diff --git a/src/core/transport/chttp2/internal.h b/src/core/transport/chttp2/internal.h
index 0e1e2c42650..d76d31be23f 100644
--- a/src/core/transport/chttp2/internal.h
+++ b/src/core/transport/chttp2/internal.h
@@ -485,7 +485,8 @@ struct grpc_chttp2_stream {
 
 /** Someone is unlocking the transport mutex: check to see if writes
     are required, and schedule them if so */
-int grpc_chttp2_unlocking_check_writes(grpc_chttp2_transport_global *global,
+int grpc_chttp2_unlocking_check_writes(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
+                                       grpc_chttp2_transport_global *global,
                                        grpc_chttp2_transport_writing *writing,
                                        int is_parsing);
 void grpc_chttp2_perform_writes(
@@ -568,8 +569,12 @@ void grpc_chttp2_list_add_writing_stalled_by_transport(
     grpc_chttp2_transport_writing *transport_writing,
     grpc_chttp2_stream_writing *stream_writing);
 void grpc_chttp2_list_flush_writing_stalled_by_transport(
-    grpc_chttp2_transport_writing *transport_writing, bool is_window_available);
+    grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, grpc_chttp2_transport_writing *transport_writing,
+    bool is_window_available);
 
+void grpc_chttp2_list_add_stalled_by_transport(
+    grpc_chttp2_transport_writing *transport_writing,
+    grpc_chttp2_stream_writing *stream_writing);
 int grpc_chttp2_list_pop_stalled_by_transport(
     grpc_chttp2_transport_global *transport_global,
     grpc_chttp2_stream_global **stream_global);
diff --git a/src/core/transport/chttp2/stream_lists.c b/src/core/transport/chttp2/stream_lists.c
index 2f31a47cb3d..b284c788183 100644
--- a/src/core/transport/chttp2/stream_lists.c
+++ b/src/core/transport/chttp2/stream_lists.c
@@ -316,13 +316,16 @@ int grpc_chttp2_list_pop_check_read_ops(
 void grpc_chttp2_list_add_writing_stalled_by_transport(
     grpc_chttp2_transport_writing *transport_writing,
     grpc_chttp2_stream_writing *stream_writing) {
-  stream_list_add(TRANSPORT_FROM_WRITING(transport_writing),
-                  STREAM_FROM_WRITING(stream_writing),
+  grpc_chttp2_stream *stream = STREAM_FROM_WRITING(stream_writing);
+  if (!stream->included[GRPC_CHTTP2_LIST_WRITING_STALLED_BY_TRANSPORT]) {
+    GRPC_CHTTP2_STREAM_REF(&stream->global, "chttp2_writing_stalled");
+  }
+  stream_list_add(TRANSPORT_FROM_WRITING(transport_writing), stream,
                   GRPC_CHTTP2_LIST_WRITING_STALLED_BY_TRANSPORT);
 }
 
 void grpc_chttp2_list_flush_writing_stalled_by_transport(
-    grpc_chttp2_transport_writing *transport_writing,
+    grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, grpc_chttp2_transport_writing *transport_writing,
     bool is_window_available) {
   grpc_chttp2_stream *stream;
   grpc_chttp2_transport *transport = TRANSPORT_FROM_WRITING(transport_writing);
@@ -331,11 +334,22 @@ void grpc_chttp2_list_flush_writing_stalled_by_transport(
     if (is_window_available) {
       grpc_chttp2_list_add_writable_stream(&transport->global, &stream->global);
     } else {
-      stream_list_add(transport, stream, GRPC_CHTTP2_LIST_STALLED_BY_TRANSPORT);
+      grpc_chttp2_list_add_stalled_by_transport(transport_writing,
+                                                &stream->writing);
     }
+    GRPC_CHTTP2_STREAM_UNREF(exec_ctx, &stream->global,
+                             "chttp2_writing_stalled");
   }
 }
 
+void grpc_chttp2_list_add_stalled_by_transport(
+    grpc_chttp2_transport_writing *transport_writing,
+    grpc_chttp2_stream_writing *stream_writing) {
+  stream_list_add(TRANSPORT_FROM_WRITING(transport_writing),
+                  STREAM_FROM_WRITING(stream_writing),
+                  GRPC_CHTTP2_LIST_STALLED_BY_TRANSPORT);
+}
+
 int grpc_chttp2_list_pop_stalled_by_transport(
     grpc_chttp2_transport_global *transport_global,
     grpc_chttp2_stream_global **stream_global) {
diff --git a/src/core/transport/chttp2/writing.c b/src/core/transport/chttp2/writing.c
index cafecf10465..356fd8174a7 100644
--- a/src/core/transport/chttp2/writing.c
+++ b/src/core/transport/chttp2/writing.c
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ static void finalize_outbuf(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
                             grpc_chttp2_transport_writing *transport_writing);
 
 int grpc_chttp2_unlocking_check_writes(
-    grpc_chttp2_transport_global *transport_global,
+    grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, grpc_chttp2_transport_global *transport_global,
     grpc_chttp2_transport_writing *transport_writing, int is_parsing) {
   grpc_chttp2_stream_global *stream_global;
   grpc_chttp2_stream_writing *stream_writing;
@@ -76,8 +76,8 @@ int grpc_chttp2_unlocking_check_writes(
   GRPC_CHTTP2_FLOW_MOVE_TRANSPORT("write", transport_writing, outgoing_window,
                                   transport_global, outgoing_window);
   bool is_window_available = transport_writing->outgoing_window > 0;
-  grpc_chttp2_list_flush_writing_stalled_by_transport(transport_writing,
-                                                      is_window_available);
+  grpc_chttp2_list_flush_writing_stalled_by_transport(
+      exec_ctx, transport_writing, is_window_available);
 
   /* for each grpc_chttp2_stream that's become writable, frame it's data
      (according to available window sizes) and add to the output buffer */
@@ -133,8 +133,8 @@ int grpc_chttp2_unlocking_check_writes(
             GRPC_CHTTP2_STREAM_REF(stream_global, "chttp2_writing");
           }
         } else {
-          grpc_chttp2_list_add_writing_stalled_by_transport(transport_writing,
-                                                            stream_writing);
+          grpc_chttp2_list_add_stalled_by_transport(transport_writing,
+                                                    stream_writing);
         }
       }
       if (stream_global->send_trailing_metadata) {
diff --git a/src/core/transport/chttp2_transport.c b/src/core/transport/chttp2_transport.c
index c3efc36cc5d..b9f511e9460 100644
--- a/src/core/transport/chttp2_transport.c
+++ b/src/core/transport/chttp2_transport.c
@@ -598,7 +598,7 @@ static void lock(grpc_chttp2_transport *t) { gpr_mu_lock(&t->mu); }
 static void unlock(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, grpc_chttp2_transport *t) {
   GPR_TIMER_BEGIN("unlock", 0);
   if (!t->writing_active && !t->closed &&
-      grpc_chttp2_unlocking_check_writes(&t->global, &t->writing,
+      grpc_chttp2_unlocking_check_writes(exec_ctx, &t->global, &t->writing,
                                          t->parsing_active)) {
     t->writing_active = 1;
     REF_TRANSPORT(t, "writing");