diff --git a/include/ProxySQL_Poll.h b/include/ProxySQL_Poll.h
index 5cfa3d1a4..8fc08063c 100644
--- a/include/ProxySQL_Poll.h
+++ b/include/ProxySQL_Poll.h
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ class ProxySQL_Poll {
 	MySQL_Data_Stream **myds;
 	unsigned long long *last_recv;
 	unsigned long long *last_sent;
-	std::atomic<bool> bootstrapping_listeners;
 	volatile int pending_listener_add;
 	volatile int pending_listener_del;
 	unsigned int poll_timeout;
diff --git a/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp b/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp
index e90361213..4da5d9750 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp
@@ -3303,15 +3303,11 @@ void MySQL_Thread::run_BootstrapListener() {
 		if (n) {
 			poll_listener_add(n);
 			assert(__sync_bool_compare_and_swap(&mypolls.pending_listener_add,n,0));
-		} else {
-			if (GloMTH->bootstrapping_listeners == false) {
-				// we stop looping
-				mypolls.bootstrapping_listeners = false;
-			}
 		}
-#ifdef DEBUG
-		usleep(5+rand()%10);
-#endif
+		// The delay for the active-wait is a fraction of 'poll_timeout'. Since other
+		// threads may be waiting on poll for further operations, checks are meaningless
+		// until that timeout expires (other workers make progress).
+		usleep(std::min(std::max(mysql_thread___poll_timeout/20, 10000), 40000) + (rand() % 2000));
 	}
 }
 
@@ -3432,9 +3428,7 @@ void MySQL_Thread::run() {
 #endif // IDLE_THREADS
 
 		pthread_mutex_unlock(&thread_mutex);
-		if (unlikely(mypolls.bootstrapping_listeners == true)) {
-			run_BootstrapListener();
-		}
+		run_BootstrapListener();
 
 		// flush mysql log file
 		GloMyLogger->flush();
diff --git a/lib/ProxySQL_Poll.cpp b/lib/ProxySQL_Poll.cpp
index 8876e5f37..f6fa32b24 100644
--- a/lib/ProxySQL_Poll.cpp
+++ b/lib/ProxySQL_Poll.cpp
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ ProxySQL_Poll::ProxySQL_Poll() {
 	len=0;
 	pending_listener_add=0;
 	pending_listener_del=0;
-	bootstrapping_listeners = true;
 	size=MIN_POLL_LEN;
 	fds=(struct pollfd *)malloc(size*sizeof(struct pollfd));
 	myds=(MySQL_Data_Stream **)malloc(size*sizeof(MySQL_Data_Stream *));