diff --git a/src/shrpx_accept_handler.cc b/src/shrpx_accept_handler.cc
index 7cfa2d9f..02c59a14 100644
--- a/src/shrpx_accept_handler.cc
+++ b/src/shrpx_accept_handler.cc
@@ -58,51 +58,49 @@ AcceptHandler::~AcceptHandler() {
 }
 
 void AcceptHandler::accept_connection() {
-  for (;;) {
-    sockaddr_union sockaddr;
-    socklen_t addrlen = sizeof(sockaddr);
+  sockaddr_union sockaddr;
+  socklen_t addrlen = sizeof(sockaddr);
 
 #ifdef HAVE_ACCEPT4
-    auto cfd = accept4(faddr_->fd, &sockaddr.sa, &addrlen,
-                       SOCK_NONBLOCK | SOCK_CLOEXEC);
-#else // !HAVE_ACCEPT4
-    auto cfd = accept(faddr_->fd, &sockaddr.sa, &addrlen);
+  auto cfd =
+      accept4(faddr_->fd, &sockaddr.sa, &addrlen, SOCK_NONBLOCK | SOCK_CLOEXEC);
+#else  // !HAVE_ACCEPT4
+  auto cfd = accept(faddr_->fd, &sockaddr.sa, &addrlen);
 #endif // !HAVE_ACCEPT4
 
-    if (cfd == -1) {
-      switch (errno) {
-      case EINTR:
-      case ENETDOWN:
-      case EPROTO:
-      case ENOPROTOOPT:
-      case EHOSTDOWN:
+  if (cfd == -1) {
+    switch (errno) {
+    case EINTR:
+    case ENETDOWN:
+    case EPROTO:
+    case ENOPROTOOPT:
+    case EHOSTDOWN:
 #ifdef ENONET
-      case ENONET:
+    case ENONET:
 #endif // ENONET
-      case EHOSTUNREACH:
-      case EOPNOTSUPP:
-      case ENETUNREACH:
-        continue;
-      case EMFILE:
-      case ENFILE:
-        LOG(WARN) << "acceptor: running out file descriptor; disable acceptor "
-                     "temporarily";
-        conn_hnr_->sleep_acceptor(get_config()->conn.listener.timeout.sleep);
-        break;
-      }
-
-      break;
+    case EHOSTUNREACH:
+    case EOPNOTSUPP:
+    case ENETUNREACH:
+      return;
+    case EMFILE:
+    case ENFILE:
+      LOG(WARN) << "acceptor: running out file descriptor; disable acceptor "
+                   "temporarily";
+      conn_hnr_->sleep_acceptor(get_config()->conn.listener.timeout.sleep);
+      return;
+    default:
+      return;
     }
+  }
 
 #ifndef HAVE_ACCEPT4
-    util::make_socket_nonblocking(cfd);
-    util::make_socket_closeonexec(cfd);
+  util::make_socket_nonblocking(cfd);
+  util::make_socket_closeonexec(cfd);
 #endif // !HAVE_ACCEPT4
 
-    util::make_socket_nodelay(cfd);
+  util::make_socket_nodelay(cfd);
 
-    conn_hnr_->handle_connection(cfd, &sockaddr.sa, addrlen, faddr_);
-  }
+  conn_hnr_->handle_connection(cfd, &sockaddr.sa, addrlen, faddr_);
 }
 
 void AcceptHandler::enable() { ev_io_start(conn_hnr_->get_loop(), &wev_); }
diff --git a/src/shrpx_worker.cc b/src/shrpx_worker.cc
index 88a1084d..f815149b 100644
--- a/src/shrpx_worker.cc
+++ b/src/shrpx_worker.cc
@@ -63,6 +63,13 @@ void mcpool_clear_cb(struct ev_loop *loop, ev_timer *w, int revents) {
 }
 } // namespace
 
+namespace {
+void proc_wev_cb(struct ev_loop *loop, ev_timer *w, int revents) {
+  auto worker = static_cast<Worker *>(w->data);
+  worker->process_events();
+}
+} // namespace
+
 namespace {
 bool match_shared_downstream_addr(
     const std::shared_ptr<SharedDownstreamAddr> &lhs,
@@ -131,6 +138,9 @@ Worker::Worker(struct ev_loop *loop, SSL_CTX *sv_ssl_ctx, SSL_CTX *cl_ssl_ctx,
   ev_timer_init(&mcpool_clear_timer_, mcpool_clear_cb, 0., 0.);
   mcpool_clear_timer_.data = this;
 
+  ev_timer_init(&proc_wev_timer_, proc_wev_cb, 0., 0.);
+  proc_wev_timer_.data = this;
+
   auto &session_cacheconf = get_config()->tls.session_cache;
 
   if (!session_cacheconf.memcached.host.empty()) {
@@ -279,6 +289,7 @@ void Worker::replace_downstream_config(
 Worker::~Worker() {
   ev_async_stop(loop_, &w_);
   ev_timer_stop(loop_, &mcpool_clear_timer_);
+  ev_timer_stop(loop_, &proc_wev_timer_);
 }
 
 void Worker::schedule_clear_mcpool() {
@@ -315,79 +326,91 @@ void Worker::send(const WorkerEvent &event) {
 }
 
 void Worker::process_events() {
-  std::vector<WorkerEvent> q;
+  WorkerEvent wev;
   {
     std::lock_guard<std::mutex> g(m_);
-    q.swap(q_);
+
+    // Process event one at a time.  This is important for
+    // NEW_CONNECTION event since accepting large number of new
+    // connections at once may delay time to 1st byte for existing
+    // connections.
+
+    if (q_.empty()) {
+      ev_timer_stop(loop_, &proc_wev_timer_);
+      return;
+    }
+
+    wev = q_.front();
+    q_.pop_front();
   }
 
+  ev_timer_start(loop_, &proc_wev_timer_);
+
   auto worker_connections = get_config()->conn.upstream.worker_connections;
 
-  for (auto &wev : q) {
-    switch (wev.type) {
-    case NEW_CONNECTION: {
-      if (LOG_ENABLED(INFO)) {
-        WLOG(INFO, this) << "WorkerEvent: client_fd=" << wev.client_fd
-                         << ", addrlen=" << wev.client_addrlen;
-      }
+  switch (wev.type) {
+  case NEW_CONNECTION: {
+    if (LOG_ENABLED(INFO)) {
+      WLOG(INFO, this) << "WorkerEvent: client_fd=" << wev.client_fd
+                       << ", addrlen=" << wev.client_addrlen;
+    }
 
-      if (worker_stat_.num_connections >= worker_connections) {
-
-        if (LOG_ENABLED(INFO)) {
-          WLOG(INFO, this) << "Too many connections >= " << worker_connections;
-        }
-
-        close(wev.client_fd);
-
-        break;
-      }
-
-      auto client_handler =
-          ssl::accept_connection(this, wev.client_fd, &wev.client_addr.sa,
-                                 wev.client_addrlen, wev.faddr);
-      if (!client_handler) {
-        if (LOG_ENABLED(INFO)) {
-          WLOG(ERROR, this) << "ClientHandler creation failed";
-        }
-        close(wev.client_fd);
-        break;
-      }
+    if (worker_stat_.num_connections >= worker_connections) {
 
       if (LOG_ENABLED(INFO)) {
-        WLOG(INFO, this) << "CLIENT_HANDLER:" << client_handler << " created ";
+        WLOG(INFO, this) << "Too many connections >= " << worker_connections;
       }
 
+      close(wev.client_fd);
+
       break;
     }
-    case REOPEN_LOG:
-      WLOG(NOTICE, this) << "Reopening log files: worker process (thread "
-                         << this << ")";
 
-      reopen_log_files();
-
-      break;
-    case GRACEFUL_SHUTDOWN:
-      WLOG(NOTICE, this) << "Graceful shutdown commencing";
-
-      graceful_shutdown_ = true;
-
-      if (worker_stat_.num_connections == 0) {
-        ev_break(loop_);
-
-        return;
-      }
-
-      break;
-    case REPLACE_DOWNSTREAM:
-      WLOG(NOTICE, this) << "Replace downstream";
-
-      replace_downstream_config(wev.downstreamconf);
-
-      break;
-    default:
+    auto client_handler =
+        ssl::accept_connection(this, wev.client_fd, &wev.client_addr.sa,
+                               wev.client_addrlen, wev.faddr);
+    if (!client_handler) {
       if (LOG_ENABLED(INFO)) {
-        WLOG(INFO, this) << "unknown event type " << wev.type;
+        WLOG(ERROR, this) << "ClientHandler creation failed";
       }
+      close(wev.client_fd);
+      break;
+    }
+
+    if (LOG_ENABLED(INFO)) {
+      WLOG(INFO, this) << "CLIENT_HANDLER:" << client_handler << " created ";
+    }
+
+    break;
+  }
+  case REOPEN_LOG:
+    WLOG(NOTICE, this) << "Reopening log files: worker process (thread " << this
+                       << ")";
+
+    reopen_log_files();
+
+    break;
+  case GRACEFUL_SHUTDOWN:
+    WLOG(NOTICE, this) << "Graceful shutdown commencing";
+
+    graceful_shutdown_ = true;
+
+    if (worker_stat_.num_connections == 0) {
+      ev_break(loop_);
+
+      return;
+    }
+
+    break;
+  case REPLACE_DOWNSTREAM:
+    WLOG(NOTICE, this) << "Replace downstream";
+
+    replace_downstream_config(wev.downstreamconf);
+
+    break;
+  default:
+    if (LOG_ENABLED(INFO)) {
+      WLOG(INFO, this) << "unknown event type " << wev.type;
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/shrpx_worker.h b/src/shrpx_worker.h
index c729af1e..d187743c 100644
--- a/src/shrpx_worker.h
+++ b/src/shrpx_worker.h
@@ -243,10 +243,11 @@ private:
   std::future<void> fut_;
 #endif // NOTHREADS
   std::mutex m_;
-  std::vector<WorkerEvent> q_;
+  std::deque<WorkerEvent> q_;
   std::mt19937 randgen_;
   ev_async w_;
   ev_timer mcpool_clear_timer_;
+  ev_timer proc_wev_timer_;
   MemchunkPool mcpool_;
   WorkerStat worker_stat_;