diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl.c b/tools/libxl/libxl.c
index 15d4ec47a2..db85605d14 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl.c
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ int libxl_ctx_alloc(libxl_ctx **pctx, int version,
 
     ctx->osevent_hooks = 0;
 
+    ctx->poller_app = 0;
     LIBXL_LIST_INIT(&ctx->pollers_event);
     LIBXL_LIST_INIT(&ctx->pollers_idle);
 
@@ -83,8 +84,11 @@ int libxl_ctx_alloc(libxl_ctx **pctx, int version,
     rc = libxl__atfork_init(ctx);
     if (rc) goto out;
 
-    rc = libxl__poller_init(ctx, &ctx->poller_app);
-    if (rc) goto out;
+    ctx->poller_app = libxl__poller_get(ctx);
+    if (!ctx->poller_app) {
+        rc = ERROR_FAIL;
+        goto out;
+    }
 
     if ( stat(XENSTORE_PID_FILE, &stat_buf) != 0 ) {
         LIBXL__LOG_ERRNO(ctx, LIBXL__LOG_ERROR, "Is xenstore daemon running?\n"
@@ -160,7 +164,8 @@ int libxl_ctx_free(libxl_ctx *ctx)
     libxl_version_info_dispose(&ctx->version_info);
     if (ctx->xsh) xs_daemon_close(ctx->xsh);
 
-    libxl__poller_dispose(&ctx->poller_app);
+    libxl__poller_put(ctx, ctx->poller_app);
+    ctx->poller_app = NULL;
     assert(LIBXL_LIST_EMPTY(&ctx->pollers_event));
     libxl__poller *poller, *poller_tmp;
     LIBXL_LIST_FOREACH_SAFE(poller, &ctx->pollers_idle, entry, poller_tmp) {
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_event.c b/tools/libxl/libxl_event.c
index 9536018efe..a614e96c49 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_event.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_event.c
@@ -876,7 +876,7 @@ int libxl_osevent_beforepoll(libxl_ctx *ctx, int *nfds_io,
 {
     EGC_INIT(ctx);
     CTX_LOCK;
-    int rc = beforepoll_internal(gc, &ctx->poller_app,
+    int rc = beforepoll_internal(gc, ctx->poller_app,
                                  nfds_io, fds, timeout_upd, now);
     CTX_UNLOCK;
     EGC_FREE;
@@ -1033,7 +1033,7 @@ void libxl_osevent_afterpoll(libxl_ctx *ctx, int nfds, const struct pollfd *fds,
 {
     EGC_INIT(ctx);
     CTX_LOCK;
-    afterpoll_internal(egc, &ctx->poller_app, nfds, fds, now);
+    afterpoll_internal(egc, ctx->poller_app, nfds, fds, now);
     CTX_UNLOCK;
     EGC_FREE;
 }
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h b/tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h
index f051d91ed9..c5fb07ddfd 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ struct libxl__ctx {
       /* See the comment for OSEVENT_HOOK_INTERN in libxl_event.c
        * for restrictions on the use of the osevent fields. */
 
-    libxl__poller poller_app; /* libxl_osevent_beforepoll and _afterpoll */
+    libxl__poller *poller_app; /* libxl_osevent_beforepoll and _afterpoll */
     LIBXL_LIST_HEAD(, libxl__poller) pollers_event, pollers_idle;
 
     LIBXL_SLIST_HEAD(libxl__osevent_hook_nexi, libxl__osevent_hook_nexus)