diff --git a/src/core/lib/iomgr/exec_ctx.h b/src/core/lib/iomgr/exec_ctx.h
index 84749053968..ac4674bbacb 100644
--- a/src/core/lib/iomgr/exec_ctx.h
+++ b/src/core/lib/iomgr/exec_ctx.h
@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@ struct grpc_exec_ctx {
   bool (*check_ready_to_finish)(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *arg);
 };
 
+/* initializer for grpc_exec_ctx:
+   prefer to use GRPC_EXEC_CTX_INIT whenever possible */
 #define GRPC_EXEC_CTX_INIT_WITH_FINISH_CHECK(finish_check, finish_check_arg) \
   {                                                                          \
     GRPC_CLOSURE_LIST_INIT, NULL, NULL, NULL, false, finish_check_arg,       \
@@ -90,8 +92,10 @@ struct grpc_exec_ctx {
   { false, finish_check_arg, finish_check }
 #endif
 
+/* initialize an execution context at the top level of an API call into grpc
+   (this is safe to use elsewhere, though possibly not as efficient) */
 #define GRPC_EXEC_CTX_INIT \
-  GRPC_EXEC_CTX_INIT_WITH_FINISH_CHECK(grpc_never_ready_to_finish, NULL)
+  GRPC_EXEC_CTX_INIT_WITH_FINISH_CHECK(grpc_always_ready_to_finish, NULL)
 
 /** Flush any work that has been enqueued onto this grpc_exec_ctx.
  *  Caller must guarantee that no interfering locks are held.
diff --git a/src/core/lib/surface/completion_queue.c b/src/core/lib/surface/completion_queue.c
index 5978884db83..9eb4dfc6188 100644
--- a/src/core/lib/surface/completion_queue.c
+++ b/src/core/lib/surface/completion_queue.c
@@ -313,13 +313,37 @@ void grpc_cq_end_op(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, grpc_completion_queue *cc,
   GRPC_ERROR_UNREF(error);
 }
 
+typedef struct {
+  grpc_completion_queue *cq;
+  gpr_timespec deadline;
+  grpc_cq_completion *stolen_completion;
+  void *tag; /* for pluck */
+} cq_is_finished_arg;
+
+static bool cq_is_next_finished(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *arg) {
+  cq_is_finished_arg *a = arg;
+  grpc_completion_queue *cq = a->cq;
+  GPR_ASSERT(a->stolen_completion == NULL);
+  gpr_mu_lock(cq->mu);
+  if (cq->completed_tail != &cq->completed_head) {
+    a->stolen_completion = (grpc_cq_completion *)cq->completed_head.next;
+    cq->completed_head.next = a->stolen_completion->next & ~(uintptr_t)1;
+    if (a->stolen_completion == cq->completed_tail) {
+      cq->completed_tail = &cq->completed_head;
+    }
+    gpr_mu_unlock(cq->mu);
+    return true;
+  }
+  gpr_mu_unlock(cq->mu);
+  return gpr_time_cmp(a->deadline, gpr_now(a->deadline.clock_type)) > 0;
+}
+
 grpc_event grpc_completion_queue_next(grpc_completion_queue *cc,
                                       gpr_timespec deadline, void *reserved) {
   grpc_event ret;
   grpc_pollset_worker *worker = NULL;
   int first_loop = 1;
   gpr_timespec now;
-  grpc_exec_ctx exec_ctx = GRPC_EXEC_CTX_INIT;
 
   GPR_TIMER_BEGIN("grpc_completion_queue_next", 0);
 
@@ -335,9 +359,23 @@ grpc_event grpc_completion_queue_next(grpc_completion_queue *cc,
 
   deadline = gpr_convert_clock_type(deadline, GPR_CLOCK_MONOTONIC);
 
+  cq_is_finished_arg is_finished_arg = {cc, deadline, NULL, NULL};
+  grpc_exec_ctx exec_ctx = GRPC_EXEC_CTX_INIT_WITH_FINISH_CHECK(
+      cq_is_next_finished, &is_finished_arg);
+
   GRPC_CQ_INTERNAL_REF(cc, "next");
   gpr_mu_lock(cc->mu);
   for (;;) {
+    if (is_finished_arg.stolen_completion != NULL) {
+      gpr_mu_unlock(cc->mu);
+      grpc_cq_completion *c = is_finished_arg.stolen_completion;
+      is_finished_arg.stolen_completion = NULL;
+      ret.type = GRPC_OP_COMPLETE;
+      ret.success = c->next & 1u;
+      ret.tag = c->tag;
+      c->done(&exec_ctx, c->done_arg, c);
+      break;
+    }
     if (cc->completed_tail != &cc->completed_head) {
       grpc_cq_completion *c = (grpc_cq_completion *)cc->completed_head.next;
       cc->completed_head.next = c->next & ~(uintptr_t)1;
@@ -394,6 +432,7 @@ grpc_event grpc_completion_queue_next(grpc_completion_queue *cc,
   GRPC_SURFACE_TRACE_RETURNED_EVENT(cc, &ret);
   GRPC_CQ_INTERNAL_UNREF(cc, "next");
   grpc_exec_ctx_finish(&exec_ctx);
+  GPR_ASSERT(is_finished_arg.stolen_completion == NULL);
 
   GPR_TIMER_END("grpc_completion_queue_next", 0);
 
@@ -424,6 +463,30 @@ static void del_plucker(grpc_completion_queue *cc, void *tag,
   GPR_UNREACHABLE_CODE(return );
 }
 
+static bool cq_is_pluck_finished(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *arg) {
+  cq_is_finished_arg *a = arg;
+  grpc_completion_queue *cq = a->cq;
+  GPR_ASSERT(a->stolen_completion == NULL);
+  gpr_mu_lock(cq->mu);
+  grpc_cq_completion *c;
+  grpc_cq_completion *prev = &cq->completed_head;
+  while ((c = (grpc_cq_completion *)(prev->next & ~(uintptr_t)1)) !=
+         &cq->completed_head) {
+    if (c->tag == a->tag) {
+      prev->next = (prev->next & (uintptr_t)1) | (c->next & ~(uintptr_t)1);
+      if (c == cq->completed_tail) {
+        cq->completed_tail = prev;
+      }
+      gpr_mu_unlock(cq->mu);
+      a->stolen_completion = c;
+      return true;
+    }
+    prev = c;
+  }
+  gpr_mu_unlock(cq->mu);
+  return gpr_time_cmp(a->deadline, gpr_now(a->deadline.clock_type)) > 0;
+}
+
 grpc_event grpc_completion_queue_pluck(grpc_completion_queue *cc, void *tag,
                                        gpr_timespec deadline, void *reserved) {
   grpc_event ret;
@@ -432,7 +495,6 @@ grpc_event grpc_completion_queue_pluck(grpc_completion_queue *cc, void *tag,
   grpc_pollset_worker *worker = NULL;
   gpr_timespec now;
   int first_loop = 1;
-  grpc_exec_ctx exec_ctx = GRPC_EXEC_CTX_INIT;
 
   GPR_TIMER_BEGIN("grpc_completion_queue_pluck", 0);
 
@@ -450,9 +512,23 @@ grpc_event grpc_completion_queue_pluck(grpc_completion_queue *cc, void *tag,
 
   deadline = gpr_convert_clock_type(deadline, GPR_CLOCK_MONOTONIC);
 
+  cq_is_finished_arg is_finished_arg = {cc, deadline, NULL, tag};
+  grpc_exec_ctx exec_ctx = GRPC_EXEC_CTX_INIT_WITH_FINISH_CHECK(
+      cq_is_pluck_finished, &is_finished_arg);
+
   GRPC_CQ_INTERNAL_REF(cc, "pluck");
   gpr_mu_lock(cc->mu);
   for (;;) {
+    if (is_finished_arg.stolen_completion != NULL) {
+      gpr_mu_unlock(cc->mu);
+      grpc_cq_completion *c = is_finished_arg.stolen_completion;
+      is_finished_arg.stolen_completion = NULL;
+      ret.type = GRPC_OP_COMPLETE;
+      ret.success = c->next & 1u;
+      ret.tag = c->tag;
+      c->done(&exec_ctx, c->done_arg, c);
+      break;
+    }
     prev = &cc->completed_head;
     while ((c = (grpc_cq_completion *)(prev->next & ~(uintptr_t)1)) !=
            &cc->completed_head) {
@@ -527,6 +603,7 @@ done:
   GRPC_SURFACE_TRACE_RETURNED_EVENT(cc, &ret);
   GRPC_CQ_INTERNAL_UNREF(cc, "pluck");
   grpc_exec_ctx_finish(&exec_ctx);
+  GPR_ASSERT(is_finished_arg.stolen_completion == NULL);
 
   GPR_TIMER_END("grpc_completion_queue_pluck", 0);