diff --git a/runloop.c b/runloop.c
index 0b38a08fa8..7b0fc5e666 100644
--- a/runloop.c
+++ b/runloop.c
@@ -808,12 +808,6 @@ bool runloop_ctl(enum runloop_ctl_state state, void *data)
          }
          runloop_msg_queue_unlock();
          break;
-      case RUNLOOP_CTL_MSG_QUEUE_FREE:
-#ifdef HAVE_THREADS
-         slock_free(_runloop_msg_queue_lock);
-         _runloop_msg_queue_lock = NULL;
-#endif
-         break;
       case RUNLOOP_CTL_MSG_QUEUE_CLEAR:
          msg_queue_clear(runloop_msg_queue);
          break;
@@ -826,7 +820,11 @@ bool runloop_ctl(enum runloop_ctl_state state, void *data)
          msg_queue_free(runloop_msg_queue);
 
          runloop_msg_queue_unlock();
-         runloop_ctl(RUNLOOP_CTL_MSG_QUEUE_FREE, NULL);
+
+#ifdef HAVE_THREADS
+         slock_free(_runloop_msg_queue_lock);
+         _runloop_msg_queue_lock = NULL;
+#endif
 
          runloop_msg_queue = NULL;
          break;
diff --git a/runloop.h b/runloop.h
index 71363cfe65..5f78e90fc5 100644
--- a/runloop.h
+++ b/runloop.h
@@ -102,7 +102,6 @@ enum runloop_ctl_state
    /* Message queue */
    RUNLOOP_CTL_MSG_QUEUE_INIT,
    RUNLOOP_CTL_MSG_QUEUE_DEINIT,
-   RUNLOOP_CTL_MSG_QUEUE_FREE,
    RUNLOOP_CTL_MSG_QUEUE_PULL,
    RUNLOOP_CTL_MSG_QUEUE_CLEAR,