diff --git a/src/openvpn/event.h b/src/openvpn/event.h
index 856551ad..844ea7b3 100644
--- a/src/openvpn/event.h
+++ b/src/openvpn/event.h
@@ -126,6 +126,20 @@ struct event_set
     struct event_set_functions func;
 };
 
+typedef enum {
+    EVENT_ARG_MULTI_INSTANCE = 0,
+    EVENT_ARG_LINK_SOCKET,
+} event_arg_t;
+
+/* generic event argument object to pass to event_ctl() */
+struct event_arg
+{
+    event_arg_t type;
+    union {
+        struct multi_instance *mi; /* if type = EVENT_ARG_MULTI_INSTANCE */
+    } u;
+};
+
 /*
  * maxevents on input:  desired max number of event_t descriptors
  *                      simultaneously set with event_ctl
diff --git a/src/openvpn/mtcp.c b/src/openvpn/mtcp.c
index 3ae8be73..67e3e8e2 100644
--- a/src/openvpn/mtcp.c
+++ b/src/openvpn/mtcp.c
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@
 /*
  * Special tags passed to event.[ch] functions
  */
-#define MTCP_SOCKET      ((void *)1)
 #define MTCP_TUN         ((void *)2)
 #define MTCP_SIG         ((void *)3) /* Only on Windows */
 #define MTCP_MANAGEMENT ((void *)4)
@@ -245,7 +244,7 @@ multi_tcp_set_global_rw_flags(struct multi_context *m, struct multi_instance *mi
         socket_set(mi->context.c2.link_socket,
                    m->mtcp->es,
                    mbuf_defined(mi->tcp_link_out_deferred) ? EVENT_WRITE : EVENT_READ,
-                   mi,
+                   &mi->ev_arg,
                    &mi->tcp_rwflags);
     }
 }
@@ -255,8 +254,8 @@ multi_tcp_wait(const struct context *c,
                struct multi_tcp *mtcp)
 {
     int status;
-    unsigned int *persistent = &mtcp->tun_rwflags;
-    socket_set_listen_persistent(c->c2.link_socket, mtcp->es, MTCP_SOCKET);
+    socket_set_listen_persistent(c->c2.link_socket, mtcp->es,
+                                 &c->c2.link_socket->ev_arg);
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
     if (tuntap_is_wintun(c->c1.tuntap))
@@ -272,7 +271,7 @@ multi_tcp_wait(const struct context *c,
         persistent = NULL;
     }
 #endif
-    tun_set(c->c1.tuntap, mtcp->es, EVENT_READ, MTCP_TUN, persistent);
+    tun_set(c->c1.tuntap, mtcp->es, EVENT_READ, MTCP_TUN, &mtcp->tun_rwflags);
 #if defined(TARGET_LINUX) || defined(TARGET_FREEBSD)
     dco_event_set(&c->c1.tuntap->dco, mtcp->es, MTCP_DCO);
 #endif
@@ -685,20 +684,43 @@ multi_tcp_process_io(struct multi_context *m)
     {
         struct event_set_return *e = &mtcp->esr[i];
 
-        /* incoming data for instance? */
+        /* incoming data for instance or listening socket? */
         if (e->arg >= MTCP_N)
         {
-            struct multi_instance *mi = (struct multi_instance *) e->arg;
-            if (mi)
+            struct event_arg *ev_arg = (struct event_arg *)e->arg;
+            switch (ev_arg->type)
             {
-                if (e->rwflags & EVENT_WRITE)
-                {
-                    multi_tcp_action(m, mi, TA_SOCKET_WRITE_READY, false);
-                }
-                else if (e->rwflags & EVENT_READ)
-                {
-                    multi_tcp_action(m, mi, TA_SOCKET_READ, false);
-                }
+                struct multi_instance *mi;
+
+                /* react to event on child instance */
+                case EVENT_ARG_MULTI_INSTANCE:
+                    if (!ev_arg->u.mi)
+                    {
+                        msg(D_MULTI_ERRORS, "MULTI: mtcp_proc_io: null minstance");
+                        break;
+                    }
+
+                    mi = ev_arg->u.mi;
+                    if (e->rwflags & EVENT_WRITE)
+                    {
+                        multi_tcp_action(m, mi, TA_SOCKET_WRITE_READY, false);
+                    }
+                    else if (e->rwflags & EVENT_READ)
+                    {
+                        multi_tcp_action(m, mi, TA_SOCKET_READ, false);
+                    }
+                    break;
+
+                /* new incoming TCP client attempting to connect? */
+                case EVENT_ARG_LINK_SOCKET:
+                    ASSERT(m->top.c2.link_socket);
+                    socket_reset_listen_persistent(m->top.c2.link_socket);
+                    mi = multi_create_instance_tcp(m);
+                    if (mi)
+                    {
+                        multi_tcp_action(m, mi, TA_INITIAL, false);
+                    }
+                    break;
             }
         }
         else
@@ -723,18 +745,6 @@ multi_tcp_process_io(struct multi_context *m)
                     multi_tcp_action(m, NULL, TA_TUN_READ, false);
                 }
             }
-            /* new incoming TCP client attempting to connect? */
-            else if (e->arg == MTCP_SOCKET)
-            {
-                struct multi_instance *mi;
-                ASSERT(m->top.c2.link_socket);
-                socket_reset_listen_persistent(m->top.c2.link_socket);
-                mi = multi_create_instance_tcp(m);
-                if (mi)
-                {
-                    multi_tcp_action(m, mi, TA_INITIAL, false);
-                }
-            }
 #if defined(ENABLE_DCO) && (defined(TARGET_LINUX) || defined(TARGET_FREEBSD))
             /* incoming data on DCO? */
             else if (e->arg == MTCP_DCO)
diff --git a/src/openvpn/multi.c b/src/openvpn/multi.c
index 0509911d..45b3cfa2 100644
--- a/src/openvpn/multi.c
+++ b/src/openvpn/multi.c
@@ -823,6 +823,9 @@ multi_create_instance(struct multi_context *m, const struct mroute_addr *real)
         goto err;
     }
 
+    mi->ev_arg.type = EVENT_ARG_MULTI_INSTANCE;
+    mi->ev_arg.u.mi = mi;
+
     perf_pop();
     gc_free(&gc);
     return mi;
diff --git a/src/openvpn/multi.h b/src/openvpn/multi.h
index 7167639e..1b99ef70 100644
--- a/src/openvpn/multi.h
+++ b/src/openvpn/multi.h
@@ -102,6 +102,12 @@ struct multi_instance {
     struct schedule_entry se;  /* this must be the first element of the structure,
                                 * We cast between this and schedule_entry so the
                                 * beginning of the struct must be identical */
+
+    struct event_arg ev_arg;   /**< this struct will store a pointer to either mi or
+                                * link_socket, depending on the event type, to keep
+                                * it accessible it's placed within the same struct
+                                * it points to. */
+
     struct gc_arena gc;
     bool halt;
     int refcount;
diff --git a/src/openvpn/socket.c b/src/openvpn/socket.c
index 7b1e6038..cf04090c 100644
--- a/src/openvpn/socket.c
+++ b/src/openvpn/socket.c
@@ -1830,6 +1830,8 @@ link_socket_new(void)
     ALLOC_OBJ_CLEAR(sock, struct link_socket);
     sock->sd = SOCKET_UNDEFINED;
     sock->ctrl_sd = SOCKET_UNDEFINED;
+    sock->ev_arg.type = EVENT_ARG_LINK_SOCKET;
+
     return sock;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/openvpn/socket.h b/src/openvpn/socket.h
index 04eb8a42..27caab4d 100644
--- a/src/openvpn/socket.h
+++ b/src/openvpn/socket.h
@@ -178,6 +178,11 @@ struct link_socket
 {
     struct link_socket_info info;
 
+    struct event_arg ev_arg;   /**< this struct will store a pointer to either mi or
+                                * link_socket, depending on the event type, to keep
+                                * it accessible it's placed within the same struct
+                                * it points to. */
+
     socket_descriptor_t sd;
     socket_descriptor_t ctrl_sd; /* only used for UDP over Socks */