diff --git a/server/core/config.cc b/server/core/config.cc
index ef68d81df..97a8a4762 100644
--- a/server/core/config.cc
+++ b/server/core/config.cc
@@ -1406,10 +1406,16 @@ handle_global_item(const char *name, const char *value)
     }
     else if (strcmp(name, CN_NON_BLOCKING_POLLS) == 0)
     {
+        // DEPRECATED in 2.3, remove in 2.4
+        MXS_WARNING("The configuration option '%s' has no meaning and has been deprecated.",
+                    CN_NON_BLOCKING_POLLS);
         gateway.n_nbpoll = atoi(value);
     }
     else if (strcmp(name, CN_POLL_SLEEP) == 0)
     {
+        // DEPRECATED in 2.3, remove in 2.4
+        MXS_WARNING("The configuration option '%s' has no meaning and has been deprecated.",
+                    CN_POLL_SLEEP);
         gateway.pollsleep = atoi(value);
     }
     else if (strcmp(name, CN_MS_TIMESTAMP) == 0)
diff --git a/server/core/worker.cc b/server/core/worker.cc
index f957ac8af..b9a7b8a25 100644
--- a/server/core/worker.cc
+++ b/server/core/worker.cc
@@ -60,7 +60,9 @@ struct this_unit
     bool     initialized;       // Whether the initialization has been performed.
     int      n_workers;         // How many workers there are.
     Worker** ppWorkers;         // Array of worker instances.
+    // DEPRECATED in 2.3, remove in 2.4.
     int      number_poll_spins; // Maximum non-block polls
+    // DEPRECATED in 2.3, remove in 2.4.
     int      max_poll_sleep;    // Maximum block time
     int      epoll_listener_fd; // Shared epoll descriptor for listening descriptors.
 } this_unit =
@@ -1107,8 +1109,6 @@ void Worker::thread_main(void* pArg)
 void Worker::poll_waitevents()
 {
     struct epoll_event events[MAX_EVENTS];
-    int i, nfds, timeout_bias = 1;
-    int poll_spins = 0;
 
     m_state = IDLE;
 
@@ -1117,40 +1117,17 @@ void Worker::poll_waitevents()
         m_state = POLLING;
 
         atomic_add_int64(&m_statistics.n_polls, 1);
-        if ((nfds = epoll_wait(m_epoll_fd, events, MAX_EVENTS, 0)) == -1)
+        int nfds;
+        if ((nfds = epoll_wait(m_epoll_fd, events, MAX_EVENTS, -1)) == -1)
         {
             int eno = errno;
             errno = 0;
-            MXS_DEBUG("%lu [poll_waitevents] epoll_wait returned "
+            MXS_ERROR("%lu [poll_waitevents] epoll_wait returned "
                       "%d, errno %d",
                       pthread_self(),
                       nfds,
                       eno);
         }
-        /*
-         * If there are no new descriptors from the non-blocking call
-         * and nothing to process on the event queue then for do a
-         * blocking call to epoll_wait.
-         *
-         * We calculate a timeout bias to alter the length of the blocking
-         * call based on the time since we last received an event to process
-         */
-        else if (nfds == 0 && poll_spins++ > this_unit.number_poll_spins)
-        {
-            if (timeout_bias < 10)
-            {
-                timeout_bias++;
-            }
-            atomic_add_int64(&m_statistics.blockingpolls, 1);
-            nfds = epoll_wait(m_epoll_fd,
-                              events,
-                              MAX_EVENTS,
-                              (this_unit.max_poll_sleep * timeout_bias) / 10);
-            if (nfds == 0)
-            {
-                poll_spins = 0;
-            }
-        }
 
         if (nfds > 0)
         {
@@ -1160,12 +1137,6 @@ void Worker::poll_waitevents()
                 m_statistics.evq_max = nfds;
             }
 
-            timeout_bias = 1;
-            if (poll_spins <= this_unit.number_poll_spins + 1)
-            {
-                atomic_add_int64(&m_statistics.n_nbpollev, 1);
-            }
-            poll_spins = 0;
             MXS_DEBUG("%lu [poll_waitevents] epoll_wait found %d fds",
                       pthread_self(),
                       nfds);
diff --git a/server/modules/routing/debugcli/debugcmd.c b/server/modules/routing/debugcli/debugcmd.c
index 2e8c74cbf..4253e2552 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/debugcli/debugcmd.c
+++ b/server/modules/routing/debugcli/debugcmd.c
@@ -598,27 +598,13 @@ struct subcommand setoptions[] =
     {
         "pollsleep", 1, 1, set_pollsleep,
         "Set poll sleep period",
-        "Usage: set pollsleep VALUE\n"
-        "\n"
-        "Parameters:\n"
-        "VALUE  Poll sleep in milliseconds\n"
-        "\n"
-        "Sets the maximum poll sleep period in milliseconds\n"
-        "\n"
-        "Example: set pollsleep 100",
+        "Deprecated in 2.3",
         {ARG_TYPE_NUMERIC}
     },
     {
         "nbpolls", 1, 1, set_nbpoll,
         "Set non-blocking polls",
-        "Usage: set nbpolls VALUE\n"
-        "\n"
-        "Parameters:\n"
-        "VALUE  Number of non-blocking polls\n"
-        "\n"
-        "Sets the number of non-blocking polls\n"
-        "\n"
-        "Example: set nbpolls 5",
+        "Deprecated in 2.3",
         {ARG_TYPE_NUMERIC}
     },
     {
@@ -2563,6 +2549,8 @@ static void disable_log_priority(DCB *dcb, char *arg1)
 static void
 set_pollsleep(DCB *dcb, int sleeptime)
 {
+    // DEPRECATED in 2.3, remove in 2.4.
+    dcb_printf(dcb, "The configuration parameter 'pollsleep' has been deprecated in 2.3.");
     poll_set_maxwait(sleeptime);
 }
 
@@ -2575,6 +2563,8 @@ set_pollsleep(DCB *dcb, int sleeptime)
 static void
 set_nbpoll(DCB *dcb, int nb)
 {
+    // DEPRECATED in 2.3, remove in 2.4.
+    dcb_printf(dcb, "The configuration parameter 'nbpoll' has been deprecated in 2.3.");
     poll_set_nonblocking_polls(nb);
 }