diff --git a/src/ring.c b/src/ring.c
index 613c8c6b9..963a70f31 100644
--- a/src/ring.c
+++ b/src/ring.c
@@ -450,18 +450,22 @@ int ring_dispatch_messages(struct ring *ring, void *ctx, size_t *ofs_ptr, size_t
 	ring_area = (uint8_t *)ring->storage->area;
 	ring_size = ring->storage->size;
 
-	tail_ofs = ring_tail(ring);
-	head_ofs = HA_ATOMIC_LOAD(&ring->storage->head);
-
 	/* explanation for the initialization below: it would be better to do
 	 * this in the parsing function but this would occasionally result in
 	 * dropped events because we'd take a reference on the oldest message
 	 * and keep it while being scheduled. Thus instead let's take it the
 	 * first time we enter here so that we have a chance to pass many
 	 * existing messages before grabbing a reference to a location. This
-	 * value cannot be produced after initialization.
+	 * value cannot be produced after initialization. The first offset
+	 * needs to be taken under isolation as it must not move while we're
+	 * trying to catch it.
 	 */
 	if (unlikely(*ofs_ptr == ~0)) {
+		thread_isolate();
+
+		head_ofs = HA_ATOMIC_LOAD(&ring->storage->head);
+		tail_ofs = ring_tail(ring);
+
 		if (flags & RING_WF_SEEK_NEW) {
 			/* going to the end means looking at tail-1 */
 			head_ofs = tail_ofs + ring_size - 1;
@@ -469,20 +473,27 @@ int ring_dispatch_messages(struct ring *ring, void *ctx, size_t *ofs_ptr, size_t
 				head_ofs -= ring_size;
 		}
 
-		/* make ctx->ofs relative to the beginning of the buffer now */
-		*ofs_ptr = head_ofs;
-
-		/* and reserve our slot here (inc readers count) */
+		/* reserve our slot here (inc readers count) */
 		do {
 			readers = _HA_ATOMIC_LOAD(ring_area + head_ofs);
 		} while ((readers > RING_MAX_READERS ||
 			  !_HA_ATOMIC_CAS(ring_area + head_ofs, &readers, readers + 1)) && __ha_cpu_relax());
+
+		thread_release();
+
+		/* store this precious offset in our context, and we're done */
+		*ofs_ptr = head_ofs;
 	}
 
 	/* we have the guarantee we can restart from our own head */
 	head_ofs = *ofs_ptr;
 	BUG_ON(head_ofs >= ring_size);
 
+	/* the tail will continue to move but we're getting a safe value
+	 * here that will continue to work.
+	 */
+	tail_ofs = ring_tail(ring);
+
 	/* we keep track of where we were and we don't release it before
 	 * we've protected the next place.
 	 */