diff --git a/rpc/answer.go b/rpc/answer.go
index ce9c61a7..6d798e2b 100644
--- a/rpc/answer.go
+++ b/rpc/answer.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 	"capnproto.org/go/capnp/v3"
 	"capnproto.org/go/capnp/v3/exc"
 	"capnproto.org/go/capnp/v3/internal/rc"
-	"capnproto.org/go/capnp/v3/internal/syncutil"
 	rpccp "capnproto.org/go/capnp/v3/std/capnp/rpc"
 )
 
@@ -129,16 +128,16 @@ func (c *Conn) newReturn() (_ rpccp.Return, sendMsg func(), _ *rc.Releaser, _ er
 }
 
 // setPipelineCaller sets ans.pcall to pcall if the answer has not
-// already returned.  The caller MUST NOT hold ans.c.lk.
+// already returned.  The caller MUST hold ans.c.lk.
 //
 // This also sets ans.promise to a new promise, wrapping pcall.
-func (ans *answer) setPipelineCaller(m capnp.Method, pcall capnp.PipelineCaller) {
-	syncutil.With(&ans.c.lk, func() {
-		if !ans.flags.Contains(resultsReady) {
-			ans.pcall = pcall
-			ans.promise = capnp.NewPromise(m, pcall)
-		}
-	})
+func (ans *answer) setPipelineCaller(c *lockedConn, m capnp.Method, pcall capnp.PipelineCaller) {
+	c.assertIs(ans.c)
+
+	if !ans.flags.Contains(resultsReady) {
+		ans.pcall = pcall
+		ans.promise = capnp.NewPromise(m, pcall)
+	}
 }
 
 // AllocResults allocates the results struct.
diff --git a/rpc/rpc.go b/rpc/rpc.go
index 99cabdeb..6751f443 100644
--- a/rpc/rpc.go
+++ b/rpc/rpc.go
@@ -846,12 +846,10 @@ func (c *Conn) handleCall(ctx context.Context, call rpccp.Call, releaseCall capn
 			c.tasks.Add(1) // will be finished by answer.Return
 			var callCtx context.Context
 			callCtx, ans.cancel = context.WithCancel(c.bgctx)
+			pcall := newPromisedPipelineCaller()
+			ans.setPipelineCaller(c, p.method, pcall)
 			rl.Add(func() {
-				pcall := ent.client.RecvCall(callCtx, recv)
-				// Place PipelineCaller into answer.  Since the receive goroutine is
-				// the only one that uses answer.pcall, it's fine that there's a
-				// time gap for this being set.
-				ans.setPipelineCaller(p.method, pcall)
+				pcall.resolve(ent.client.RecvCall(callCtx, recv))
 			})
 			return nil
 		case rpccp.MessageTarget_Which_promisedAnswer:
@@ -908,9 +906,10 @@ func (c *Conn) handleCall(ctx context.Context, call rpccp.Call, releaseCall capn
 				c.tasks.Add(1) // will be finished by answer.Return
 				var callCtx context.Context
 				callCtx, ans.cancel = context.WithCancel(c.bgctx)
+				pcall := newPromisedPipelineCaller()
+				ans.setPipelineCaller(c, p.method, pcall)
 				rl.Add(func() {
-					pcall := tgt.RecvCall(callCtx, recv)
-					ans.setPipelineCaller(p.method, pcall)
+					pcall.resolve(tgt.RecvCall(callCtx, recv))
 				})
 			} else {
 				// Results not ready, use pipeline caller.
@@ -919,10 +918,11 @@ func (c *Conn) handleCall(ctx context.Context, call rpccp.Call, releaseCall capn
 				callCtx, ans.cancel = context.WithCancel(c.bgctx)
 				tgt := tgtAns.pcall
 				c.tasks.Add(1) // will be finished by answer.Return
+				pcall := newPromisedPipelineCaller()
+				ans.setPipelineCaller(c, p.method, pcall)
 				rl.Add(func() {
-					pcall := tgt.PipelineRecv(callCtx, p.target.transform, recv)
+					pcall.resolve(tgt.PipelineRecv(callCtx, p.target.transform, recv))
 					tgtAns.pcalls.Done()
-					ans.setPipelineCaller(p.method, pcall)
 				})
 			}
 			return nil
@@ -932,6 +932,50 @@ func (c *Conn) handleCall(ctx context.Context, call rpccp.Call, releaseCall capn
 	})
 }
 
+// A promisedPipelineCaller is a PipelineCaller that stands in for another
+// PipelineCaller that may not be available yet. Methods block until
+// resolve() is called.
+//
+// NOTE WELL: This is meant to stand-in for a very short time, to avoid racy
+// behavior between releasing locks and calling resolve(), so even the
+// context on the recv/send methods is ignored until underlying caller is
+// reserved.
+type promisedPipelineCaller struct {
+	ready      chan struct{}
+	underlying capnp.PipelineCaller
+}
+
+func newPromisedPipelineCaller() *promisedPipelineCaller {
+	return &promisedPipelineCaller{
+		ready:      make(chan struct{}),
+		underlying: nil,
+	}
+}
+
+// resolve() resolves p to result.
+func (p *promisedPipelineCaller) resolve(result capnp.PipelineCaller) {
+	p.underlying = result
+	close(p.ready)
+}
+
+func (p *promisedPipelineCaller) PipelineSend(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	transform []capnp.PipelineOp,
+	s capnp.Send,
+) (*capnp.Answer, capnp.ReleaseFunc) {
+	<-p.ready
+	return p.underlying.PipelineSend(ctx, transform, s)
+}
+
+func (p *promisedPipelineCaller) PipelineRecv(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	transform []capnp.PipelineOp,
+	r capnp.Recv,
+) capnp.PipelineCaller {
+	<-p.ready
+	return p.underlying.PipelineRecv(ctx, transform, r)
+}
+
 type parsedCall struct {
 	target parsedMessageTarget
 	method capnp.Method