diff --git a/src/svc_rqst.c b/src/svc_rqst.c
index a31fcf61e3..9ba42276f5 100644
--- a/src/svc_rqst.c
+++ b/src/svc_rqst.c
@@ -884,16 +884,15 @@ static void
 svc_rqst_clean_idle(int timeout)
 {
 	struct svc_rqst_clean_arg acc;
-	static mutex_t active_mtx = MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
-	static uint32_t active;
+	static int32_t active;
 
-	if (mutex_trylock(&active_mtx) != 0)
-		return;
-
-	if (active > 0)
-		goto unlock;
-
-	++active;
+	/* Allow only one thread to do this work at any time. active
+	 * starts with 0 and a thread that moves it from 0 to 1 is the
+	 * only one that is allowed to do the work. Others just return
+	 * without doing anything.
+	 */
+	if (atomic_postinc_int32_t(&active) != 0)
+		goto out;
 
 #ifdef _HAVE_GSSAPI
 	/* trim gss context cache */
@@ -901,7 +900,7 @@ svc_rqst_clean_idle(int timeout)
 #endif /* _HAVE_GSSAPI */
 
 	if (timeout <= 0)
-		goto unlock;
+		goto out;
 
 	/* trim xprts (not sorted, not aggressive [but self limiting]) */
 	(void)clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC_FAST, &acc.ts);
@@ -910,10 +909,8 @@ svc_rqst_clean_idle(int timeout)
 
 	svc_xprt_foreach(svc_rqst_clean_func, (void *)&acc);
 
- unlock:
-	--active;
-	mutex_unlock(&active_mtx);
-	return;
+out:
+	(void)atomic_postdec_int32_t(&active);
 }
 
 #ifdef TIRPC_EPOLL