diff --git a/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/chttp2_transport.c b/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/chttp2_transport.c
index 56dd87c1cd6..57da5c5c1ea 100644
--- a/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/chttp2_transport.c
+++ b/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/chttp2_transport.c
@@ -2189,7 +2189,7 @@ static void destructive_reclaimer_locked(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *arg,
                                            GRPC_ERROR_INT_HTTP2_ERROR,
                                            GRPC_CHTTP2_ENHANCE_YOUR_CALM));
     if (n > 1) {
-      /* Since we cancel one stream per destructive reclaimation, if
+      /* Since we cancel one stream per destructive reclamation, if
          there are more streams left, we can immediately post a new
          reclaimer in case the resource quota needs to free more
          memory */
diff --git a/src/core/lib/iomgr/resource_quota.c b/src/core/lib/iomgr/resource_quota.c
index 4f0d16ca7ee..bfc905845d6 100644
--- a/src/core/lib/iomgr/resource_quota.c
+++ b/src/core/lib/iomgr/resource_quota.c
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ static void rulist_add_head(grpc_resource_user *resource_user,
     resource_user->links[list].prev = (*root)->links[list].prev;
     resource_user->links[list].next->links[list].prev =
         resource_user->links[list].prev->links[list].next = resource_user;
+    *root = resource_user;
   }
 }
 
@@ -105,7 +106,6 @@ static void rulist_add_tail(grpc_resource_user *resource_user,
     resource_user->links[list].prev = *root;
     resource_user->links[list].next->links[list].prev =
         resource_user->links[list].prev->links[list].next = resource_user;
-    *root = resource_user;
   }
 }
 
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ static bool rulist_empty(grpc_resource_quota *resource_quota,
   return resource_quota->roots[list] == NULL;
 }
 
-static grpc_resource_user *rulist_pop_tail(grpc_resource_quota *resource_quota,
+static grpc_resource_user *rulist_pop_head(grpc_resource_quota *resource_quota,
                                            grpc_rulist list) {
   grpc_resource_user **root = &resource_quota->roots[list];
   grpc_resource_user *resource_user = *root;
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ static void rq_step_sched(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
 static bool rq_alloc(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
                      grpc_resource_quota *resource_quota) {
   grpc_resource_user *resource_user;
-  while ((resource_user = rulist_pop_tail(resource_quota,
+  while ((resource_user = rulist_pop_head(resource_quota,
                                           GRPC_RULIST_AWAITING_ALLOCATION))) {
     gpr_mu_lock(&resource_user->mu);
     if (resource_user->free_pool < 0 &&
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ static bool rq_alloc(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
       grpc_exec_ctx_enqueue_list(exec_ctx, &resource_user->on_allocated, NULL);
       gpr_mu_unlock(&resource_user->mu);
     } else {
-      rulist_add_tail(resource_user, GRPC_RULIST_AWAITING_ALLOCATION);
+      rulist_add_head(resource_user, GRPC_RULIST_AWAITING_ALLOCATION);
       gpr_mu_unlock(&resource_user->mu);
       return false;
     }
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ static bool rq_alloc(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
 static bool rq_reclaim_from_per_user_free_pool(
     grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, grpc_resource_quota *resource_quota) {
   grpc_resource_user *resource_user;
-  while ((resource_user = rulist_pop_tail(resource_quota,
+  while ((resource_user = rulist_pop_head(resource_quota,
                                           GRPC_RULIST_NON_EMPTY_FREE_POOL))) {
     gpr_mu_lock(&resource_user->mu);
     if (resource_user->free_pool > 0) {
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ static bool rq_reclaim(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
   if (resource_quota->reclaiming) return true;
   grpc_rulist list = destructive ? GRPC_RULIST_RECLAIMER_DESTRUCTIVE
                                  : GRPC_RULIST_RECLAIMER_BENIGN;
-  grpc_resource_user *resource_user = rulist_pop_tail(resource_quota, list);
+  grpc_resource_user *resource_user = rulist_pop_head(resource_quota, list);
   if (resource_user == NULL) return false;
   if (grpc_resource_quota_trace) {
     gpr_log(GPR_DEBUG, "RQ %s %s: initiate %s reclamation",
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ static void ru_allocate(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *ru, grpc_error *error) {
                    GRPC_RULIST_AWAITING_ALLOCATION)) {
     rq_step_sched(exec_ctx, resource_user->resource_quota);
   }
-  rulist_add_head(resource_user, GRPC_RULIST_AWAITING_ALLOCATION);
+  rulist_add_tail(resource_user, GRPC_RULIST_AWAITING_ALLOCATION);
 }
 
 static void ru_add_to_free_pool(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *ru,
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ static void ru_add_to_free_pool(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *ru,
                    GRPC_RULIST_NON_EMPTY_FREE_POOL)) {
     rq_step_sched(exec_ctx, resource_user->resource_quota);
   }
-  rulist_add_head(resource_user, GRPC_RULIST_NON_EMPTY_FREE_POOL);
+  rulist_add_tail(resource_user, GRPC_RULIST_NON_EMPTY_FREE_POOL);
 }
 
 static void ru_post_benign_reclaimer(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *ru,
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ static void ru_post_benign_reclaimer(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *ru,
                    GRPC_RULIST_RECLAIMER_BENIGN)) {
     rq_step_sched(exec_ctx, resource_user->resource_quota);
   }
-  rulist_add_head(resource_user, GRPC_RULIST_RECLAIMER_BENIGN);
+  rulist_add_tail(resource_user, GRPC_RULIST_RECLAIMER_BENIGN);
 }
 
 static void ru_post_destructive_reclaimer(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *ru,
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ static void ru_post_destructive_reclaimer(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *ru,
                    GRPC_RULIST_RECLAIMER_DESTRUCTIVE)) {
     rq_step_sched(exec_ctx, resource_user->resource_quota);
   }
-  rulist_add_head(resource_user, GRPC_RULIST_RECLAIMER_DESTRUCTIVE);
+  rulist_add_tail(resource_user, GRPC_RULIST_RECLAIMER_DESTRUCTIVE);
 }
 
 static void ru_destroy(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *ru, grpc_error *error) {
@@ -563,9 +563,6 @@ void grpc_resource_user_init(grpc_resource_user *resource_user,
   for (int i = 0; i < GRPC_RULIST_COUNT; i++) {
     resource_user->links[i].next = resource_user->links[i].prev = NULL;
   }
-#ifndef NDEBUG
-  resource_user->asan_canary = gpr_malloc(1);
-#endif
   if (name != NULL) {
     resource_user->name = gpr_strdup(name);
   } else {
@@ -592,9 +589,6 @@ void grpc_resource_user_shutdown(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
 
 void grpc_resource_user_destroy(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
                                 grpc_resource_user *resource_user) {
-#ifndef NDEBUG
-  gpr_free(resource_user->asan_canary);
-#endif
   grpc_resource_quota_internal_unref(exec_ctx, resource_user->resource_quota);
   gpr_mu_destroy(&resource_user->mu);
   gpr_free(resource_user->name);
diff --git a/src/core/lib/iomgr/resource_quota.h b/src/core/lib/iomgr/resource_quota.h
index c15cb68310b..6dfac55f88c 100644
--- a/src/core/lib/iomgr/resource_quota.h
+++ b/src/core/lib/iomgr/resource_quota.h
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@
     resource constrained, grpc_resource_user instances are asked (in turn) to
     free up whatever they can so that the system as a whole can make progress.
 
-    There are three kinds of reclamation that take place:
+    There are three kinds of reclamation that take place, in order of increasing
+    invasiveness:
     - an internal reclamation, where cached resource at the resource user level
       is returned to the quota
     - a benign reclamation phase, whereby resources that are in use but are not
@@ -58,9 +59,14 @@
       make progress may be enacted so that at least one part of the system can
       complete.
 
-    These reclamations are tried in priority order, and only one reclamation
-    is outstanding for a quota at any given time (meaning that if a destructive
-    reclamation makes progress, we may follow up with a benign reclamation).
+    Only one reclamation will be outstanding for a given quota at a given time.
+    On each reclamation attempt, the kinds of reclamation are tried in order of
+    increasing invasiveness, stopping at the first one that succeeds. Thus, on a
+    given reclamation attempt, if internal and benign reclamation both fail, it
+    will wind up doing a destructive reclamation. However, the next reclamation
+    attempt may then be able to get what it needs via internal or benign
+    reclamation, due to resources that may have been freed up by the destructive
+    reclamation in the previous attempt.
 
     Future work will be to expose the current resource pressure so that back
     pressure can be applied to avoid reclamation phases starting.
@@ -112,11 +118,6 @@ struct grpc_resource_user {
      lock */
   grpc_closure add_to_free_pool_closure;
 
-#ifndef NDEBUG
-  /* Canary object to detect leaked resource users with ASAN */
-  void *asan_canary;
-#endif
-
   gpr_mu mu;
   /* Total allocated memory outstanding by this resource user in bytes;
      always positive */
diff --git a/test/core/end2end/tests/resource_quota_server.c b/test/core/end2end/tests/resource_quota_server.c
index 6170444373c..f594db3fbb8 100644
--- a/test/core/end2end/tests/resource_quota_server.c
+++ b/test/core/end2end/tests/resource_quota_server.c
@@ -339,9 +339,8 @@ void resource_quota_server(grpc_end2end_test_config config) {
       "Done. %d total calls: %d cancelled at server, %d cancelled at client.",
       NUM_CALLS, cancelled_calls_on_server, cancelled_calls_on_client);
 
-  /* The server call may be cancelled after it's received it's status, but
-   * before the client does: this means that we should see strictly more
-   * failures on the client than on the server */
+  /* The call may be cancelled after the server has sent its status but before
+   * the client has received it. */
   GPR_ASSERT(cancelled_calls_on_client >= cancelled_calls_on_server);
   /* However, we shouldn't see radically more... 0.9 is a guessed bound on what
    * we'd want that ratio to be... to at least trigger some investigation should
diff --git a/test/core/iomgr/resource_quota_test.c b/test/core/iomgr/resource_quota_test.c
index 5e2f9f8359f..34dee1aee19 100644
--- a/test/core/iomgr/resource_quota_test.c
+++ b/test/core/iomgr/resource_quota_test.c
@@ -553,9 +553,13 @@ static void test_resource_user_stays_allocated_until_memory_released(void) {
 static void
 test_resource_user_stays_allocated_and_reclaimers_unrun_until_memory_released(
     void) {
-  gpr_log(GPR_INFO, "** test_pools_merged_on_resource_user_deletion **");
-  grpc_resource_quota *q =
-      grpc_resource_quota_create("test_pools_merged_on_resource_user_deletion");
+  gpr_log(GPR_INFO,
+          "** "
+          "test_resource_user_stays_allocated_and_reclaimers_unrun_until_"
+          "memory_released **");
+  grpc_resource_quota *q = grpc_resource_quota_create(
+      "test_resource_user_stays_allocated_and_reclaimers_unrun_until_memory_"
+      "released");
   grpc_resource_quota_resize(q, 1024);
   for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
     grpc_resource_user usr;