diff --git a/src/libstore/gc.cc b/src/libstore/gc.cc
index ff66c3938..bb76ee084 100644
--- a/src/libstore/gc.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/gc.cc
@@ -636,6 +636,7 @@ void LocalStore::removeUnusedLinks(const GCState & state)
 }
 
 
+
 void LocalStore::collectGarbage(const GCOptions & options, GCResults & results)
 {
     GCState state(options, results);
@@ -674,83 +675,75 @@ void LocalStore::collectGarbage(const GCOptions & options, GCResults & results)
     shutdownPipe.create();
 
     std::thread serverThread([&]() {
-        std::map<int, std::pair<std::unique_ptr<AutoCloseFD>, std::string>> fdClients;
-        bool quit = false;
+        Sync<std::map<int, std::thread>> connections;
+        std::atomic_bool quit = false;
 
-        while (!quit) {
+        Finally cleanup([&]() {
+            debug("GC roots server shutting down");
+            while (true) {
+                auto item = remove_begin(*connections.lock());
+                if (!item) break;
+                auto & [fd, thread] = *item;
+                shutdown(fd, SHUT_RDWR);
+                thread.join();
+            }
+        });
+
+        while (true) {
             std::vector<struct pollfd> fds;
             fds.push_back({.fd = shutdownPipe.readSide.get(), .events = POLLIN});
             fds.push_back({.fd = fdServer.get(), .events = POLLIN});
-            for (auto & i : fdClients)
-                fds.push_back({.fd = i.first, .events = POLLIN});
             auto count = poll(fds.data(), fds.size(), -1);
             assert(count != -1);
 
-            for (auto & fd : fds) {
-                if (!fd.revents) continue;
-                if (fd.fd == shutdownPipe.readSide.get())
-                    /* Parent is asking us to quit. */
-                    quit = true;
-                else if (fd.fd == fdServer.get()) {
-                    /* Accept a new connection. */
-                    assert(fd.revents & POLLIN);
-                    auto fdClient = std::make_unique<AutoCloseFD>(accept(fdServer.get(), nullptr, nullptr));
-                    if (*fdClient) {
-                        auto fd = fdClient->get();
-                        fdClients.insert({fd, std::make_pair(std::move(fdClient), "")});
+            if (fds[0].revents)
+                /* Parent is asking us to quit. */
+                break;
+
+            if (fds[1].revents) {
+                /* Accept a new connection. */
+                assert(fds[1].revents & POLLIN);
+                AutoCloseFD fdClient = accept(fdServer.get(), nullptr, nullptr);
+                if (!fdClient) continue;
+
+                /* Process the connection in a separate thread. */
+                auto fdClient_ = fdClient.get();
+                std::thread clientThread([&, fdClient = std::move(fdClient)]() {
+                    Finally cleanup([&]() {
+                        connections.lock()->erase(fdClient.get());
+                    });
+
+                    while (true) {
+                        try {
+                            auto path = readLine(fdClient.get());
+                            auto storePath = maybeParseStorePath(path);
+                            if (storePath) {
+                                debug("got new GC root '%s'", path);
+                                auto hashPart = std::string(storePath->hashPart());
+                                auto shared(state.shared.lock());
+                                shared->tempRoots.insert(hashPart);
+                                /* If this path is currently being
+                                   deleted, then we have to wait until
+                                   deletion is finished to ensure that
+                                   the client doesn't start
+                                   re-creating it before we're
+                                   done. FIXME: ideally we would use a
+                                   FD for this so we don't block the
+                                   poll loop. */
+                                while (shared->pending == hashPart) {
+                                    debug("synchronising with deletion of path '%s'", path);
+                                    shared.wait(state.wakeup);
+                                }
+                            } else
+                                printError("received garbage instead of a root from client");
+                            writeFull(fdClient.get(), "1", false);
+                        } catch (Error &) { break; }
                     }
-                }
-                else {
-                    /* Receive data from a client. */
-                    auto fdClient = fdClients.find(fd.fd);
-                    assert(fdClient != fdClients.end());
-                    if (fd.revents & POLLIN) {
-                        char buf[16384];
-                        auto n = read(fd.fd, buf, sizeof(buf));
-                        if (n > 0) {
-                            fdClient->second.second.append(buf, n);
-                            /* Split the input into lines. */
-                            while (true) {
-                                auto p = fdClient->second.second.find('\n');
-                                if (p == std::string::npos) break;
-                                /* We got a full line. Send ack back
-                                   to the client. */
-                                auto path = fdClient->second.second.substr(0, p);
-                                fdClient->second.second = fdClient->second.second.substr(p + 1);
-                                auto storePath = maybeParseStorePath(path);
-                                if (storePath) {
-                                    debug("got new GC root '%s'", path);
-                                    auto hashPart = std::string(storePath->hashPart());
-                                    auto shared(state.shared.lock());
-                                    shared->tempRoots.insert(hashPart);
-                                    /* If this path is currently being
-                                       deleted, then we have to wait
-                                       until deletion is finished to
-                                       ensure that the client doesn't
-                                       start re-creating it before
-                                       we're done. FIXME: ideally we
-                                       would use a FD for this so we
-                                       don't block the poll loop. */
-                                    while (shared->pending == hashPart) {
-                                        debug("synchronising with deletion of path '%s'", path);
-                                        shared.wait(state.wakeup);
-                                    }
-                                } else
-                                    printError("received garbage instead of a root from client");
-                                // This could block, but meh.
-                                try {
-                                    writeFull(fd.fd, "1", false);
-                                } catch (SysError &) { }
-                            }
-                        } else if (n == 0)
-                            fdClients.erase(fdClient);
-                    } else
-                        fdClients.erase(fdClient);
-                }
+                });
+
+                connections.lock()->insert({fdClient_, std::move(clientThread)});
             }
         }
-
-        debug("GC roots server shut down");
     });
 
     Finally stopServer([&]() {
diff --git a/src/libutil/util.hh b/src/libutil/util.hh
index 528d113db..76f80f7a4 100644
--- a/src/libutil/util.hh
+++ b/src/libutil/util.hh
@@ -511,6 +511,18 @@ std::optional<typename T::mapped_type> get(const T & map, const typename T::key_
 }
 
 
+/* Remove and return the first item from a container. */
+template <class T>
+std::optional<typename T::value_type> remove_begin(T & c)
+{
+    auto i = c.begin();
+    if (i == c.end()) return {};
+    auto v = std::move(*i);
+    c.erase(i);
+    return v;
+}
+
+
 template<typename T>
 class Callback;