diff --git a/source/darwin/dispatch_queue_event_loop.c b/source/darwin/dispatch_queue_event_loop.c
index 10a6e4e56..84ceb83e0 100644
--- a/source/darwin/dispatch_queue_event_loop.c
+++ b/source/darwin/dispatch_queue_event_loop.c
@@ -441,9 +441,11 @@ static int s_run(struct aws_event_loop *event_loop) {
         dispatch_resume(dispatch_loop->dispatch_queue);
         dispatch_loop->synced_data.suspended = false;
         s_rlock_dispatch_loop_context(dispatch_loop->context);
-        s_lock_service_entries(dispatch_loop->context);
-        s_try_schedule_new_iteration(dispatch_loop->context, 0);
-        s_unlock_service_entries(dispatch_loop->context);
+        if (dispatch_loop->context->io_dispatch_loop) {
+            s_lock_service_entries(dispatch_loop->context);
+            s_try_schedule_new_iteration(dispatch_loop->context, 0);
+            s_unlock_service_entries(dispatch_loop->context);
+        }
         s_runlock_dispatch_loop_context(dispatch_loop->context);
     }
     s_unlock_cross_thread_data(dispatch_loop);
@@ -618,6 +620,9 @@ static void s_schedule_task_common(struct aws_event_loop *event_loop, struct aws
     struct dispatch_loop *dispatch_loop = event_loop->impl_data;
 
     s_rlock_dispatch_loop_context(dispatch_loop->context);
+    if (dispatch_loop->context->io_dispatch_loop == NULL) {
+        goto schedule_task_common_cleanup;
+    }
     s_lock_cross_thread_data(dispatch_loop);
     task->timestamp = run_at_nanos;
 
@@ -653,6 +658,7 @@ static void s_schedule_task_common(struct aws_event_loop *event_loop, struct aws
     }
 
     s_unlock_cross_thread_data(dispatch_loop);
+schedule_task_common_cleanup:
     s_runlock_dispatch_loop_context(dispatch_loop->context);
 }
 
diff --git a/source/darwin/nw_socket.c b/source/darwin/nw_socket.c
index 11dba7c2e..2fb09c03e 100644
--- a/source/darwin/nw_socket.c
+++ b/source/darwin/nw_socket.c
@@ -1388,22 +1388,28 @@ static int s_socket_start_accept_fn(
                   (void *)socket,
                   (void *)nw_socket->nw_connection);
 
-              struct aws_task *task = aws_mem_calloc(socket->allocator, 1, sizeof(struct aws_task));
-
-              struct nw_socket_scheduled_task_args *args =
-                  aws_mem_calloc(socket->allocator, 1, sizeof(struct nw_socket_scheduled_task_args));
-
-              args->nw_socket = nw_socket;
-              args->allocator = nw_socket->allocator;
-              // acquire ref count for the task
-              nw_socket_acquire_internal_ref(nw_socket);
-              AWS_LOGF_DEBUG(
-                  AWS_LS_IO_SOCKET,
-                  "id=%p: nw_socket_acquire_internal_ref: s_process_set_listener_endpoint_task",
-                  (void *)nw_socket);
+              // TODO: revisit
+              aws_mutex_lock(&nw_socket->synced_data.lock);
+              if (nw_socket->synced_data.event_loop) {
+                  struct aws_task *task = aws_mem_calloc(socket->allocator, 1, sizeof(struct aws_task));
+
+                  struct nw_socket_scheduled_task_args *args =
+                      aws_mem_calloc(socket->allocator, 1, sizeof(struct nw_socket_scheduled_task_args));
+
+                  args->nw_socket = nw_socket;
+                  args->allocator = nw_socket->allocator;
+                  // acquire ref count for the task
+                  nw_socket_acquire_internal_ref(nw_socket);
+                  AWS_LOGF_DEBUG(
+                      AWS_LS_IO_SOCKET,
+                      "id=%p: nw_socket_acquire_internal_ref: s_process_set_listener_endpoint_task",
+                      (void *)nw_socket);
 
-              aws_task_init(task, s_process_set_listener_endpoint_task, args, "listenerSuccessTask");
-              aws_event_loop_schedule_task_now(socket->event_loop, task);
+                  aws_task_init(task, s_process_set_listener_endpoint_task, args, "listenerSuccessTask");
+                  // TODO: what if event loop is shuting down & what happened if we schedule the task here.
+                  aws_event_loop_schedule_task_now(socket->event_loop, task);
+              }
+              aws_mutex_unlock(&nw_socket->synced_data.lock);
 
           } else if (state == nw_listener_state_cancelled) {
               AWS_LOGF_DEBUG(