diff --git a/src/core/surface/completion_queue.c b/src/core/surface/completion_queue.c
index de295ab9410..0a80680f02e 100644
--- a/src/core/surface/completion_queue.c
+++ b/src/core/surface/completion_queue.c
@@ -333,10 +333,10 @@ grpc_event grpc_completion_queue_next(grpc_completion_queue *cc,
       gpr_mu_unlock(GRPC_POLLSET_MU(&cc->pollset));
       grpc_exec_ctx_flush(&exec_ctx);
       gpr_mu_lock(GRPC_POLLSET_MU(&cc->pollset));
-      continue;
+    } else {
+      grpc_pollset_work(&exec_ctx, &cc->pollset, &worker, now,
+                        iteration_deadline);
     }
-    grpc_pollset_work(&exec_ctx, &cc->pollset, &worker, now,
-                      iteration_deadline);
   }
   GRPC_SURFACE_TRACE_RETURNED_EVENT(cc, &ret);
   GRPC_CQ_INTERNAL_UNREF(cc, "next");
@@ -450,10 +450,10 @@ grpc_event grpc_completion_queue_pluck(grpc_completion_queue *cc, void *tag,
       gpr_mu_unlock(GRPC_POLLSET_MU(&cc->pollset));
       grpc_exec_ctx_flush(&exec_ctx);
       gpr_mu_lock(GRPC_POLLSET_MU(&cc->pollset));
-      continue;
+    } else {
+      grpc_pollset_work(&exec_ctx, &cc->pollset, &worker, now,
+                        iteration_deadline);
     }
-    grpc_pollset_work(&exec_ctx, &cc->pollset, &worker, now,
-                      iteration_deadline);
     del_plucker(cc, tag, &worker);
   }
 done: