diff --git a/src/remote/remote_driver.c b/src/remote/remote_driver.c
index 5cb4f4cb230c6a88dc853cbb62a7529609c04748..b979f71c83a3ab3e0b483762c6cb3bb689d76169 100644
--- a/src/remote/remote_driver.c
+++ b/src/remote/remote_driver.c
@@ -10672,8 +10672,9 @@ remoteIOEventLoop(virConnectPtr conn,
                  */
                 VIR_DEBUG("Waking up sleep %d %p %p", tmp->proc_nr, tmp, priv->waitDispatch);
                 virCondSignal(&tmp->cond);
+            } else {
+                prev = tmp;
             }
-            prev = tmp;
             tmp = tmp->next;
         }