diff --git a/servers/lloadd/connection.c b/servers/lloadd/connection.c
index e1b4c39019..886a2b6a83 100644
--- a/servers/lloadd/connection.c
+++ b/servers/lloadd/connection.c
@@ -128,6 +128,11 @@ handle_pdus( void *ctx, void *arg )
             }
             break;
         }
+
+        assert( IS_ALIVE( c, c_refcnt ) );
+        epoch_leave( epoch );
+        epoch = epoch_join();
+        assert( IS_ALIVE( c, c_refcnt ) );
     }
 
     event_add( c->c_read_event, c->c_read_timeout );
diff --git a/servers/lloadd/epoch.h b/servers/lloadd/epoch.h
index b5ae045008..89f0bc4b26 100644
--- a/servers/lloadd/epoch.h
+++ b/servers/lloadd/epoch.h
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ int try_release_ref( uintptr_t *refp, void *object, dispose_cb *cb );
  */
 #define RELEASE_REF( object, ref_field, cb ) \
     do { \
+        assert( IS_ALIVE( (object), ref_field ) ); \
         if ( !__atomic_sub_fetch( \
                      &(object)->ref_field, 1, __ATOMIC_ACQ_REL ) ) { \
             epoch_append( object, (dispose_cb *)cb ); \