diff --git a/src/ringbuf.c b/src/ringbuf.c
index 9671eaa..3032a12 100644
--- a/src/ringbuf.c
+++ b/src/ringbuf.c
@@ -104,8 +104,8 @@ struct ringbuf {
 	volatile ringbuf_off_t	next;
 	ringbuf_off_t		end;
 
-	/* The range of worker-records in use. */
-	worker_off_t		first_used_worker, first_free_worker;
+	/* The index of the first potentially free worker-record. */
+	worker_off_t		first_free_worker;
 
 	/* The following are updated by the consumer. */
 	ringbuf_off_t		written;
@@ -143,52 +143,6 @@ ringbuf_get_sizes(unsigned nworkers,
 		*ringbuf_worker_size = sizeof(ringbuf_worker_t);
 }
 
-/*
- * prune_unregistered_workers: consume any range of unregistered
- * worker-records.
- */
-static worker_off_t
-prune_unregistered_workers(ringbuf_t *rbuf)
-{
-	worker_off_t volatile *p_used_worker;
-	worker_off_t volatile const *p_free_worker;
-	worker_off_t old_used_worker, new_used_worker;
-	bool should_continue = true;
-
-	p_used_worker = &rbuf->first_used_worker;
-	p_free_worker = &rbuf->first_free_worker;
-
-	while (should_continue) {
-
-		do {
-			worker_off_t old_used_worker_index, free_worker_index;
-			ringbuf_worker_t *w;
-
-			/* If there is no more range of used worker-records, stop. */
-			old_used_worker = *p_used_worker;
-			old_used_worker_index = (old_used_worker & RBUF_OFF_MASK);
-			free_worker_index = ((*p_free_worker) & RBUF_OFF_MASK);
-			if (old_used_worker_index == free_worker_index) {
-				should_continue = false;
-				break;
-			}
-
-			/* If this worker-record is still in use, stop. */
-			w = &rbuf->workers[old_used_worker_index];
-			if (w->registered != not_registered) {
-				should_continue = false;
-				break;
-			}
-
-			/* Advance past this unused worker-record. */
-			new_used_worker = (old_used_worker_index + 1) % rbuf->nworkers;
-			new_used_worker |= WRAP_INCR(old_used_worker);
-		} while (!atomic_compare_exchange_weak(p_used_worker, old_used_worker, new_used_worker));
-	}
-
-	return old_used_worker;
-}
-
 /*
  * register_worker: allocate a worker-record for a thread/process,
  * and pass back the pointer to its local store.
@@ -197,47 +151,37 @@ prune_unregistered_workers(ringbuf_t *rbuf)
 static ringbuf_worker_t *
 register_worker(ringbuf_t *rbuf, unsigned registration_type)
 {
-	worker_off_t volatile *p_used_worker, *p_free_worker;
+	worker_off_t volatile *p_free_worker;
 	int acquired;
 	ringbuf_worker_t *w = NULL;
 
 	/* Try to find a worker-record that can be registered. */
-	p_used_worker = &rbuf->first_used_worker;
 	p_free_worker = &rbuf->first_free_worker;
 	acquired = false;
 	while (!acquired) {
-		worker_off_t old_used_worker, prev_free_worker,
-			old_free_worker, new_free_worker;
+		worker_off_t prev_free_worker, old_free_worker, new_free_worker,
+			i;
 
 		/*
 		 * Get the current range of used worker-records, after trying
 		 * to prune recently-unregistered workers.
 		 */
-		old_used_worker = prune_unregistered_workers(rbuf);
 		prev_free_worker = *p_free_worker;
 
-		/*
-		 * If there are no potentially free worker-records,
-		 * let our caller know.
-		 */
-		if ((((prev_free_worker & RBUF_OFF_MASK) + 1) % rbuf->nworkers)
-				== (old_used_worker & RBUF_OFF_MASK))
-			return NULL;
-
 		/* Exclusively acquire a worker-record index. */
-		while (!acquired) {
+		for (i = 0; !acquired && i < rbuf->nworkers; ++i) {
 			/* Prepare to acquire a worker-record index. */
 			old_free_worker = (*p_free_worker);
 			if (old_free_worker != prev_free_worker)
 				break;
-			new_free_worker = ((old_free_worker & RBUF_OFF_MASK) + 1)
-				% rbuf->nworkers;
+			new_free_worker = ((old_free_worker & RBUF_OFF_MASK)
+				+ i) % rbuf->nworkers;
 			new_free_worker |= WRAP_INCR(old_free_worker);
 
 			/* Remember that this worker-record is being registered. */
 			w = &rbuf->workers[new_free_worker & RBUF_OFF_MASK];
 			if (!atomic_compare_exchange_weak(&w->registered, not_registered, being_registered))
-				break;
+				continue;
 			acquired = true;
 
 			/* Swap the indexes to exclusively acquire the worker-record. */
@@ -343,6 +287,11 @@ ringbuf_acquire(ringbuf_t *rbuf, ringbuf_worker_t **pw, size_t len)
 		if (__predict_false(next < written && target >= written)) {
 			/* The producer must wait. */
 			w->seen_off = RBUF_OFF_MAX;
+			if (w->registered == temp_registered) {
+				*pw = NULL;
+				atomic_thread_fence(memory_order_release);
+				w->registered = not_registered;
+			}
 			return -1;
 		}
 
@@ -362,6 +311,11 @@ ringbuf_acquire(ringbuf_t *rbuf, ringbuf_worker_t **pw, size_t len)
 			target = exceed ? (WRAP_LOCK_BIT | len) : 0;
 			if ((target & RBUF_OFF_MASK) >= written) {
 				w->seen_off = RBUF_OFF_MAX;
+				if (w->registered == temp_registered) {
+					*pw = NULL;
+					atomic_thread_fence(memory_order_release);
+					w->registered = not_registered;
+				}
 				return -1;
 			}
 			/* Increment the wrap-around counter. */
diff --git a/src/t_stress.c b/src/t_stress.c
index 7bac066..924516c 100644
--- a/src/t_stress.c
+++ b/src/t_stress.c
@@ -102,8 +102,10 @@ ringbuf_stress(void *arg)
 {
 	const unsigned id = (uintptr_t)arg;
 	ringbuf_worker_t *w = NULL;
-	//ringbuf_worker_t *w = ringbuf_register(ringbuf);
-	//assert (w != NULL);
+	if (id == 1) {
+		w = ringbuf_register(ringbuf);
+		assert (w != NULL);
+	}
 	uint64_t total_recv = 0;
 
 	/*