diff --git a/opal/event/devpoll.c b/opal/event/devpoll.c
index 65862d3cf2..46f7e08628 100644
--- a/opal/event/devpoll.c
+++ b/opal/event/devpoll.c
@@ -286,15 +286,15 @@ devpoll_dispatch(struct event_base *base, void *arg, struct timeval *tv)
 			continue;
 
 		if (evread != NULL && !(evread->ev_events & OPAL_EV_PERSIST))
-			opal_event_del(evread);
+			opal_event_del_i(evread);
 		if (evwrite != NULL && evwrite != evread &&
 		    !(evwrite->ev_events & OPAL_EV_PERSIST))
-			opal_event_del(evwrite);
+			opal_event_del_i(evwrite);
 
 		if (evread != NULL)
-			opal_event_active(evread, OPAL_EV_READ, 1);
+			opal_event_active_i(evread, OPAL_EV_READ, 1);
 		if (evwrite != NULL)
-			opal_event_active(evwrite, OPAL_EV_WRITE, 1);
+			opal_event_active_i(evwrite, OPAL_EV_WRITE, 1);
 	}
 
 	return (0);
diff --git a/opal/event/event.c b/opal/event/event.c
index f90f1d5e85..8b62ffa692 100644
--- a/opal/event/event.c
+++ b/opal/event/event.c
@@ -979,7 +979,7 @@ timeout_process(struct event_base *base)
 
 		event_debug(("timeout_process: call %p",
 			 ev->ev_callback));
-		opal_event_active(ev, OPAL_EV_TIMEOUT, 1);
+		opal_event_active_i(ev, OPAL_EV_TIMEOUT, 1);
 	}
 #endif
 }
diff --git a/opal/event/poll.c b/opal/event/poll.c
index 72771934eb..71ee61815e 100644
--- a/opal/event/poll.c
+++ b/opal/event/poll.c
@@ -240,13 +240,13 @@ poll_dispatch(struct event_base *base, void *arg, struct timeval *tv)
 
 		if (r_ev && (res & r_ev->ev_events)) {
 			if (!(r_ev->ev_events & OPAL_EV_PERSIST))
-				opal_event_del(r_ev);
-			opal_event_active(r_ev, res & r_ev->ev_events, 1);
+				opal_event_del_i(r_ev);
+			opal_event_active_i(r_ev, res & r_ev->ev_events, 1);
 		}
 		if (w_ev && w_ev != r_ev && (res & w_ev->ev_events)) {
 			if (!(w_ev->ev_events & OPAL_EV_PERSIST))
-				opal_event_del(w_ev);
-			opal_event_active(w_ev, res & w_ev->ev_events, 1);
+				opal_event_del_i(w_ev);
+			opal_event_active_i(w_ev, res & w_ev->ev_events, 1);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/opal/event/rtsig.c b/opal/event/rtsig.c
index 7e305bf080..0111c8e6ec 100644
--- a/opal/event/rtsig.c
+++ b/opal/event/rtsig.c
@@ -117,8 +117,8 @@ poll_remove(struct rtsigop *op, struct event *ev)
 static void
 activate(struct event *ev, int flags)
 {
-    if (!(ev->ev_events & EV_PERSIST)) event_del(ev);
-    event_active(ev, flags, 1);
+    if (!(ev->ev_events & EV_PERSIST)) event_del_i(ev);
+    event_active_i(ev, flags, 1);
 }
 
 static void *rtsig_init(void);
@@ -391,12 +391,12 @@ rtsig_dispatch(struct event_base *base, void *arg, struct timeval *tv)
 				flags |= EV_WRITE;
 
 			if (!(ev->ev_events & EV_PERSIST)) {
-				event_del(ev);
+				event_del_i(ev);
 				res--;
 			} else {
 				i++;
 			}
-			event_active(ev, flags, 1);
+			event_active_i(ev, flags, 1);
 		} else {
 #ifndef HAVE_WORKING_RTSIG
 			if (op->toev[i]->ev_flags & EVLIST_X_NORT) {
diff --git a/opal/event/select.c b/opal/event/select.c
index 09e19a587f..42a4e8dd0a 100644
--- a/opal/event/select.c
+++ b/opal/event/select.c
@@ -262,13 +262,13 @@ select_dispatch(struct event_base *base, void *arg, struct timeval *tv)
 		}
 		if (r_ev && (res & r_ev->ev_events)) {
 			if (!(r_ev->ev_events & OPAL_EV_PERSIST))
-				opal_event_del(r_ev);
-			opal_event_active(r_ev, res & r_ev->ev_events, 1);
+				opal_event_del_i(r_ev);
+			opal_event_active_i(r_ev, res & r_ev->ev_events, 1);
 		}
 		if (w_ev && w_ev != r_ev && (res & w_ev->ev_events)) {
 			if (!(w_ev->ev_events & OPAL_EV_PERSIST))
-				opal_event_del(w_ev);
-			opal_event_active(w_ev, res & w_ev->ev_events, 1);
+				opal_event_del_i(w_ev);
+			opal_event_active_i(w_ev, res & w_ev->ev_events, 1);
 		}
 	}
 	check_selectop(sop);
diff --git a/opal/event/signal.c b/opal/event/signal.c
index d713adf226..6d0e607f13 100644
--- a/opal/event/signal.c
+++ b/opal/event/signal.c
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ evsignal_cb(int fd, short what, void *arg)
 	n = read(fd, signals, sizeof(signals));
 	if (n == -1)
 		event_err(1, "%s: read", __func__);
-	opal_event_add(ev, NULL);
+	opal_event_add_i(ev, NULL);
 }
 
 #ifdef HAVE_SETFD
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ opal_evsignal_recalc(sigset_t *evsigmask)
 	
 	if (!ev_signal_added) {
 		ev_signal_added = 1;
-		opal_event_add(&ev_signal, NULL);
+		opal_event_add_i(&ev_signal, NULL);
 	}
 
 	if (TAILQ_FIRST(&opal_signalqueue) == NULL && !opal_needrecalc)