_socket_process_api_msg (clib_file_t * uf, vl_api_registration_t * rp,
-				i8 * input_v);
+void vl_socket_process_api_msg (vl_api_registration_t * rp, i8 * input_v);
 void vl_sock_api_dump_clients (vlib_main_t * vm, api_main_t * am);
 clib_error_t *vl_sock_api_init (vlib_main_t * vm);
 clib_error_t *vl_sock_api_send_fd_msg (int socket_fd, int fds[], int n_fds);
diff --git a/src/vlibmemory/vlib_api.c b/src/vlibmemory/vlib_api.c
index 05652fa..5494da3 100644
--- a/src/vlibmemory/vlib_api.c
+++ b/src/vlibmemory/vlib_api.c
@@ -385,10 +385,16 @@
 	case SOCKET_READ_EVENT:
 	  for (i = 0; i < vec_len (event_data); i++)
 	    {
+	      vl_api_registration_t *regp;
+
 	      a = pool_elt_at_index (socket_main.process_args, event_data[i]);
-	      vl_socket_process_api_msg (a->clib_file, a->regp,
-					 (i8 *) a->data);
-	      a = pool_elt_at_index (socket_main.process_args, event_data[i]);
+	      regp = vl_socket_get_registration (a->reg_index);
+	      if (regp)
+		{
+		  vl_socket_process_api_msg (regp, (i8 *) a->data);
+		  a = pool_elt_at_index (socket_main.process_args,
+					 event_data[i]);
+		}
 	      vec_free (a->data);
 	      pool_put (socket_main.process_args, a);
 	    }