diff --git a/server/async.c b/server/async.c
index aa50333acc7..4e30c2e6f85 100644
--- a/server/async.c
+++ b/server/async.c
@@ -474,11 +474,6 @@ struct iosb *async_get_iosb( struct async *async )
     return async->iosb ? (struct iosb *)grab_object( async->iosb ) : NULL;
 }
 
-const async_data_t *async_get_data( struct async *async )
-{
-    return &async->data;
-}
-
 /* cancels all async I/O */
 DECL_HANDLER(cancel_async)
 {
diff --git a/server/change.c b/server/change.c
index d7ebf3bf3ac..14fb2f1e762 100644
--- a/server/change.c
+++ b/server/change.c
@@ -1246,7 +1246,8 @@ DECL_HANDLER(read_directory_changes)
         return;
 
     /* requests don't timeout */
-    if (!(async = fd_queue_async( dir->fd, &req->async, NULL, ASYNC_TYPE_WAIT ))) goto end;
+    if (!(async = create_async( current, &req->async, NULL ))) goto end;
+    if (!fd_queue_async( dir->fd, async, ASYNC_TYPE_WAIT )) goto end;
 
     /* assign it once */
     if (!dir->filter)
@@ -1266,10 +1267,10 @@ DECL_HANDLER(read_directory_changes)
     if (!inotify_adjust_changes( dir ))
         dnotify_adjust_changes( dir );
 
-    release_object( async );
     set_error(STATUS_PENDING);
 
 end:
+    if (async) release_object( async );
     release_object( dir );
 }
 
diff --git a/server/device.c b/server/device.c
index d5574ae325f..8c46a69fc65 100644
--- a/server/device.c
+++ b/server/device.c
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ static void irp_call_destroy( struct object *obj )
     if (irp->thread) release_object( irp->thread );
 }
 
-static struct irp_call *create_irp( struct device_file *file, const irp_params_t *params, struct iosb *iosb )
+static struct irp_call *create_irp( struct device_file *file, const irp_params_t *params, struct async *async )
 {
     struct irp_call *irp;
 
@@ -258,12 +258,10 @@ static struct irp_call *create_irp( struct device_file *file, const irp_params_t
         irp->thread   = NULL;
         irp->async    = NULL;
         irp->params   = *params;
+        irp->iosb     = NULL;
 
-        if (iosb)
-        {
-            irp->iosb = (struct iosb *)grab_object( iosb );
-        }
-        else if (!(irp->iosb = create_iosb( NULL, 0, 0 )))
+        if (async) irp->iosb = async_get_iosb( async );
+        if (!irp->iosb && !(irp->iosb = create_iosb( NULL, 0, 0 )))
         {
             release_object( irp );
             irp = NULL;
@@ -471,11 +469,12 @@ static obj_handle_t queue_irp( struct device_file *file, struct irp_call *irp,
 
     if (blocking && !(handle = alloc_handle( current->process, irp, SYNCHRONIZE, 0 ))) return 0;
 
-    if (!(irp->async = fd_queue_async( file->fd, async_get_data( async ), irp->iosb, ASYNC_TYPE_WAIT )))
+    if (!fd_queue_async( file->fd, async, ASYNC_TYPE_WAIT ))
     {
         if (handle) close_handle( current->process, handle );
         return 0;
     }
+    irp->async = (struct async *)grab_object( async );
     add_irp_to_queue( file, irp, current );
     set_error( STATUS_PENDING );
     return handle;
@@ -492,7 +491,6 @@ static obj_handle_t device_file_read( struct fd *fd, struct async *async, int bl
     struct irp_call *irp;
     obj_handle_t handle;
     irp_params_t params;
-    struct iosb *iosb;
 
     memset( &params, 0, sizeof(params) );
     params.read.major = IRP_MJ_READ;
@@ -500,9 +498,7 @@ static obj_handle_t device_file_read( struct fd *fd, struct async *async, int bl
     params.read.pos   = pos;
     params.read.file  = file->user_ptr;
 
-    iosb = async_get_iosb( async );
-    irp = create_irp( file, &params, iosb );
-    release_object( iosb );
+    irp = create_irp( file, &params, async );
     if (!irp) return 0;
 
     handle = queue_irp( file, irp, async, blocking );
@@ -516,7 +512,6 @@ static obj_handle_t device_file_write( struct fd *fd, struct async *async, int b
     struct irp_call *irp;
     obj_handle_t handle;
     irp_params_t params;
-    struct iosb *iosb;
 
     memset( &params, 0, sizeof(params) );
     params.write.major = IRP_MJ_WRITE;
@@ -524,9 +519,7 @@ static obj_handle_t device_file_write( struct fd *fd, struct async *async, int b
     params.write.pos   = pos;
     params.write.file  = file->user_ptr;
 
-    iosb = async_get_iosb( async );
-    irp = create_irp( file, &params, iosb );
-    release_object( iosb );
+    irp = create_irp( file, &params, async );
     if (!irp) return 0;
 
     handle = queue_irp( file, irp, async, blocking );
@@ -560,17 +553,13 @@ static obj_handle_t device_file_ioctl( struct fd *fd, ioctl_code_t code, struct
     struct irp_call *irp;
     obj_handle_t handle;
     irp_params_t params;
-    struct iosb *iosb;
 
     memset( &params, 0, sizeof(params) );
     params.ioctl.major = IRP_MJ_DEVICE_CONTROL;
     params.ioctl.code  = code;
     params.ioctl.file = file->user_ptr;
 
-    iosb = create_iosb( get_req_data(), get_req_data_size(), get_reply_max_size() );
-    if (!iosb) return 0;
-    irp = create_irp( file, &params, iosb );
-    release_object(iosb);
+    irp = create_irp( file, &params, async );
     if (!irp) return 0;
 
     handle = queue_irp( file, irp, async, blocking );
diff --git a/server/fd.c b/server/fd.c
index 2ed639f2d3e..bcb1badad16 100644
--- a/server/fd.c
+++ b/server/fd.c
@@ -2030,23 +2030,22 @@ void default_poll_event( struct fd *fd, int event )
     else if (!fd->inode) set_fd_events( fd, fd->fd_ops->get_poll_events( fd ) );
 }
 
-struct async *fd_queue_async( struct fd *fd, const async_data_t *data, struct iosb *iosb, int type )
+int fd_queue_async( struct fd *fd, struct async *async, int type )
 {
     struct async_queue *queue;
-    struct async *async;
 
     switch (type)
     {
     case ASYNC_TYPE_READ:
-        if (!fd->read_q && !(fd->read_q = create_async_queue( fd ))) return NULL;
+        if (!fd->read_q && !(fd->read_q = create_async_queue( fd ))) return 0;
         queue = fd->read_q;
         break;
     case ASYNC_TYPE_WRITE:
-        if (!fd->write_q && !(fd->write_q = create_async_queue( fd ))) return NULL;
+        if (!fd->write_q && !(fd->write_q = create_async_queue( fd ))) return 0;
         queue = fd->write_q;
         break;
     case ASYNC_TYPE_WAIT:
-        if (!fd->wait_q && !(fd->wait_q = create_async_queue( fd ))) return NULL;
+        if (!fd->wait_q && !(fd->wait_q = create_async_queue( fd ))) return 0;
         queue = fd->wait_q;
         break;
     default:
@@ -2054,18 +2053,16 @@ struct async *fd_queue_async( struct fd *fd, const async_data_t *data, struct io
         assert(0);
     }
 
-    if ((async = create_async( current, data, iosb )))
+    queue_async( queue, async );
+
+    if (type != ASYNC_TYPE_WAIT)
     {
-        queue_async( queue, async );
-        if (type != ASYNC_TYPE_WAIT)
-        {
-            if (!fd->inode)
-                set_fd_events( fd, fd->fd_ops->get_poll_events( fd ) );
-            else  /* regular files are always ready for read and write */
-                async_wake_up( queue, STATUS_ALERTED );
-        }
+        if (!fd->inode)
+            set_fd_events( fd, fd->fd_ops->get_poll_events( fd ) );
+        else  /* regular files are always ready for read and write */
+            async_wake_up( queue, STATUS_ALERTED );
     }
-    return async;
+    return 1;
 }
 
 void fd_async_wake_up( struct fd *fd, int type, unsigned int status )
@@ -2098,11 +2095,7 @@ void no_fd_queue_async( struct fd *fd, struct async *async, int type, int count
 
 void default_fd_queue_async( struct fd *fd, struct async *async, int type, int count )
 {
-    if ((async = fd_queue_async( fd, async_get_data( async ), NULL, type )))
-    {
-        release_object( async );
-        set_error( STATUS_PENDING );
-    }
+    if (fd_queue_async( fd, async, type )) set_error( STATUS_PENDING );
 }
 
 /* default reselect_async() fd routine */
diff --git a/server/file.h b/server/file.h
index 0a0e72f1e84..8e906d3ebf8 100644
--- a/server/file.h
+++ b/server/file.h
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ extern int default_fd_signaled( struct object *obj, struct wait_queue_entry *ent
 extern unsigned int default_fd_map_access( struct object *obj, unsigned int access );
 extern int default_fd_get_poll_events( struct fd *fd );
 extern void default_poll_event( struct fd *fd, int event );
-extern struct async *fd_queue_async( struct fd *fd, const async_data_t *data, struct iosb *iosb, int type );
+extern int fd_queue_async( struct fd *fd, struct async *async, int type );
 extern void fd_async_wake_up( struct fd *fd, int type, unsigned int status );
 extern void fd_reselect_async( struct fd *fd, struct async_queue *queue );
 extern obj_handle_t no_fd_read( struct fd *fd, struct async *async, int blocking, file_pos_t pos );
@@ -188,7 +188,6 @@ extern struct completion *fd_get_completion( struct fd *fd, apc_param_t *p_key )
 extern void fd_copy_completion( struct fd *src, struct fd *dst );
 extern struct iosb *create_iosb( const void *in_data, data_size_t in_size, data_size_t out_size );
 extern struct iosb *async_get_iosb( struct async *async );
-extern const async_data_t *async_get_data( struct async *async );
 extern void cancel_process_asyncs( struct process *process );
 
 /* access rights that require Unix read permission */
diff --git a/server/mailslot.c b/server/mailslot.c
index 20bf99cc5b0..643577cd72c 100644
--- a/server/mailslot.c
+++ b/server/mailslot.c
@@ -331,11 +331,10 @@ static void mailslot_queue_async( struct fd *fd, struct async *async, int type,
 
     assert(mailslot->obj.ops == &mailslot_ops);
 
-    if ((async = fd_queue_async( fd, async_get_data( async ), NULL, type )))
+    if (fd_queue_async( fd, async, type ))
     {
         async_set_timeout( async, mailslot->read_timeout ? mailslot->read_timeout : -1,
                            STATUS_IO_TIMEOUT );
-        release_object( async );
         set_error( STATUS_PENDING );
     }
 }
diff --git a/server/named_pipe.c b/server/named_pipe.c
index 1426023ad68..50e6389ec51 100644
--- a/server/named_pipe.c
+++ b/server/named_pipe.c
@@ -554,13 +554,12 @@ static obj_handle_t pipe_server_flush( struct fd *fd, struct async *async, int b
 
     if (!pipe_data_remaining( server )) return 0;
 
-    if ((async = fd_queue_async( server->fd, async_get_data( async ), NULL, ASYNC_TYPE_WAIT )))
+    if (fd_queue_async( server->fd, async, ASYNC_TYPE_WAIT ))
     {
         /* there's no unix way to be alerted when a pipe becomes empty, so resort to polling */
         if (!server->flush_poll)
             server->flush_poll = add_timeout_user( -TICKS_PER_SEC / 10, check_flushed, server );
         if (blocking) handle = alloc_handle( current->process, async, SYNCHRONIZE, 0 );
-        release_object( async );
         set_error( STATUS_PENDING );
     }
     return handle;
@@ -600,12 +599,11 @@ static obj_handle_t pipe_server_ioctl( struct fd *fd, ioctl_code_t code, struct
         {
         case ps_idle_server:
         case ps_wait_connect:
-            if ((async = fd_queue_async( server->ioctl_fd, async_get_data( async ), NULL, ASYNC_TYPE_WAIT )))
+            if (fd_queue_async( server->ioctl_fd, async, ASYNC_TYPE_WAIT ))
             {
                 if (blocking) wait_handle = alloc_handle( current->process, async, SYNCHRONIZE, 0 );
                 set_server_state( server, ps_wait_open );
                 if (server->pipe->waiters) async_wake_up( server->pipe->waiters, STATUS_SUCCESS );
-                release_object( async );
                 set_error( STATUS_PENDING );
                 return wait_handle;
             }
diff --git a/server/serial.c b/server/serial.c
index 58170cd1134..fea3c8c9506 100644
--- a/server/serial.c
+++ b/server/serial.c
@@ -200,10 +200,9 @@ static void serial_queue_async( struct fd *fd, struct async *async, int type, in
         break;
     }
 
-    if ((async = fd_queue_async( fd, async_get_data( async ), NULL, type )))
+    if (fd_queue_async( fd, async, type ))
     {
         if (timeout) async_set_timeout( async, timeout * -10000, STATUS_TIMEOUT );
-        release_object( async );
         set_error( STATUS_PENDING );
     }
 }