diff --git a/fs_mgr/libsnapshot/snapuserd_server.cpp b/fs_mgr/libsnapshot/snapuserd_server.cpp
index 8351155aa..38abaec52 100644
--- a/fs_mgr/libsnapshot/snapuserd_server.cpp
+++ b/fs_mgr/libsnapshot/snapuserd_server.cpp
@@ -77,9 +77,8 @@ void SnapuserdServer::ShutdownThreads() {
     JoinAllThreads();
 }
 
-const std::string& DmUserHandler::GetMiscName() const {
-    return snapuserd_->GetMiscName();
-}
+DmUserHandler::DmUserHandler(std::unique_ptr<Snapuserd>&& snapuserd)
+    : snapuserd_(std::move(snapuserd)), misc_name_(snapuserd_->GetMiscName()) {}
 
 bool SnapuserdServer::Sendmsg(android::base::borrowed_fd fd, const std::string& msg) {
     ssize_t ret = TEMP_FAILURE_RETRY(send(fd.get(), msg.data(), msg.size(), 0));
@@ -148,7 +147,7 @@ bool SnapuserdServer::Receivemsg(android::base::borrowed_fd fd, const std::strin
                 LOG(ERROR) << "Could not find handler: " << out[1];
                 return Sendmsg(fd, "fail");
             }
-            if ((*iter)->snapuserd()->IsAttached()) {
+            if (!(*iter)->snapuserd() || (*iter)->snapuserd()->IsAttached()) {
                 LOG(ERROR) << "Tried to re-attach control device: " << out[1];
                 return Sendmsg(fd, "fail");
             }
@@ -185,7 +184,7 @@ bool SnapuserdServer::Receivemsg(android::base::borrowed_fd fd, const std::strin
                 LOG(ERROR) << "Malformed delete message, " << out.size() << " parts";
                 return Sendmsg(fd, "fail");
             }
-            if (!RemoveHandler(out[1], true)) {
+            if (!RemoveAndJoinHandler(out[1])) {
                 return Sendmsg(fd, "fail");
             }
             return Sendmsg(fd, "success");
@@ -203,20 +202,38 @@ bool SnapuserdServer::Receivemsg(android::base::borrowed_fd fd, const std::strin
 }
 
 void SnapuserdServer::RunThread(std::shared_ptr<DmUserHandler> handler) {
-    LOG(INFO) << "Entering thread for handler: " << handler->GetMiscName();
+    LOG(INFO) << "Entering thread for handler: " << handler->misc_name();
 
     while (!StopRequested()) {
         if (!handler->snapuserd()->Run()) {
-            LOG(INFO) << "Snapuserd: Thread terminating";
             break;
         }
     }
 
-    LOG(INFO) << "Exiting thread for handler: " << handler->GetMiscName();
+    auto misc_name = handler->misc_name();
+    LOG(INFO) << "Handler thread about to exit: " << misc_name;
 
-    // If the main thread called RemoveHandler, the handler was already removed
-    // from within the lock, and calling RemoveHandler again has no effect.
-    RemoveHandler(handler->GetMiscName(), false);
+    {
+        std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(lock_);
+        auto iter = FindHandler(&lock, handler->misc_name());
+        if (iter == dm_users_.end()) {
+            // RemoveAndJoinHandler() already removed us from the list, and is
+            // now waiting on a join(), so just return.
+            LOG(INFO) << "Exiting handler thread to allow for join: " << misc_name;
+            return;
+        }
+
+        LOG(INFO) << "Exiting handler thread and freeing resources: " << misc_name;
+
+        if (handler->snapuserd()->IsAttached()) {
+            handler->thread().detach();
+        }
+
+        // Important: free resources within the lock. This ensures that if
+        // WaitForDelete() is called, the handler is either in the list, or
+        // it's not and its resources are guaranteed to be freed.
+        handler->FreeResources();
+    }
 }
 
 bool SnapuserdServer::Start(const std::string& socketname) {
@@ -351,7 +368,7 @@ bool SnapuserdServer::StartHandler(const std::shared_ptr<DmUserHandler>& handler
     CHECK(!handler->snapuserd()->IsAttached());
 
     if (!handler->snapuserd()->InitBackingAndControlDevice()) {
-        LOG(ERROR) << "Failed to initialize control device: " << handler->GetMiscName();
+        LOG(ERROR) << "Failed to initialize control device: " << handler->misc_name();
         return false;
     }
 
@@ -364,14 +381,14 @@ auto SnapuserdServer::FindHandler(std::lock_guard<std::mutex>* proof_of_lock,
     CHECK(proof_of_lock);
 
     for (auto iter = dm_users_.begin(); iter != dm_users_.end(); iter++) {
-        if ((*iter)->GetMiscName() == misc_name) {
+        if ((*iter)->misc_name() == misc_name) {
             return iter;
         }
     }
     return dm_users_.end();
 }
 
-bool SnapuserdServer::RemoveHandler(const std::string& misc_name, bool wait) {
+bool SnapuserdServer::RemoveAndJoinHandler(const std::string& misc_name) {
     std::shared_ptr<DmUserHandler> handler;
     {
         std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(lock_);
@@ -386,10 +403,8 @@ bool SnapuserdServer::RemoveHandler(const std::string& misc_name, bool wait) {
     }
 
     auto& th = handler->thread();
-    if (th.joinable() && wait) {
+    if (th.joinable()) {
         th.join();
-    } else if (handler->snapuserd()->IsAttached()) {
-        th.detach();
     }
     return true;
 }
diff --git a/fs_mgr/libsnapshot/snapuserd_server.h b/fs_mgr/libsnapshot/snapuserd_server.h
index 01e236549..7cbc2de61 100644
--- a/fs_mgr/libsnapshot/snapuserd_server.h
+++ b/fs_mgr/libsnapshot/snapuserd_server.h
@@ -46,18 +46,19 @@ enum class DaemonOperations {
 };
 
 class DmUserHandler {
-  private:
-    std::thread thread_;
-    std::unique_ptr<Snapuserd> snapuserd_;
-
   public:
-    explicit DmUserHandler(std::unique_ptr<Snapuserd>&& snapuserd)
-        : snapuserd_(std::move(snapuserd)) {}
+    explicit DmUserHandler(std::unique_ptr<Snapuserd>&& snapuserd);
 
+    void FreeResources() { snapuserd_ = nullptr; }
     const std::unique_ptr<Snapuserd>& snapuserd() const { return snapuserd_; }
     std::thread& thread() { return thread_; }
 
-    const std::string& GetMiscName() const;
+    const std::string& misc_name() const { return misc_name_; }
+
+  private:
+    std::thread thread_;
+    std::unique_ptr<Snapuserd> snapuserd_;
+    std::string misc_name_;
 };
 
 class Stoppable {
@@ -71,8 +72,9 @@ class Stoppable {
 
     bool StopRequested() {
         // checks if value in future object is available
-        if (futureObj_.wait_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(0)) == std::future_status::timeout)
+        if (futureObj_.wait_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(0)) == std::future_status::timeout) {
             return false;
+        }
         return true;
     }
     // Request the thread to stop by setting value in promise object
@@ -98,7 +100,7 @@ class SnapuserdServer : public Stoppable {
     bool Receivemsg(android::base::borrowed_fd fd, const std::string& str);
 
     void ShutdownThreads();
-    bool RemoveHandler(const std::string& control_device, bool wait);
+    bool RemoveAndJoinHandler(const std::string& control_device);
     DaemonOperations Resolveop(std::string& input);
     std::string GetDaemonStatus();
     void Parsemsg(std::string const& msg, const char delim, std::vector<std::string>& out);