diff --git a/src/core/ext/transport/inproc/inproc_transport.cc b/src/core/ext/transport/inproc/inproc_transport.cc
index 1271e79abf7..7b24347c073 100644
--- a/src/core/ext/transport/inproc/inproc_transport.cc
+++ b/src/core/ext/transport/inproc/inproc_transport.cc
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@ grpc_slice g_fake_auth_value;
 
 struct inproc_stream;
 bool cancel_stream_locked(inproc_stream* s, grpc_error* error);
-void op_state_machine(void* arg, grpc_error* error);
+void maybe_process_ops_locked(inproc_stream* s, grpc_error* error);
+void op_state_machine_locked(inproc_stream* s, grpc_error* error);
 void log_metadata(const grpc_metadata_batch* md_batch, bool is_client,
                   bool is_initial);
 grpc_error* fill_in_metadata(inproc_stream* s,
@@ -130,8 +131,6 @@ struct inproc_stream {
 
     grpc_metadata_batch_init(&to_read_initial_md);
     grpc_metadata_batch_init(&to_read_trailing_md);
-    GRPC_CLOSURE_INIT(&op_closure, op_state_machine, this,
-                      grpc_schedule_on_exec_ctx);
     grpc_metadata_batch_init(&write_buffer_initial_md);
     grpc_metadata_batch_init(&write_buffer_trailing_md);
 
@@ -186,6 +185,7 @@ struct inproc_stream {
       if (cs->write_buffer_cancel_error != GRPC_ERROR_NONE) {
         cancel_other_error = cs->write_buffer_cancel_error;
         cs->write_buffer_cancel_error = GRPC_ERROR_NONE;
+        maybe_process_ops_locked(this, cancel_other_error);
       }
 
       gpr_mu_unlock(&t->mu->mu);
@@ -235,8 +235,6 @@ struct inproc_stream {
   grpc_metadata_batch to_read_trailing_md;
   bool to_read_trailing_md_filled = false;
   bool ops_needed = false;
-  bool op_closure_scheduled = false;
-  grpc_closure op_closure;
   // Write buffer used only during gap at init time when client-side
   // stream is set up but server side stream is not yet set up
   grpc_metadata_batch write_buffer_initial_md;
@@ -396,12 +394,10 @@ void complete_if_batch_end_locked(inproc_stream* s, grpc_error* error,
   }
 }
 
-void maybe_schedule_op_closure_locked(inproc_stream* s, grpc_error* error) {
-  if (s && s->ops_needed && !s->op_closure_scheduled) {
-    grpc_core::ExecCtx::Run(DEBUG_LOCATION, &s->op_closure,
-                            GRPC_ERROR_REF(error));
-    s->op_closure_scheduled = true;
+void maybe_process_ops_locked(inproc_stream* s, grpc_error* error) {
+  if (s && (error != GRPC_ERROR_NONE || s->ops_needed)) {
     s->ops_needed = false;
+    op_state_machine_locked(s, error);
   }
 }
 
@@ -429,7 +425,7 @@ void fail_helper_locked(inproc_stream* s, grpc_error* error) {
       if (other->cancel_other_error == GRPC_ERROR_NONE) {
         other->cancel_other_error = GRPC_ERROR_REF(error);
       }
-      maybe_schedule_op_closure_locked(other, error);
+      maybe_process_ops_locked(other, error);
     } else if (s->write_buffer_cancel_error == GRPC_ERROR_NONE) {
       s->write_buffer_cancel_error = GRPC_ERROR_REF(error);
     }
@@ -587,23 +583,17 @@ void message_transfer_locked(inproc_stream* sender, inproc_stream* receiver) {
   sender->send_message_op = nullptr;
 }
 
-void op_state_machine(void* arg, grpc_error* error) {
+void op_state_machine_locked(inproc_stream* s, grpc_error* error) {
   // This function gets called when we have contents in the unprocessed reads
   // Get what we want based on our ops wanted
   // Schedule our appropriate closures
   // and then return to ops_needed state if still needed
 
-  // Since this is a closure directly invoked by the combiner, it should not
-  // unref the error parameter explicitly; the combiner will do that implicitly
   grpc_error* new_err = GRPC_ERROR_NONE;
 
   bool needs_close = false;
 
-  INPROC_LOG(GPR_INFO, "op_state_machine %p", arg);
-  inproc_stream* s = static_cast<inproc_stream*>(arg);
-  gpr_mu* mu = &s->t->mu->mu;  // keep aside in case s gets closed
-  gpr_mu_lock(mu);
-  s->op_closure_scheduled = false;
+  INPROC_LOG(GPR_INFO, "op_state_machine %p", s);
   // cancellation takes precedence
   inproc_stream* other = s->other_side;
 
@@ -621,7 +611,7 @@ void op_state_machine(void* arg, grpc_error* error) {
   if (s->send_message_op && other) {
     if (other->recv_message_op) {
       message_transfer_locked(s, other);
-      maybe_schedule_op_closure_locked(other, GRPC_ERROR_NONE);
+      maybe_process_ops_locked(other, GRPC_ERROR_NONE);
     } else if (!s->t->is_client && s->trailing_md_sent) {
       // A server send will never be matched if the server already sent status
       s->send_message_op->payload->send_message.send_message.reset();
@@ -679,7 +669,7 @@ void op_state_machine(void* arg, grpc_error* error) {
         needs_close = true;
       }
     }
-    maybe_schedule_op_closure_locked(other, GRPC_ERROR_NONE);
+    maybe_process_ops_locked(other, GRPC_ERROR_NONE);
     complete_if_batch_end_locked(
         s, GRPC_ERROR_NONE, s->send_trailing_md_op,
         "op_state_machine scheduling send-trailing-metadata-on-complete");
@@ -741,7 +731,7 @@ void op_state_machine(void* arg, grpc_error* error) {
   if (s->recv_message_op) {
     if (other && other->send_message_op) {
       message_transfer_locked(other, s);
-      maybe_schedule_op_closure_locked(other, GRPC_ERROR_NONE);
+      maybe_process_ops_locked(other, GRPC_ERROR_NONE);
     }
   }
   if (s->to_read_trailing_md_filled) {
@@ -808,7 +798,7 @@ void op_state_machine(void* arg, grpc_error* error) {
                                 s->recv_trailing_md_op->on_complete,
                                 GRPC_ERROR_REF(new_err));
         s->recv_trailing_md_op = nullptr;
-        needs_close = true;
+        needs_close = s->trailing_md_sent;
       } else {
         INPROC_LOG(GPR_INFO,
                    "op_state_machine %p server needs to delay handling "
@@ -860,7 +850,6 @@ done:
     close_other_side_locked(s, "op_state_machine");
     close_stream_locked(s);
   }
-  gpr_mu_unlock(mu);
   GRPC_ERROR_UNREF(new_err);
 }
 
@@ -870,7 +859,9 @@ bool cancel_stream_locked(inproc_stream* s, grpc_error* error) {
   if (s->cancel_self_error == GRPC_ERROR_NONE) {
     ret = true;
     s->cancel_self_error = GRPC_ERROR_REF(error);
-    maybe_schedule_op_closure_locked(s, s->cancel_self_error);
+    // Catch current value of other before it gets closed off
+    inproc_stream* other = s->other_side;
+    maybe_process_ops_locked(s, s->cancel_self_error);
     // Send trailing md to the other side indicating cancellation, even if we
     // already have
     s->trailing_md_sent = true;
@@ -878,7 +869,6 @@ bool cancel_stream_locked(inproc_stream* s, grpc_error* error) {
     grpc_metadata_batch cancel_md;
     grpc_metadata_batch_init(&cancel_md);
 
-    inproc_stream* other = s->other_side;
     grpc_metadata_batch* dest = (other == nullptr)
                                     ? &s->write_buffer_trailing_md
                                     : &other->to_read_trailing_md;
@@ -891,7 +881,7 @@ bool cancel_stream_locked(inproc_stream* s, grpc_error* error) {
       if (other->cancel_other_error == GRPC_ERROR_NONE) {
         other->cancel_other_error = GRPC_ERROR_REF(s->cancel_self_error);
       }
-      maybe_schedule_op_closure_locked(other, other->cancel_other_error);
+      maybe_process_ops_locked(other, other->cancel_other_error);
     } else if (s->write_buffer_cancel_error == GRPC_ERROR_NONE) {
       s->write_buffer_cancel_error = GRPC_ERROR_REF(s->cancel_self_error);
     }
@@ -969,8 +959,6 @@ void perform_stream_op(grpc_transport* gt, grpc_stream* gs,
                op->recv_trailing_metadata ? " recv_trailing_metadata" : "");
   }
 
-  bool needs_close = false;
-
   inproc_stream* other = s->other_side;
   if (error == GRPC_ERROR_NONE &&
       (op->send_initial_metadata || op->send_trailing_metadata)) {
@@ -991,7 +979,7 @@ void perform_stream_op(grpc_transport* gt, grpc_stream* gs,
         INPROC_LOG(GPR_INFO, "Extra initial metadata %p", s);
         error = GRPC_ERROR_CREATE_FROM_STATIC_STRING("Extra initial metadata");
       } else {
-        if (!other || !other->closed) {
+        if (!s->other_side_closed) {
           fill_in_metadata(
               s, op->payload->send_initial_metadata.send_initial_metadata,
               op->payload->send_initial_metadata.send_initial_metadata_flags,
@@ -1005,7 +993,7 @@ void perform_stream_op(grpc_transport* gt, grpc_stream* gs,
           s->initial_md_sent = true;
         }
       }
-      maybe_schedule_op_closure_locked(other, error);
+      maybe_process_ops_locked(other, error);
     }
   }
 
@@ -1013,7 +1001,7 @@ void perform_stream_op(grpc_transport* gt, grpc_stream* gs,
       (op->send_message || op->send_trailing_metadata ||
        op->recv_initial_metadata || op->recv_message ||
        op->recv_trailing_metadata)) {
-    // Mark ops that need to be processed by the closure
+    // Mark ops that need to be processed by the state machine
     if (op->send_message) {
       s->send_message_op = op;
     }
@@ -1030,7 +1018,7 @@ void perform_stream_op(grpc_transport* gt, grpc_stream* gs,
       s->recv_trailing_md_op = op;
     }
 
-    // We want to initiate the closure if:
+    // We want to initiate the state machine if:
     // 1. We want to send a message and the other side wants to receive
     // 2. We want to send trailing metadata and there isn't an unmatched send
     //    or the other side wants trailing metadata
@@ -1044,11 +1032,7 @@ void perform_stream_op(grpc_transport* gt, grpc_stream* gs,
         (op->recv_initial_metadata && s->to_read_initial_md_filled) ||
         (op->recv_message && other && other->send_message_op != nullptr) ||
         (s->to_read_trailing_md_filled || s->trailing_md_recvd)) {
-      if (!s->op_closure_scheduled) {
-        grpc_core::ExecCtx::Run(DEBUG_LOCATION, &s->op_closure,
-                                GRPC_ERROR_NONE);
-        s->op_closure_scheduled = true;
-      }
+      op_state_machine_locked(s, error);
     } else {
       s->ops_needed = true;
     }
@@ -1103,10 +1087,6 @@ void perform_stream_op(grpc_transport* gt, grpc_stream* gs,
                error);
     grpc_core::ExecCtx::Run(DEBUG_LOCATION, on_complete, GRPC_ERROR_REF(error));
   }
-  if (needs_close) {
-    close_other_side_locked(s, "perform_stream_op:other_side");
-    close_stream_locked(s);
-  }
   gpr_mu_unlock(mu);
   GRPC_ERROR_UNREF(error);
 }