diff --git a/src/btree.c b/src/btree.c
index 6299f92b..e93b0c50 100644
--- a/src/btree.c
+++ b/src/btree.c
@@ -3489,24 +3489,16 @@ find_btree_node_and_get_idx_bounds_async(btree_iterator_async_state *state,
       {
          btree_node_unget(
             state->itor->cc, state->itor->cfg, &state->itor->curr);
-         debug_assert(state->callback != NULL);
-         async_yield_after(state, state->callback(state->callback_arg));
-         btree_lookup_async_state_init(&state->lookup_state,
-                                       state->itor->cc,
-                                       state->itor->cfg,
-                                       state->itor->root_addr,
-                                       state->itor->page_type,
-                                       state->target,
-                                       NULL,
-                                       state->callback,
-                                       state->callback_arg);
-         state->lookup_state.stop_at_height = state->itor->height;
-         state->lookup_state.stats          = NULL;
-         state->lookup_state.get_node       = TRUE;
-         async_await(state,
-                     btree_lookup_node_async(&state->lookup_state, 0)
-                        == ASYNC_STATUS_DONE);
-         state->itor->curr = state->lookup_state.node;
+         platform_status rc = btree_lookup_node(state->itor->cc,
+                                                state->itor->cfg,
+                                                state->itor->root_addr,
+                                                state->target,
+                                                state->itor->height,
+                                                state->itor->page_type,
+                                                TRUE,
+                                                &state->itor->curr,
+                                                NULL);
+         platform_assert_status_ok(rc);
       }
    }
 
diff --git a/src/clockcache.c b/src/clockcache.c
index 2fe92b3e..b8197236 100644
--- a/src/clockcache.c
+++ b/src/clockcache.c
@@ -1986,9 +1986,7 @@ clockcache_get_from_disk_async(clockcache_get_async_state *state, uint64 depth)
       state->io_start_time = platform_get_timestamp();
    }
 
-   while (io_async_run(state->iostate) != ASYNC_STATUS_DONE) {
-      async_yield(state);
-   }
+   async_await(state, io_async_run(state->iostate) == ASYNC_STATUS_DONE);
    state->rc = io_async_state_get_result(state->iostate);
    if (!SUCCESS(state->rc)) {
       platform_error_log("clockcache_get_from_disk_async: async read failed "
@@ -3126,12 +3124,14 @@ clockcache_get_async_state_init_virtual(void             *payload,
                                         async_callback_fn callback,
                                         void             *callback_arg)
 {
-   clockcache_get_async_state_init((clockcache_get_async_state *)payload,
-                                   (clockcache *)cc,
-                                   addr,
-                                   type,
-                                   callback,
-                                   callback_arg);
+   clockcache_get_async_state *state = (clockcache_get_async_state *)payload;
+   clockcache_get_async_state_init(
+      state, (clockcache *)cc, addr, type, callback, callback_arg);
+   // We initialize wait_node here, rather than right before the call to enqueue
+   // the waiter on the wait queue, because the async wait system has internal
+   // instrumentation that can catch double enqueues, which could break if we
+   // re-init before submission.
+   async_waiter_init(&state->wait_node);
 }
 
 static async_status
diff --git a/src/core.c b/src/core.c
index b30c01cb..d499f24a 100644
--- a/src/core.c
+++ b/src/core.c
@@ -854,7 +854,7 @@ static void
 core_btree_iterator_init_async_callback(void *arg)
 {
    core_btree_iterator_init_async_context *ctxt = arg;
-   ctxt->ready                                  = TRUE;
+   __atomic_store_n(&ctxt->ready, TRUE, __ATOMIC_RELEASE);
 }
 
 static platform_status
@@ -890,8 +890,8 @@ core_start_btree_iterator_init_async(
                                    prefetch_lookahead,
                                    core_btree_iterator_init_async_callback,
                                    ctxt);
-   ctxt->ready = FALSE;
-   ctxt->done  = FALSE;
+   __atomic_store_n(&ctxt->ready, FALSE, __ATOMIC_RELAXED);
+   ctxt->done = FALSE;
 
    if (btree_iterator_init_async(&ctxt->state) == ASYNC_STATUS_DONE) {
       ctxt->done = TRUE;
@@ -922,11 +922,12 @@ core_drain_btree_iterator_init_async(
    while (done_count < num_inits) {
       bool32 made_progress = FALSE;
       for (uint64 i = 0; i < num_inits; i++) {
-         if (ctxt[i].done || !ctxt[i].ready) {
+         if (ctxt[i].done
+             || !__atomic_exchange_n(&ctxt[i].ready, FALSE, __ATOMIC_ACQUIRE))
+         {
             continue;
          }
 
-         ctxt[i].ready = FALSE;
          made_progress = TRUE;
          if (btree_iterator_init_async(&ctxt[i].state) == ASYNC_STATUS_DONE) {
             ctxt[i].done = TRUE;
@@ -1169,8 +1170,14 @@ core_range_iterator_init(core_handle         *spl,
 
    core_btree_iterator_init_async_context *init_ctxt = NULL;
    if (range_itor->num_branches != 0) {
-      init_ctxt = TYPED_ARRAY_ZALLOC(
-         PROCESS_PRIVATE_HEAP_ID, init_ctxt, range_itor->num_branches);
+      /*
+       * Async cache-load waiters embedded in these contexts can be released by
+       * another process when the clockcache is shared.  The callback only marks
+       * ctxt->ready, so keep the context itself in the Splinter heap; the
+       * owning process remains responsible for resuming the iterator state.
+       */
+      init_ctxt =
+         TYPED_ARRAY_ZALLOC(spl->heap_id, init_ctxt, range_itor->num_branches);
    }
    if (range_itor->num_branches != 0 && init_ctxt == NULL) {
       core_range_iterator_deinit(range_itor);
@@ -1234,7 +1241,7 @@ core_range_iterator_init(core_handle         *spl,
       }
    }
    if (init_ctxt != NULL) {
-      platform_free(PROCESS_PRIVATE_HEAP_ID, init_ctxt);
+      platform_free(spl->heap_id, init_ctxt);
    }
    if (!SUCCESS(rc)) {
       core_range_iterator_deinit(range_itor);
diff --git a/src/platform_linux/async.h b/src/platform_linux/async.h
index 92ffee94..bbd6dd31 100644
--- a/src/platform_linux/async.h
+++ b/src/platform_linux/async.h
@@ -239,17 +239,34 @@ typedef void (*async_callback_fn)(void *);
 /*
  * Wait queues for exections awaiting some condition.
  */
+typedef struct async_wait_queue async_wait_queue;
+
+#define ASYNC_WAITER_MAGIC_QUEUED 0x4153594e43575144ULL
+#define ASYNC_WAITER_MAGIC_IDLE   0x4153594e43574944ULL
+
 typedef struct async_waiter {
    struct async_waiter *next;
    async_callback_fn    callback;
    void                *callback_arg;
+   async_wait_queue    *queue;
+   uint64               magic;
 } async_waiter;
 
-typedef struct async_wait_queue {
+struct async_wait_queue {
    volatile uint64        lock;
    volatile async_waiter *head;
    async_waiter          *tail;
-} async_wait_queue;
+};
+
+static inline void
+async_waiter_init(async_waiter *waiter)
+{
+   waiter->next         = NULL;
+   waiter->callback     = NULL;
+   waiter->callback_arg = NULL;
+   waiter->queue        = NULL;
+   waiter->magic        = ASYNC_WAITER_MAGIC_IDLE;
+}
 
 static inline void
 async_wait_queue_init(async_wait_queue *queue)
@@ -293,9 +310,21 @@ async_wait_queue_append(async_wait_queue *q,
                         async_callback_fn callback,
                         void             *callback_arg)
 {
+   platform_assert(q != NULL);
+   platform_assert(waiter != NULL);
+   platform_assert(callback != NULL);
+   platform_assert(callback_arg != NULL);
+   platform_assert(waiter->magic != ASYNC_WAITER_MAGIC_QUEUED,
+                   "waiter %p is already queued on %p; appending to %p\n",
+                   waiter,
+                   waiter->queue,
+                   q);
+
    waiter->callback     = callback;
    waiter->callback_arg = callback_arg;
    waiter->next         = NULL;
+   waiter->queue        = q;
+   waiter->magic        = ASYNC_WAITER_MAGIC_QUEUED;
 
    async_waiter *result;
    if (q->head == NULL) {
@@ -309,12 +338,43 @@ async_wait_queue_append(async_wait_queue *q,
    return result;
 }
 
+static inline void
+async_waiter_assert_queued(async_wait_queue *queue, async_waiter *waiter)
+{
+   platform_assert(waiter != NULL);
+   platform_assert(waiter->magic == ASYNC_WAITER_MAGIC_QUEUED,
+                   "waiter %p has bad magic 0x%lx, queue %p, expected queue "
+                   "%p, next %p, callback %p, callback_arg %p\n",
+                   waiter,
+                   waiter->magic,
+                   waiter->queue,
+                   queue,
+                   waiter->next,
+                   waiter->callback,
+                   waiter->callback_arg);
+   platform_assert(waiter->queue == queue,
+                   "waiter %p belongs to queue %p, expected queue %p\n",
+                   waiter,
+                   waiter->queue,
+                   queue);
+   platform_assert(waiter->callback != NULL);
+   platform_assert(waiter->callback_arg != NULL);
+}
+
+static inline void
+async_waiter_mark_idle(async_waiter *waiter)
+{
+   async_waiter_init(waiter);
+}
+
 static inline void
 async_wait_queue_remove(async_wait_queue *queue,
                         async_waiter     *pred,
                         async_waiter     *waiter)
 {
+   async_waiter_assert_queued(queue, waiter);
    if (pred != NULL) {
+      async_waiter_assert_queued(queue, pred);
       platform_assert(pred->next == waiter);
       pred->next = waiter->next;
       if (queue->tail == waiter) {
@@ -327,6 +387,7 @@ async_wait_queue_remove(async_wait_queue *queue,
          queue->tail = NULL;
       }
    }
+   async_waiter_mark_idle(waiter);
 }
 
 /* Public: notify one waiter that the condition has become true. */
@@ -343,6 +404,7 @@ async_wait_queue_release_one(async_wait_queue *q)
 
    waiter = q->head;
    if (waiter) {
+      async_waiter_assert_queued(q, (async_waiter *)waiter);
       q->head = waiter->next;
       if (q->head == NULL) {
          q->tail = NULL;
@@ -351,7 +413,10 @@ async_wait_queue_release_one(async_wait_queue *q)
    async_wait_queue_unlock(q);
 
    if (waiter) {
-      waiter->callback(waiter->callback_arg);
+      async_callback_fn callback     = waiter->callback;
+      void             *callback_arg = waiter->callback_arg;
+      async_waiter_mark_idle((async_waiter *)waiter);
+      callback(callback_arg);
    }
 }
 
@@ -372,8 +437,12 @@ async_wait_queue_release_all(async_wait_queue *q)
    async_wait_queue_unlock(q);
 
    while (waiter != NULL) {
-      async_waiter *next = waiter->next;
-      waiter->callback(waiter->callback_arg);
+      async_waiter_assert_queued(q, (async_waiter *)waiter);
+      async_waiter     *next         = waiter->next;
+      async_callback_fn callback     = waiter->callback;
+      void             *callback_arg = waiter->callback_arg;
+      async_waiter_mark_idle((async_waiter *)waiter);
+      callback(callback_arg);
       waiter = next;
    }
 }
diff --git a/src/platform_linux/laio.c b/src/platform_linux/laio.c
index cf1cfe7d..87e6c3f5 100644
--- a/src/platform_linux/laio.c
+++ b/src/platform_linux/laio.c
@@ -542,9 +542,10 @@ laio_async_state_init(io_async_state   *state,
    ios->addr                   = addr;
    ios->callback               = callback;
    ios->callback_arg           = callback_arg;
-   ios->reqs[0]                = &ios->req;
-   ios->iovlen                 = 0;
-   ios->status                 = 0;
+   async_waiter_init(&ios->waiter_node);
+   ios->reqs[0] = &ios->req;
+   ios->iovlen  = 0;
+   ios->status  = 0;
    return STATUS_OK;
 }