diff --git a/src/core/lib/iomgr/ev_epoll_thread_pool_linux.c b/src/core/lib/iomgr/ev_epoll_thread_pool_linux.c
index 055b31331d5..96e8000da4e 100644
--- a/src/core/lib/iomgr/ev_epoll_thread_pool_linux.c
+++ b/src/core/lib/iomgr/ev_epoll_thread_pool_linux.c
@@ -72,6 +72,11 @@ static int grpc_polling_trace = 0; /* Disabled by default */
     gpr_log(GPR_INFO, (fmt), __VA_ARGS__); \
   }
 
+/* The alarm system needs to be able to wakeup 'some poller' sometimes
+ * (specifically when a new alarm needs to be triggered earlier than the next
+ * alarm 'epoch'). This wakeup_fd gives us something to alert on when such a
+ * case occurs. */
+
 /* TODO: sreek: Right now, this wakes up all pollers. In future we should make
  * sure to wake up one polling thread (which can wake up other threads if
  * needed) */
@@ -87,15 +92,9 @@ struct grpc_fd {
   struct polling_island *pi;
 
   int fd;
-  /* refst format:
-       bit 0    : 1=Active / 0=Orphaned
-       bits 1-n : refcount
-     Ref/Unref by two to avoid altering the orphaned bit */
-  gpr_atm refst;
-
-  /* The fd is either closed or we relinquished control of it. In either
-     cases, this indicates that the 'fd' on this structure is no longer
-     valid */
+
+  /* The fd is either closed or we relinquished control of it. In either cases,
+     this indicates that the 'fd' on this structure is no longer valid */
   bool orphaned;
 
   gpr_atm read_closure;
@@ -182,9 +181,7 @@ struct grpc_pollset {
 /*******************************************************************************
  * Pollset-set Declarations
  */
-struct grpc_pollset_set {
-  void *no_op;
-};
+struct grpc_pollset_set {};
 
 /*****************************************************************************
  * Dedicated polling threads and pollsets - Declarations
@@ -521,57 +518,31 @@ static void polling_island_global_shutdown() {
  * becomes a spurious read notification on a reused fd.
  */
 
-/* The alarm system needs to be able to wakeup 'some poller' sometimes
- * (specifically when a new alarm needs to be triggered earlier than the next
- * alarm 'epoch'). This wakeup_fd gives us something to alert on when such a
- * case occurs. */
-
 static grpc_fd *fd_freelist = NULL;
 static gpr_mu fd_freelist_mu;
 
-// #define GRPC_FD_REF_COUNT_DEBUG
-#ifdef GRPC_FD_REF_COUNT_DEBUG
-#define REF_BY(fd, n, reason) ref_by(fd, n, reason, __FILE__, __LINE__)
-#define UNREF_BY(fd, n, reason) unref_by(fd, n, reason, __FILE__, __LINE__)
-static void ref_by(grpc_fd *fd, int n, const char *reason, const char *file,
-                   int line) {
-  gpr_log(GPR_DEBUG, "FD %d %p   ref %d %ld -> %ld [%s; %s:%d]", fd->fd,
-          (void *)fd, n, gpr_atm_no_barrier_load(&fd->refst),
-          gpr_atm_no_barrier_load(&fd->refst) + n, reason, file, line);
-#else
-#define REF_BY(fd, n, reason) ref_by(fd, n)
-#define UNREF_BY(fd, n, reason) unref_by(fd, n)
-static void ref_by(grpc_fd *fd, int n) {
-#endif
-  GPR_ASSERT(gpr_atm_no_barrier_fetch_add(&fd->refst, n) > 0);
-}
+static grpc_fd *get_fd_from_freelist() {
+  grpc_fd *new_fd = NULL;
 
-#ifdef GRPC_FD_REF_COUNT_DEBUG
-static void unref_by(grpc_fd *fd, int n, const char *reason, const char *file,
-                     int line) {
-  gpr_atm old;
-  gpr_log(GPR_DEBUG, "FD %d %p unref %d %ld -> %ld [%s; %s:%d]", fd->fd,
-          (void *)fd, n, gpr_atm_no_barrier_load(&fd->refst),
-          gpr_atm_no_barrier_load(&fd->refst) - n, reason, file, line);
-#else
-static void unref_by(grpc_fd *fd, int n) {
-  gpr_atm old;
-#endif
-  old = gpr_atm_full_fetch_add(&fd->refst, -n);
-  if (old == n) {
-    /* Add the fd to the freelist */
-    gpr_mu_lock(&fd_freelist_mu);
-    fd->freelist_next = fd_freelist;
-    fd_freelist = fd;
-    grpc_iomgr_unregister_object(&fd->iomgr_object);
-
-    grpc_lfev_destroy(&fd->read_closure);
-    grpc_lfev_destroy(&fd->write_closure);
-
-    gpr_mu_unlock(&fd_freelist_mu);
-  } else {
-    GPR_ASSERT(old > n);
+  gpr_mu_lock(&fd_freelist_mu);
+  if (fd_freelist != NULL) {
+    new_fd = fd_freelist;
+    fd_freelist = fd_freelist->freelist_next;
   }
+  gpr_mu_unlock(&fd_freelist_mu);
+  return new_fd;
+}
+
+static void add_fd_to_freelist(grpc_fd *fd) {
+  gpr_mu_lock(&fd_freelist_mu);
+  fd->freelist_next = fd_freelist;
+  fd_freelist = fd;
+  grpc_iomgr_unregister_object(&fd->iomgr_object);
+
+  grpc_lfev_destroy(&fd->read_closure);
+  grpc_lfev_destroy(&fd->write_closure);
+
+  gpr_mu_unlock(&fd_freelist_mu);
 }
 
 static void fd_global_init(void) { gpr_mu_init(&fd_freelist_mu); }
@@ -589,15 +560,7 @@ static void fd_global_shutdown(void) {
 }
 
 static grpc_fd *fd_create(int fd, const char *name) {
-  grpc_fd *new_fd = NULL;
-
-  gpr_mu_lock(&fd_freelist_mu);
-  if (fd_freelist != NULL) {
-    new_fd = fd_freelist;
-    fd_freelist = fd_freelist->freelist_next;
-  }
-  gpr_mu_unlock(&fd_freelist_mu);
-
+  grpc_fd *new_fd = get_fd_from_freelist();
   if (new_fd == NULL) {
     new_fd = gpr_malloc(sizeof(grpc_fd));
     gpr_mu_init(&new_fd->mu);
@@ -609,7 +572,6 @@ static grpc_fd *fd_create(int fd, const char *name) {
   gpr_mu_lock(&new_fd->mu);
   new_fd->pi = NULL;
 
-  gpr_atm_rel_store(&new_fd->refst, (gpr_atm)1);
   new_fd->fd = fd;
   new_fd->orphaned = false;
   grpc_lfev_init(&new_fd->read_closure);
@@ -623,9 +585,7 @@ static grpc_fd *fd_create(int fd, const char *name) {
   char *fd_name;
   gpr_asprintf(&fd_name, "%s fd=%d", name, fd);
   grpc_iomgr_register_object(&new_fd->iomgr_object, fd_name);
-#ifdef GRPC_FD_REF_COUNT_DEBUG
   gpr_log(GPR_DEBUG, "FD %d %p create %s", fd, (void *)new_fd, fd_name);
-#endif
   gpr_free(fd_name);
 
   /* Associate the fd with one of the dedicated pi */
@@ -665,14 +625,9 @@ static void fd_orphan(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, grpc_fd *fd,
 
   fd->orphaned = true;
 
-  /* Remove the active status but keep referenced. We want this grpc_fd struct
-     to be alive (and not added to freelist) until the end of this function */
-  REF_BY(fd, 1, reason);
-
   /* Remove the fd from the polling island */
   if (fd->pi != NULL) {
-    polling_island *pi = fd->pi;
-    polling_island_remove_fd(pi, fd, is_fd_closed, &error);
+    polling_island_remove_fd(fd->pi, fd, is_fd_closed, &error);
     unref_pi = fd->pi;
     fd->pi = NULL;
   }
@@ -680,7 +635,10 @@ static void fd_orphan(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, grpc_fd *fd,
   grpc_closure_sched(exec_ctx, fd->on_done_closure, GRPC_ERROR_REF(error));
 
   gpr_mu_unlock(&fd->mu);
-  UNREF_BY(fd, 2, reason); /* Drop the reference */
+
+  /* We are done with this fd. Release it (i.e add back to freelist) */
+  add_fd_to_freelist(fd);
+
   if (unref_pi != NULL) {
     /* Unref stale polling island here, outside the fd lock above.
        The polling island owns a workqueue which owns an fd, and unreffing