diff --git a/src/control.c b/src/control.c
index 3b19aaa..00fed45 100644
--- a/src/control.c
+++ b/src/control.c
@@ -66,11 +66,6 @@ void* mirror_runner(void* serve_params_uncast)
 		debug("mirror start pass=%d", pass);
 		
 		if (pass == last_pass) {
-			/* last pass, stop everything else */
-			SERVER_ERROR_ON_FAILURE(
-				pthread_mutex_lock(&serve->l_accept),
-				"Problem with accept lock"
-			);
 			server_lock_io( serve );
 		}
 		
@@ -146,10 +141,6 @@ void* mirror_runner(void* serve_params_uncast)
 	free(serve->mirror);
 	serve->mirror = NULL; /* and we're gone */
 
-	SERVER_ERROR_ON_FAILURE(
-		pthread_mutex_unlock(&serve->l_accept),
-		"Problem with accept unlock"
-	);
 	server_unlock_io( serve );
 	
 	return NULL;
diff --git a/src/serve.c b/src/serve.c
index 0b8a35b..8f91398 100644
--- a/src/serve.c
+++ b/src/serve.c
@@ -284,20 +284,12 @@ void serve_accept_loop(struct server* params)
 		  params->control_fd;
 		client_fd = accept(activity_fd, &client_address.generic, &socklen);
 		
-		SERVER_ERROR_ON_FAILURE(
-			pthread_mutex_lock(&params->l_accept),
-			"Problem with accept lock"
-		);
 		
 		if (activity_fd == params->server_fd)
 			accept_nbd_client(params, client_fd, &client_address);
 		if (activity_fd == params->control_fd)
 			accept_control_connection(params, client_fd, &client_address);
 			
-		SERVER_ERROR_ON_FAILURE(
-			pthread_mutex_unlock(&params->l_accept),
-			"Problem with accept unlock"
-		);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -338,7 +330,6 @@ void serve_cleanup(struct server* params)
 	//free(params->filename);
 	if (params->control_socket_name)
 		//free(params->control_socket_name);
-	pthread_mutex_destroy(&params->l_accept);
 	pthread_mutex_destroy(&params->l_io);
 	if (params->proxy_fd);
 		close(params->proxy_fd);
@@ -363,7 +354,6 @@ void serve_cleanup(struct server* params)
 /** Full lifecycle of the server */
 void do_serve(struct server* params)
 {
-	pthread_mutex_init(&params->l_accept, NULL);
 	pthread_mutex_init(&params->l_io, NULL);
 
 	params->close_signal = self_pipe_create();
diff --git a/src/serve.h b/src/serve.h
index 73554a8..dabf4a5 100644
--- a/src/serve.h
+++ b/src/serve.h
@@ -56,13 +56,6 @@ struct server {
 	/** size of file */
 	off64_t              size;
 
-        /* NB dining philosophers if we ever mave more than one thread 
-         * that might need to pause the whole server.  At the moment we only
-         * have the one.
-         */
-       
-	/** Claimed around any accept/thread starting loop */
-	pthread_mutex_t      l_accept; 
 	/** Claims around any I/O to this file */
 	pthread_mutex_t      l_io;