diff --git a/llarp/iwp/session.cpp b/llarp/iwp/session.cpp
index 75f2356a55..c8c7e7fa81 100644
--- a/llarp/iwp/session.cpp
+++ b/llarp/iwp/session.cpp
@@ -144,6 +144,8 @@ namespace llarp
     void
     Session::EncryptAndSend(ILinkSession::Packet_t data)
     {
+      if (m_State == State::Closed)
+        return;
       m_EncryptNext.emplace_back(std::move(data));
       TriggerPump();
       if (!IsEstablished())
@@ -179,12 +181,9 @@ namespace llarp
         return;
       auto close_msg = CreatePacket(Command::eCLOS, 0, 16, 16);
       m_Parent->UnmapAddr(m_RemoteAddr);
-      m_State = State::Closed;
-      if (m_SentClosed.test_and_set())
-        return;
       EncryptAndSend(std::move(close_msg));
-
       LogInfo(m_Parent->PrintableName(), " closing connection to ", m_RemoteAddr);
+      m_State = State::Closed;
     }
 
     bool
@@ -355,7 +354,7 @@ namespace llarp
     bool
     Session::TimedOut(llarp_time_t now) const
     {
-      if (m_State == State::Ready)
+      if (m_State == State::Ready || m_State == State::LinkIntro)
       {
         return now > m_LastRX
             && now - m_LastRX
diff --git a/llarp/iwp/session.hpp b/llarp/iwp/session.hpp
index 210a37a1ec..1e0e6b3c41 100644
--- a/llarp/iwp/session.hpp
+++ b/llarp/iwp/session.hpp
@@ -206,7 +206,6 @@ namespace llarp
 
       std::atomic_flag m_PlaintextEmpty;
       llarp::thread::Queue<CryptoQueue_t> m_PlaintextRecv;
-      std::atomic_flag m_SentClosed;
 
       void
       EncryptWorker(CryptoQueue_t msgs);
diff --git a/llarp/lokinet_shared.cpp b/llarp/lokinet_shared.cpp
index e4e31fe940..970b0996d4 100644
--- a/llarp/lokinet_shared.cpp
+++ b/llarp/lokinet_shared.cpp
@@ -715,8 +715,7 @@ extern "C"
       return;
     }
 
-    auto on_open = [ctx, localAddr, remote, open_cb](
-                       bool success, void* user_data) {
+    auto on_open = [ctx, localAddr, remote, open_cb](bool success, void* user_data) {
       llarp::log::info(
           logcat,
           "Quic tunnel {}<->{}.",
diff --git a/llarp/quic/endpoint.cpp b/llarp/quic/endpoint.cpp
index f96563af96..b97db84bdf 100644
--- a/llarp/quic/endpoint.cpp
+++ b/llarp/quic/endpoint.cpp
@@ -298,7 +298,13 @@ namespace llarp::quic
     ngtcp2_pkt_info pi;
 
     auto written = ngtcp2_conn_write_connection_close(
-        conn, &conn.path.path, &pi, u8data(conn.conn_buffer), conn.conn_buffer.size(), &err, get_timestamp());
+        conn,
+        &conn.path.path,
+        &pi,
+        u8data(conn.conn_buffer),
+        conn.conn_buffer.size(),
+        &err,
+        get_timestamp());
     if (written <= 0)
     {
       log::warning(
diff --git a/llarp/quic/tunnel.cpp b/llarp/quic/tunnel.cpp
index 5fb9b6a27d..1a76f8f64d 100644
--- a/llarp/quic/tunnel.cpp
+++ b/llarp/quic/tunnel.cpp
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ namespace llarp::quic
         log::info(logcat, "EOF on connection to {}:{}", c.peer().ip, c.peer().port);
         if (auto stream = c.data<Stream>())
         {
-          stream->set_eof(); // CloseEvent will send graceful shutdown to other end
+          stream->set_eof();  // CloseEvent will send graceful shutdown to other end
         }
         c.close();
       });
diff --git a/llarp/router/router.cpp b/llarp/router/router.cpp
index c1d8e85959..19b3b9ccc5 100644
--- a/llarp/router/router.cpp
+++ b/llarp/router/router.cpp
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ namespace llarp
     _lastTick = llarp::time_now_ms();
     m_NextExploreAt = Clock_t::now();
     m_Pump = _loop->make_waker([this]() { PumpLL(); });
+    m_Work = _loop->make_waker([this]() { submit_work(); });
   }
 
   Router::~Router()
@@ -79,6 +80,15 @@ namespace llarp
     llarp_dht_context_free(_dht);
   }
 
+  void
+  Router::submit_work()
+  {
+    m_lmq->job([work = std::move(m_WorkJobs)]() {
+      for (const auto& job : work)
+        job();
+    });
+  }
+
   void
   Router::PumpLL()
   {
@@ -482,8 +492,8 @@ namespace llarp
       LogError("RC is invalid, not saving");
       return false;
     }
-    if (m_isServiceNode)
-      _nodedb->Put(_rc);
+    if (IsServiceNode())
+      _nodedb->Put(rc());
     QueueDiskIO([&]() { HandleSaveRC(); });
     return true;
   }
@@ -1631,7 +1641,10 @@ namespace llarp
   void
   Router::QueueWork(std::function<void(void)> func)
   {
-    m_lmq->job(std::move(func));
+    _loop->call([this, func = std::move(func)]() mutable {
+      m_WorkJobs.push_back(std::move(func));
+      m_Work->Trigger();
+    });
   }
 
   void
diff --git a/llarp/router/router.hpp b/llarp/router/router.hpp
index 16efb1fccc..bdbcbd8c91 100644
--- a/llarp/router/router.hpp
+++ b/llarp/router/router.hpp
@@ -78,6 +78,12 @@ namespace llarp
     path::BuildLimiter m_PathBuildLimiter;
 
     std::shared_ptr<EventLoopWakeup> m_Pump;
+    std::shared_ptr<EventLoopWakeup> m_Work;
+    std::vector<std::function<void()>> m_WorkJobs;
+
+    /// submits cpu heavy work from last event loop tick cycle to worker threads.
+    void
+    submit_work();
 
     path::BuildLimiter&
     pathBuildLimiter() override
@@ -196,9 +202,11 @@ namespace llarp
       return _vpnPlatform.get();
     }
 
+    /// queue functionally pure cpu heavy work to be done in another thread.
     void
     QueueWork(std::function<void(void)> func) override;
 
+    /// queue disk io bound work to be done in the disk io thread.
     void
     QueueDiskIO(std::function<void(void)> func) override;