diff --git a/server/core/dcb.cc b/server/core/dcb.cc
index 1ccabce27..a4ff2ac48 100644
--- a/server/core/dcb.cc
+++ b/server/core/dcb.cc
@@ -196,6 +196,18 @@ dcb_alloc(dcb_role_t role, SERV_LISTENER *listener)
     newdcb->listener = listener;
     newdcb->last_read = hkheartbeat;
 
+    if (role == DCB_ROLE_SERVICE_LISTENER)
+    {
+        /** All listeners are owned by the main thread (i.e. thread no. 0) */
+        newdcb->poll.thread.id = 0;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        /** Otherwise the DCB is owned by the thread that allocates it */
+        ss_dassert(Worker::get_current_id() != -1);
+        newdcb->poll.thread.id = Worker::get_current_id();
+    }
+
     return newdcb;
 }
 
@@ -3273,14 +3285,31 @@ dcb_session_check(DCB *dcb, const char *function)
     }
 }
 
+/** DCB Sanity checks */
+static inline void dcb_sanity_check(DCB* dcb)
+{
+    CHK_DCB(dcb);
+
+    if (dcb->state == DCB_STATE_DISCONNECTED || dcb->state == DCB_STATE_UNDEFINED)
+    {
+        MXS_ERROR("%lu [poll_add_dcb] Error : existing state of dcb %p "
+                  "is %s, but this should be impossible, crashing.",
+                  thread_self(), dcb, STRDCBSTATE(dcb->state));
+        raise(SIGABRT);
+    }
+    else if (dcb->state == DCB_STATE_POLLING || dcb->state == DCB_STATE_LISTENING)
+    {
+        MXS_ERROR("%lu [poll_add_dcb] Error : existing state of dcb %p "
+                  "is %s, but this is probably an error, not crashing.",
+                  thread_self(), dcb, STRDCBSTATE(dcb->state));
+    }
+}
+
 int poll_add_dcb(DCB *dcb)
 {
-    int rc = -1;
-    dcb_state_t old_state = dcb->state;
-    dcb_state_t new_state;
-    uint32_t events = 0;
+    dcb_sanity_check(dcb);
 
-    CHK_DCB(dcb);
+    uint32_t events = 0;
 
 #ifdef EPOLLRDHUP
     events = EPOLLIN | EPOLLOUT | EPOLLRDHUP | EPOLLHUP | EPOLLET;
@@ -3288,14 +3317,11 @@ int poll_add_dcb(DCB *dcb)
     events = EPOLLIN | EPOLLOUT | EPOLLHUP | EPOLLET;
 #endif
 
-    /*<
-     * Choose new state according to the role of dcb.
-     */
-    if (dcb->dcb_role == DCB_ROLE_CLIENT_HANDLER || dcb->dcb_role == DCB_ROLE_BACKEND_HANDLER)
-    {
-        new_state = DCB_STATE_POLLING;
-    }
-    else
+    /** Choose new state and worker thread ID according to the role of DCB. */
+    dcb_state_t new_state;
+    int worker_id = 0;
+
+    if (dcb->dcb_role == DCB_ROLE_SERVICE_LISTENER)
     {
         /**
          * Listeners are always added in level triggered mode. This will cause
@@ -3303,72 +3329,45 @@ int poll_add_dcb(DCB *dcb)
          * to accept.
          */
         events = EPOLLIN;
-        ss_dassert(dcb->dcb_role == DCB_ROLE_SERVICE_LISTENER);
         new_state = DCB_STATE_LISTENING;
-    }
-    /*
-     * Check DCB current state seems sensible
-     */
-    if (DCB_STATE_DISCONNECTED == dcb->state
-        || DCB_STATE_UNDEFINED == dcb->state)
-    {
-        MXS_ERROR("%lu [poll_add_dcb] Error : existing state of dcb %p "
-                  "is %s, but this should be impossible, crashing.",
-                  pthread_self(),
-                  dcb,
-                  STRDCBSTATE(dcb->state));
-        raise(SIGABRT);
-    }
-    if (DCB_STATE_POLLING == dcb->state
-        || DCB_STATE_LISTENING == dcb->state)
-    {
-        MXS_ERROR("%lu [poll_add_dcb] Error : existing state of dcb %p "
-                  "is %s, but this is probably an error, not crashing.",
-                  pthread_self(),
-                  dcb,
-                  STRDCBSTATE(dcb->state));
-    }
-    dcb->state = new_state;
-
-    /*
-     * The only possible failure that will not cause a crash is
-     * running out of system resources.
-     */
-    int worker_id = 0;
-
-    if (dcb->dcb_role == DCB_ROLE_SERVICE_LISTENER)
-    {
         worker_id = MXS_WORKER_ALL;
     }
-    else if (dcb->dcb_role == DCB_ROLE_BACKEND_HANDLER)
-    {
-        ss_dassert(Worker::get_current_id() != -1);
-
-        worker_id = dcb->session->client_dcb->poll.thread.id;
-        ss_dassert(worker_id == Worker::get_current_id());
-    }
     else
     {
+        ss_dassert(dcb->dcb_role == DCB_ROLE_CLIENT_HANDLER ||
+                   dcb->dcb_role == DCB_ROLE_BACKEND_HANDLER);
         ss_dassert(Worker::get_current_id() != -1);
+        ss_dassert(Worker::get_current_id() == dcb->poll.thread.id);
 
-        worker_id = Worker::get_current_id();
+        new_state = DCB_STATE_POLLING;
+        worker_id = dcb->poll.thread.id;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Assign the new state before adding the DCB to the worker and store the
+     * old state in case we need to revert it.
+     */
+    dcb_state_t old_state = dcb->state;
+    dcb->state = new_state;
+
+    int rc = 0;
+
     if (poll_add_fd_to_worker(worker_id, dcb->fd, events, (MXS_POLL_DATA*)dcb))
     {
         dcb_add_to_list(dcb);
-
         MXS_DEBUG("%lu [poll_add_dcb] Added dcb %p in state %s to poll set.",
-                  pthread_self(),
-                  dcb,
-                  STRDCBSTATE(dcb->state));
-        rc = 0;
+                  thread_self(), dcb, STRDCBSTATE(dcb->state));
     }
     else
     {
+        /**
+         * We failed to add the DCB to a worker. Revert the state so that it
+         * will be treated as a DCB in the correct state.
+         */
         dcb->state = old_state;
         rc = -1;
     }
+
     return rc;
 }