diff --git a/include/maxscale/listener.h b/include/maxscale/listener.h
index d52cd8f11..a854b9387 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/listener.h
+++ b/include/maxscale/listener.h
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ typedef struct servlistener
     struct users *users;        /**< The user data for this listener */
     struct service* service;    /**< The service which used by this listener */
     SPINLOCK lock;
+    int active;                /**< True if the port has not been deleted */
     struct  servlistener *next; /**< Next service protocol */
 } SERV_LISTENER;
 
diff --git a/server/core/listener.cc b/server/core/listener.cc
index 8153f85d7..816ba41e3 100644
--- a/server/core/listener.cc
+++ b/server/core/listener.cc
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ listener_alloc(struct service* service, const char* name, const char *protocol,
         return NULL;
     }
 
+    proto->active = 1;
     proto->name = my_name;
     proto->listener = NULL;
     proto->service = service;
diff --git a/server/core/service.cc b/server/core/service.cc
index 4aaac0b89..a9c451ef7 100644
--- a/server/core/service.cc
+++ b/server/core/service.cc
@@ -94,6 +94,11 @@ static void service_internal_restart(void *data);
 static void service_queue_check(void *data);
 static void service_calculate_weights(SERVICE *service);
 
+static inline SERV_LISTENER* load_port(SERV_LISTENER const *const *const port)
+{
+    return (SERV_LISTENER*)atomic_load_ptr((void**)port);
+}
+
 SERVICE* service_alloc(const char *name, const char *router)
 {
     char *my_name = MXS_STRDUP(name);
@@ -499,36 +504,22 @@ int serviceInitialize(SERVICE *service)
 }
 
 /**
- * @brief Remove a failed listener
+ * @brief Remove a listener from use
  *
- * This should only be called when a newly created listener fails to start.
- *
- * @note The service spinlock must be held when this function is called.
+ * @note This does not free the memory
  *
  * @param service Service where @c port points to
  * @param port Port to remove
  */
-void serviceRemoveListener(SERVICE *service, SERV_LISTENER *port)
+void serviceRemoveListener(SERVICE *service, SERV_LISTENER *target)
 {
-
-    if (service->ports == port)
+    for (SERV_LISTENER *port = load_port(&service->ports);
+         port; port = load_port(&port->next))
     {
-        service->ports = service->ports->next;
-    }
-    else
-    {
-        SERV_LISTENER *prev = service->ports;
-        SERV_LISTENER *current = service->ports->next;
-
-        while (current)
+        if (port == target)
         {
-            if (current == port)
-            {
-                prev->next = current->next;
-                break;
-            }
-            prev = current;
-            current = current->next;
+            atomic_store_int32(&port->active, 0);
+            break;
         }
     }
 }
@@ -544,7 +535,6 @@ bool serviceLaunchListener(SERVICE *service, SERV_LISTENER *port)
     {
         /** Failed to start the listener */
         serviceRemoveListener(service, port);
-        listener_free(port);
         rval = false;
     }
 
@@ -557,11 +547,10 @@ bool serviceStopListener(SERVICE *service, const char *name)
 {
     bool rval = false;
 
-    spinlock_acquire(&service->spin);
-
-    for (SERV_LISTENER *port = service->ports; port; port = port->next)
+    for (SERV_LISTENER *port = load_port(&service->ports);
+         port; port = load_port(&port->next))
     {
-        if (strcmp(port->name, name) == 0)
+        if (atomic_load_int32(&port->active) && strcmp(port->name, name) == 0)
         {
             if (poll_remove_dcb(port->listener) == 0)
             {
@@ -572,8 +561,6 @@ bool serviceStopListener(SERVICE *service, const char *name)
         }
     }
 
-    spinlock_release(&service->spin);
-
     return rval;
 }
 
@@ -581,9 +568,8 @@ bool serviceStartListener(SERVICE *service, const char *name)
 {
     bool rval = false;
 
-    spinlock_acquire(&service->spin);
-
-    for (SERV_LISTENER *port = service->ports; port; port = port->next)
+    for (SERV_LISTENER *port = load_port(&service->ports);
+         port; port = load_port(&port->next))
     {
         if (strcmp(port->name, name) == 0)
         {
@@ -597,8 +583,6 @@ bool serviceStartListener(SERVICE *service, const char *name)
         }
     }
 
-    spinlock_release(&service->spin);
-
     return rval;
 }
 
@@ -632,9 +616,11 @@ bool serviceStop(SERVICE *service)
 
     if (service)
     {
-        for (SERV_LISTENER * port = service->ports; port; port = port->next)
+        for (SERV_LISTENER *port = load_port(&service->ports);
+             port; port = load_port(&port->next))
         {
-            if (port->listener && port->listener->session->state == SESSION_STATE_LISTENER)
+            if (atomic_load_int32(&port->active) &&
+                port->listener && port->listener->session->state == SESSION_STATE_LISTENER)
             {
                 if (poll_remove_dcb(port->listener) == 0)
                 {
@@ -664,9 +650,11 @@ bool serviceStart(SERVICE *service)
 
     if (service)
     {
-        for (SERV_LISTENER* port = service->ports; port; port = port->next)
+        for (SERV_LISTENER *port = load_port(&service->ports);
+             port; port = load_port(&port->next))
         {
-            if (port->listener && port->listener->session->state == SESSION_STATE_LISTENER_STOPPED)
+            if (atomic_load_int32(&port->active) &&
+                port->listener && port->listener->session->state == SESSION_STATE_LISTENER_STOPPED)
             {
                 if (poll_add_dcb(port->listener) == 0)
                 {
@@ -748,10 +736,11 @@ SERV_LISTENER* serviceCreateListener(SERVICE *service, const char *name, const c
 
     if (proto)
     {
-        spinlock_acquire(&service->spin);
-        proto->next = service->ports;
-        service->ports = proto;
-        spinlock_release(&service->spin);
+        do
+        {
+            proto->next = load_port(&service->ports);
+        }
+        while (!atomic_cas_ptr((void**)&service->ports, (void**)&proto->next, proto));
     }
 
     return proto;
@@ -769,23 +758,20 @@ SERV_LISTENER* serviceCreateListener(SERVICE *service, const char *name, const c
 bool serviceHasListener(SERVICE *service, const char *protocol,
                         const char* address, unsigned short port)
 {
-    SERV_LISTENER *proto;
 
-    spinlock_acquire(&service->spin);
-    proto = service->ports;
-    while (proto)
+    for (SERV_LISTENER *proto = load_port(&service->ports);
+         proto; proto = load_port(&proto->next))
     {
-        if (strcmp(proto->protocol, protocol) == 0 && proto->port == port &&
+        if (atomic_load_int32(&proto->active) &&
+            strcmp(proto->protocol, protocol) == 0 && proto->port == port &&
             ((address && proto->address && strcmp(proto->address, address) == 0) ||
              (address == NULL && proto->address == NULL)))
         {
-            break;
+            return true;
         }
-        proto = proto->next;
     }
-    spinlock_release(&service->spin);
 
-    return proto != NULL;
+    return false;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1523,7 +1509,7 @@ void
 dListListeners(DCB *dcb)
 {
     SERVICE *service;
-    SERV_LISTENER *lptr;
+    SERV_LISTENER *port;
 
     spinlock_acquire(&service_spin);
     service = allServices;
@@ -1539,19 +1525,20 @@ dListListeners(DCB *dcb)
     }
     while (service)
     {
-        lptr = service->ports;
-        while (lptr)
+        for (SERV_LISTENER *port = load_port(&service->ports);
+                 port; port = load_port(&port->next))
         {
-            dcb_printf(dcb, "%-20s | %-19s | %-18s | %-15s | %5d | %s\n",
-                       lptr->name, service->name, lptr->protocol,
-                       (lptr && lptr->address) ? lptr->address : "*",
-                       lptr->port,
-                       (!lptr->listener ||
-                        !lptr->listener->session ||
-                        lptr->listener->session->state == SESSION_STATE_LISTENER_STOPPED) ?
-                       "Stopped" : "Running");
-
-            lptr = lptr->next;
+            if (atomic_load_int32(&port->active))
+            {
+                dcb_printf(dcb, "%-20s | %-19s | %-18s | %-15s | %5d | %s\n",
+                           port->name, service->name, port->protocol,
+                           (port && port->address) ? port->address : "*",
+                           port->port,
+                           (!port->listener ||
+                            !port->listener->session ||
+                            port->listener->session->state == SESSION_STATE_LISTENER_STOPPED) ?
+                           "Stopped" : "Running");
+            }
         }
         service = service->next;
     }
@@ -1639,10 +1626,12 @@ int service_refresh_users(SERVICE *service)
 
             ret = 0;
 
-            for (SERV_LISTENER *port = service->ports; port; port = port->next)
+            for (SERV_LISTENER *port = load_port(&service->ports);
+                 port; port = load_port(&port->next))
             {
                 /** Load the authentication users before before starting the listener */
-                if (port->listener && port->listener->authfunc.loadusers)
+                if (atomic_load_int32(&port->active) &&
+                    port->listener && port->listener->authfunc.loadusers)
                 {
                     switch (port->listener->authfunc.loadusers(port))
                     {
@@ -1903,6 +1892,8 @@ serviceSessionCountAll()
  * Provide a row to the result set that defines the set of service
  * listeners
  *
+ * TODO: Replace these
+ *
  * @param set   The result set
  * @param data  The index of the row to send
  * @return The next row or NULL
@@ -2086,7 +2077,7 @@ bool service_all_services_have_listeners()
 
     while (service)
     {
-        if (service->ports == NULL)
+        if (load_port(&service->ports) == NULL)
         {
             MXS_ERROR("Service '%s' has no listeners.", service->name);
             rval = false;
@@ -2341,9 +2332,11 @@ bool service_serialize_servers(const SERVICE *service)
 
 void service_print_users(DCB *dcb, const SERVICE *service)
 {
-    for (SERV_LISTENER *port = service->ports; port; port = port->next)
+    for (SERV_LISTENER *port = load_port(&service->ports);
+         port; port = load_port(&port->next))
     {
-        if (port->listener && port->listener->authfunc.diagnostic)
+        if (atomic_load_int32(&port->active) &&
+            port->listener && port->listener->authfunc.diagnostic)
         {
             port->listener->authfunc.diagnostic(dcb, port);
         }
@@ -2357,18 +2350,15 @@ bool service_port_is_used(unsigned short port)
 
     for (SERVICE *service = allServices; service && !rval; service = service->next)
     {
-        spinlock_acquire(&service->spin);
-
-        for (SERV_LISTENER *proto = service->ports; proto; proto = proto->next)
+        for (SERV_LISTENER *proto = load_port(&service->ports);
+             proto; proto = load_port(&proto->next))
         {
-            if (proto->port == port)
+            if (atomic_load_int32(&proto->active) && proto->port == port)
             {
                 rval = true;
                 break;
             }
         }
-
-        spinlock_release(&service->spin);
     }
 
     spinlock_release(&service_spin);
@@ -2463,11 +2453,12 @@ json_t* service_listeners_json_data(const SERVICE* service)
 {
     json_t* arr = json_array();
 
-    if (service->ports)
+    for (SERV_LISTENER *port = load_port(&service->ports);
+         port; port = load_port(&port->next))
     {
-        for (SERV_LISTENER* p = service->ports; p; p = p->next)
+        if (atomic_load_int32(&port->active))
         {
-            json_array_append_new(arr, listener_to_json(p));
+            json_array_append_new(arr, listener_to_json(port));
         }
     }