diff --git a/src/core/transport/chttp2_transport.c b/src/core/transport/chttp2_transport.c
index 21ffd2abf04..2d3d720f2a3 100644
--- a/src/core/transport/chttp2_transport.c
+++ b/src/core/transport/chttp2_transport.c
@@ -423,8 +423,7 @@ static void destroy_stream(grpc_transport *gt, grpc_stream *gs) {
   gpr_mu_unlock(&t->mu);
 
   for (i = 0; i < STREAM_LIST_COUNT; i++) {
-    GPR_ASSERT(s->links[i].next == NULL);
-    GPR_ASSERT(s->links[i].prev == NULL);
+    GPR_ASSERT(!s->included[i]);
   }
 
   GPR_ASSERT(s->global.outgoing_sopb == NULL);
@@ -483,26 +482,16 @@ static void lock(grpc_chttp2_transport *t) { gpr_mu_lock(&t->mu); }
 static void unlock(grpc_chttp2_transport *t) {
   grpc_iomgr_closure *run_closures;
 
+  unlock_check_read_write_state(t);
   if (!t->writing_active && t->global.error_state == GRPC_CHTTP2_ERROR_STATE_NONE &&
       grpc_chttp2_unlocking_check_writes(&t->global, &t->writing)) {
     t->writing_active = 1;
     REF_TRANSPORT(t, "writing");
     grpc_chttp2_schedule_closure(&t->global, &t->writing_action, 1);
   }
-  unlock_check_read_write_state(t);
   /* unlock_check_parser(t); */
   unlock_check_channel_callbacks(t);
 
-  if (!t->parsing_active) {
-    size_t new_stream_count =
-        grpc_chttp2_stream_map_size(&t->parsing_stream_map) +
-        grpc_chttp2_stream_map_size(&t->new_stream_map);
-    if (new_stream_count != t->global.concurrent_stream_count) {
-      t->global.concurrent_stream_count = new_stream_count;
-      maybe_start_some_streams(&t->global);
-    }
-  }
-
   run_closures = t->global.pending_closures;
   t->global.pending_closures = NULL;
 
@@ -734,6 +723,7 @@ static grpc_stream_state compute_state(gpr_uint8 write_closed,
 }
 
 static void remove_stream(grpc_chttp2_transport *t, gpr_uint32 id) {
+  size_t new_stream_count;
   grpc_chttp2_stream *s =
       grpc_chttp2_stream_map_delete(&t->parsing_stream_map, id);
   if (!s) {
@@ -745,6 +735,14 @@ static void remove_stream(grpc_chttp2_transport *t, gpr_uint32 id) {
     t->parsing.incoming_stream = NULL;
     grpc_chttp2_parsing_become_skip_parser(&t->parsing);
   }
+
+  new_stream_count =
+      grpc_chttp2_stream_map_size(&t->parsing_stream_map) +
+      grpc_chttp2_stream_map_size(&t->new_stream_map);
+  if (new_stream_count != t->global.concurrent_stream_count) {
+    t->global.concurrent_stream_count = new_stream_count;
+    maybe_start_some_streams(&t->global);
+  }
 }
 
 static void unlock_check_read_write_state(grpc_chttp2_transport *t) {
@@ -752,10 +750,10 @@ static void unlock_check_read_write_state(grpc_chttp2_transport *t) {
   grpc_chttp2_stream_global *stream_global;
   grpc_stream_state state;
 
-  /* if a stream is in the stream map, and gets cancelled, we need to ensure
-     we are not parsing before continuing the cancellation to keep things in
-     a sane state */
   if (!t->parsing_active) {
+    /* if a stream is in the stream map, and gets cancelled, we need to ensure
+       we are not parsing before continuing the cancellation to keep things in
+       a sane state */
     while (grpc_chttp2_list_pop_closed_waiting_for_parsing(transport_global,
                                                            &stream_global)) {
       GPR_ASSERT(stream_global->in_stream_map);
@@ -1017,6 +1015,7 @@ static void recv_data(void *tp, gpr_slice *slices, size_t nslices,
         /* merge stream lists */
         grpc_chttp2_stream_map_move_into(&t->new_stream_map,
                                          &t->parsing_stream_map);
+        t->global.concurrent_stream_count = grpc_chttp2_stream_map_size(&t->parsing_stream_map);
         /* handle higher level things */
         grpc_chttp2_publish_reads(&t->global, &t->parsing);
         t->parsing_active = 0;