diff --git a/include/aws/http/private/h2_connection.h b/include/aws/http/private/h2_connection.h
index 796eedcf8..a48e8844b 100644
--- a/include/aws/http/private/h2_connection.h
+++ b/include/aws/http/private/h2_connection.h
@@ -99,12 +99,6 @@ struct aws_h2_connection {
 
     /* Any thread may touch this data, but the lock must be held (unless it's an atomic) */
     struct {
-        /* For checking status from outside the event-loop thread. */
-        struct aws_atomic_var is_open;
-
-        /* If non-zero, reason to immediately reject new streams. (ex: closing) */
-        struct aws_atomic_var new_stream_error_code;
-
         struct aws_mutex lock;
 
         /* New `aws_h2_stream *` that haven't moved to `thread_data` yet */
@@ -113,6 +107,14 @@ struct aws_h2_connection {
         bool is_cross_thread_work_task_scheduled;
 
     } synced_data;
+
+    struct {
+        /* For checking status from outside the event-loop thread. */
+        struct aws_atomic_var is_open;
+
+        /* If non-zero, reason to immediately reject new streams. (ex: closing) */
+        struct aws_atomic_var new_stream_error_code;
+    } atomic;
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/source/h1_connection.c b/source/h1_connection.c
index 8a6f93b2c..75a7f4de3 100644
--- a/source/h1_connection.c
+++ b/source/h1_connection.c
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ int aws_h1_stream_activate(struct aws_http_stream *stream) {
         return AWS_OP_ERR;
     }
 
-    /* activate one more time now that the connection can actually run the stream. */
+    /* connection keeps activated stream alive until stream completes */
     aws_atomic_fetch_add(&stream->refcount, 1);
 
     if (should_schedule_task) {
diff --git a/source/h2_connection.c b/source/h2_connection.c
index 632e8d4ee..f2c68e4d5 100644
--- a/source/h2_connection.c
+++ b/source/h2_connection.c
@@ -183,8 +183,8 @@ static void s_stop(
 
     /* Even if we're not scheduling shutdown just yet (ex: sent final request but waiting to read final response)
      * we don't consider the connection "open" anymore so user can't create more streams */
-    aws_atomic_store_int(&connection->synced_data.new_stream_error_code, AWS_ERROR_HTTP_CONNECTION_CLOSED);
-    aws_atomic_store_int(&connection->synced_data.is_open, 0);
+    aws_atomic_store_int(&connection->atomic.new_stream_error_code, AWS_ERROR_HTTP_CONNECTION_CLOSED);
+    aws_atomic_store_int(&connection->atomic.is_open, 0);
 
     if (schedule_shutdown) {
         AWS_LOGF_INFO(
@@ -242,8 +242,8 @@ static struct aws_h2_connection *s_connection_new(
     /* 1 refcount for user */
     aws_atomic_init_int(&connection->base.refcount, 1);
 
-    aws_atomic_init_int(&connection->synced_data.is_open, 1);
-    aws_atomic_init_int(&connection->synced_data.new_stream_error_code, 0);
+    aws_atomic_init_int(&connection->atomic.is_open, 1);
+    aws_atomic_init_int(&connection->atomic.new_stream_error_code, 0);
     aws_linked_list_init(&connection->synced_data.pending_stream_list);
 
     aws_linked_list_init(&connection->thread_data.outgoing_streams_list);
@@ -1257,7 +1257,7 @@ struct aws_h2err s_decoder_on_goaway_begin(
         return aws_h2err_from_h2_code(AWS_H2_ERR_PROTOCOL_ERROR);
     }
     /* stop sending any new stream and making new request */
-    aws_atomic_store_int(&connection->synced_data.new_stream_error_code, AWS_ERROR_HTTP_GOAWAY_RECEIVED);
+    aws_atomic_store_int(&connection->atomic.new_stream_error_code, AWS_ERROR_HTTP_GOAWAY_RECEIVED);
     connection->thread_data.goaway_received_last_stream_id = last_stream;
     CONNECTION_LOGF(
         DEBUG,
@@ -1569,10 +1569,12 @@ int aws_h2_connection_send_rst_and_close_reserved_stream(
 }
 
 /* Move stream into "active" datastructures and notify stream that it can send frames now */
-static void s_activate_stream(struct aws_h2_connection *connection, struct aws_h2_stream *stream) {
+static void s_move_stream_to_thread(
+    struct aws_h2_connection *connection,
+    struct aws_h2_stream *stream,
+    int new_stream_error_code) {
     AWS_PRECONDITION(aws_channel_thread_is_callers_thread(connection->base.channel_slot->channel));
 
-    int new_stream_error_code = (int)aws_atomic_load_int(&connection->synced_data.new_stream_error_code);
     if (new_stream_error_code) {
         aws_raise_error(new_stream_error_code);
         AWS_H2_STREAM_LOGF(
@@ -1601,8 +1603,6 @@ static void s_activate_stream(struct aws_h2_connection *connection, struct aws_h
         goto error;
     }
 
-    aws_atomic_fetch_add(&stream->base.refcount, 1);
-
     if (has_outgoing_data) {
         aws_linked_list_push_back(&connection->thread_data.outgoing_streams_list, &stream->node);
     }
@@ -1635,10 +1635,13 @@ static void s_cross_thread_work_task(struct aws_channel_task *task, void *arg, e
     } /* END CRITICAL SECTION */
 
     /* Process new pending_streams */
-    while (!aws_linked_list_empty(&pending_streams)) {
-        struct aws_linked_list_node *node = aws_linked_list_pop_front(&pending_streams);
-        struct aws_h2_stream *stream = AWS_CONTAINER_OF(node, struct aws_h2_stream, node);
-        s_activate_stream(connection, stream);
+    if (!aws_linked_list_empty(&pending_streams)) {
+        int new_stream_error_code = (int)aws_atomic_load_int(&connection->atomic.new_stream_error_code);
+        do {
+            struct aws_linked_list_node *node = aws_linked_list_pop_front(&pending_streams);
+            struct aws_h2_stream *stream = AWS_CONTAINER_OF(node, struct aws_h2_stream, node);
+            s_move_stream_to_thread(connection, stream, new_stream_error_code);
+        } while (!aws_linked_list_empty(&pending_streams));
     }
 
     /* #TODO: process stuff from other API calls (ex: window-updates) */
@@ -1680,6 +1683,9 @@ int aws_h2_stream_activate(struct aws_http_stream *stream) {
         return AWS_OP_ERR;
     }
 
+    /* connection keeps activated stream alive until stream completes */
+    aws_atomic_fetch_add(&stream->refcount, 1);
+
     if (!was_cross_thread_work_scheduled) {
         CONNECTION_LOG(TRACE, connection, "Scheduling cross-thread work task");
         aws_channel_schedule_task_now(connection->base.channel_slot->channel, &connection->cross_thread_work_task);
@@ -1708,7 +1714,7 @@ static struct aws_http_stream *s_connection_make_request(
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    int new_stream_error_code = (int)aws_atomic_load_int(&connection->synced_data.new_stream_error_code);
+    int new_stream_error_code = (int)aws_atomic_load_int(&connection->atomic.new_stream_error_code);
     if (new_stream_error_code) {
         aws_raise_error(new_stream_error_code);
         CONNECTION_LOGF(
@@ -1731,7 +1737,7 @@ static struct aws_http_stream *s_connection_make_request(
 
 static bool s_connection_is_open(const struct aws_http_connection *connection_base) {
     struct aws_h2_connection *connection = AWS_CONTAINER_OF(connection_base, struct aws_h2_connection, base);
-    bool is_open = aws_atomic_load_int(&connection->synced_data.is_open);
+    bool is_open = aws_atomic_load_int(&connection->atomic.is_open);
     return is_open;
 }