diff --git a/src/core/lib/surface/call.c b/src/core/lib/surface/call.c
index 3352e427cd2..c7631c7d328 100644
--- a/src/core/lib/surface/call.c
+++ b/src/core/lib/surface/call.c
@@ -142,8 +142,6 @@ struct grpc_call {
   bool destroy_called;
   /** flag indicating that cancellation is inherited */
   bool cancellation_is_inherited;
-  /** bitmask of live batches */
-  uint8_t used_batches;
   /** which ops are in-flight */
   bool sent_initial_metadata;
   bool sending_message;
@@ -991,25 +989,23 @@ static bool are_initial_metadata_flags_valid(uint32_t flags, bool is_client) {
   return !(flags & invalid_positions);
 }
 
-static batch_control *allocate_batch_control(grpc_call *call) {
-  size_t i;
-  for (i = 0; i < MAX_CONCURRENT_BATCHES; i++) {
-    if ((call->used_batches & (1 << i)) == 0) {
-      call->used_batches = (uint8_t)(call->used_batches | (uint8_t)(1 << i));
-      return &call->active_batches[i];
-    }
+static int batch_slot_for_op(grpc_op_type type) { return (int)type; }
+
+static batch_control *allocate_batch_control(grpc_call *call,
+                                             const grpc_op *ops,
+                                             size_t num_ops) {
+  int slot = batch_slot_for_op(ops[0].op);
+  for (size_t i = 1; i < num_ops; i++) {
+    int op_slot = batch_slot_for_op(ops[i].op);
+    slot = GPR_MIN(slot, op_slot);
   }
-  return NULL;
+  return &call->active_batches[slot];
 }
 
 static void finish_batch_completion(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *user_data,
                                     grpc_cq_completion *storage) {
   batch_control *bctl = user_data;
   grpc_call *call = bctl->call;
-  gpr_mu_lock(&call->mu);
-  call->used_batches = (uint8_t)(
-      call->used_batches & ~(uint8_t)(1 << (bctl - call->active_batches)));
-  gpr_mu_unlock(&call->mu);
   GRPC_CALL_INTERNAL_UNREF(exec_ctx, call, "completion");
 }
 
@@ -1093,11 +1089,6 @@ static void post_batch_completion(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
   if (bctl->is_notify_tag_closure) {
     /* unrefs bctl->error */
     grpc_closure_run(exec_ctx, bctl->notify_tag, error);
-    gpr_mu_lock(&call->mu);
-    bctl->call->used_batches =
-        (uint8_t)(bctl->call->used_batches &
-                  ~(uint8_t)(1 << (bctl - bctl->call->active_batches)));
-    gpr_mu_unlock(&call->mu);
     GRPC_CALL_INTERNAL_UNREF(exec_ctx, call, "completion");
   } else {
     /* unrefs bctl->error */
@@ -1309,6 +1300,11 @@ static void finish_batch(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *bctlp,
   finish_batch_step(exec_ctx, bctl);
 }
 
+static void free_no_op_completion(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *p,
+                                  grpc_cq_completion *completion) {
+  gpr_free(completion);
+}
+
 static grpc_call_error call_start_batch(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
                                         grpc_call *call, const grpc_op *ops,
                                         size_t nops, void *notify_tag,
@@ -1323,32 +1319,31 @@ static grpc_call_error call_start_batch(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
   grpc_metadata compression_md;
 
   GPR_TIMER_BEGIN("grpc_call_start_batch", 0);
-
   GRPC_CALL_LOG_BATCH(GPR_INFO, call, ops, nops, notify_tag);
 
+  if (nops == 0) {
+    if (!is_notify_tag_closure) {
+      grpc_cq_begin_op(call->cq, notify_tag);
+      grpc_cq_end_op(exec_ctx, call->cq, notify_tag, GRPC_ERROR_NONE,
+                     free_no_op_completion, NULL,
+                     gpr_malloc(sizeof(grpc_cq_completion)));
+    }
+    error = GRPC_CALL_OK;
+    goto done;
+  }
+
   /* TODO(ctiller): this feels like it could be made lock-free */
-  gpr_mu_lock(&call->mu);
-  bctl = allocate_batch_control(call);
+  bctl = allocate_batch_control(call, ops, nops);
   memset(bctl, 0, sizeof(*bctl));
   bctl->call = call;
   bctl->notify_tag = notify_tag;
   bctl->is_notify_tag_closure = (uint8_t)(is_notify_tag_closure != 0);
 
+  gpr_mu_lock(&call->mu);
   grpc_transport_stream_op *stream_op = &bctl->op;
   memset(stream_op, 0, sizeof(*stream_op));
   stream_op->covered_by_poller = true;
 
-  if (nops == 0) {
-    GRPC_CALL_INTERNAL_REF(call, "completion");
-    if (!is_notify_tag_closure) {
-      grpc_cq_begin_op(call->cq, notify_tag);
-    }
-    gpr_mu_unlock(&call->mu);
-    post_batch_completion(exec_ctx, bctl);
-    error = GRPC_CALL_OK;
-    goto done;
-  }
-
   /* rewrite batch ops into a transport op */
   for (i = 0; i < nops; i++) {
     op = &ops[i];