diff --git a/src/od_instance.c b/src/od_instance.c
index c3e71667..8e3256fa 100644
--- a/src/od_instance.c
+++ b/src/od_instance.c
@@ -158,11 +158,6 @@ int od_instance_main(od_instance_t *instance, int argc, char **argv)
 		.relay_pool = &relay_pool,
 		.instance   = instance
 	};
-	system.task_queue = machine_queue_create();
-	if (system.task_queue == NULL) {
-		od_error(&instance->log, NULL, "failed to create task queue");
-		return 1;
-	}
 	od_router_init(&router, &system);
 	od_periodic_init(&periodic, &system);
 	od_pooler_init(&pooler, &system);
diff --git a/src/od_periodic.c b/src/od_periodic.c
index 6ad99944..a604be3c 100644
--- a/src/od_periodic.c
+++ b/src/od_periodic.c
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ int od_periodic_start(od_periodic_t *periodic)
 	coroutine_id = machine_coroutine_create(od_periodic, periodic);
 	if (coroutine_id == -1) {
 		od_error(&instance->log, "periodic", "failed to start periodic coroutine");
-		return 1;
+		return -1;
 	}
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/od_pooler.c b/src/od_pooler.c
index 1f9e6328..33faaffe 100644
--- a/src/od_pooler.c
+++ b/src/od_pooler.c
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@
 #include "od_route.h"
 #include "od_route_pool.h"
 #include "od_router.h"
+#include "od_router.h"
+#include "od_relay.h"
+#include "od_relay_pool.h"
 #include "od_pooler.h"
 #include "od_periodic.h"
 #include "od_tls.h"
@@ -46,6 +49,7 @@ static inline void
 od_pooler_main(od_pooler_t *pooler)
 {
 	od_instance_t *instance = pooler->system->instance;
+	od_relaypool_t *relay_pool = pooler->system->relay_pool;
 
 	/* listen '*' */
 	struct addrinfo *hints_ptr = NULL;
@@ -149,12 +153,13 @@ od_pooler_main(od_pooler_t *pooler)
 		client->id = pooler->client_seq++;
 		client->io = client_io;
 
-		/* create new client event */
+		/* create new client connect event and pass it
+		 * to worker pool */
 		machine_msg_t *msg;
 		msg = machine_msg_create(OD_MCLIENT_NEW, sizeof(od_client_t*));
 		char *msg_data = machine_msg_get_data(msg);
 		memcpy(msg_data, &client, sizeof(od_client_t*));
-		machine_queue_put(pooler->system->task_queue, msg);
+		od_relaypool_feed(relay_pool, msg);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -225,7 +230,7 @@ od_pooler(void *arg)
 
 int od_pooler_init(od_pooler_t *pooler, od_system_t *system)
 {
-	od_instance_t *instance = pooler->system->instance;
+	od_instance_t *instance = system->instance;
 
 	pooler->machine = -1;
 	pooler->client_seq = 0;
@@ -248,7 +253,7 @@ int od_pooler_start(od_pooler_t *pooler)
 	pooler->machine = machine_create("pooler", od_pooler, pooler);
 	if (pooler->machine == -1) {
 		od_error(&instance->log, "pooler", "failed to create pooler thread");
-		return 1;
+		return -1;
 	}
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/od_relay.c b/src/od_relay.c
index 69a50175..9881f442 100644
--- a/src/od_relay.c
+++ b/src/od_relay.c
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ od_relay(void *arg)
 	for (;;)
 	{
 		machine_msg_t *msg;
-		msg = machine_queue_get(relay->system->task_queue, UINT32_MAX);
+		msg = machine_queue_get(relay->task_queue, UINT32_MAX);
 		if (msg == NULL)
 			break;
 
@@ -99,12 +99,19 @@ void od_relay_init(od_relay_t *relay, od_system_t *system, int id)
 int od_relay_start(od_relay_t *relay)
 {
 	od_instance_t *instance = relay->system->instance;
+
+	relay->task_queue = machine_queue_create();
+	if (relay->task_queue == NULL) {
+		od_error(&instance->log, "relay", "failed to create task queue");
+		return -1;
+	}
 	char name[32];
 	snprintf(name, sizeof(name), "relay: %d", relay->id);
 	relay->machine = machine_create(name, od_relay, relay);
 	if (relay->machine == -1) {
+		machine_queue_free(relay->task_queue);
 		od_error(&instance->log, "relay", "failed to start relay");
-		return 1;
+		return -1;
 	}
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/od_relay.h b/src/od_relay.h
index 57713bc4..2ec40e1f 100644
--- a/src/od_relay.h
+++ b/src/od_relay.h
@@ -11,9 +11,10 @@ typedef struct od_relay od_relay_t;
 
 struct od_relay
 {
-	int64_t      machine;
-	int          id;
-	od_system_t *system;
+	int64_t          machine;
+	int              id;
+	machine_queue_t *task_queue;
+	od_system_t     *system;
 };
 
 void od_relay_init(od_relay_t*, od_system_t*, int);
diff --git a/src/od_relay_pool.c b/src/od_relay_pool.c
index 3ef2f3d0..752cdc1e 100644
--- a/src/od_relay_pool.c
+++ b/src/od_relay_pool.c
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 
 int od_relaypool_init(od_relaypool_t *pool, od_system_t *system, int count)
 {
+	pool->round_robin = 0;
 	pool->count = count;
 	pool->pool = malloc(sizeof(od_relay_t) * count);
 	if (pool->pool == NULL)
@@ -70,3 +71,17 @@ int od_relaypool_start(od_relaypool_t *pool)
 	}
 	return 0;
 }
+
+void od_relaypool_feed(od_relaypool_t *pool, machine_msg_t *msg)
+{
+	int next = pool->round_robin;
+	if (pool->round_robin < pool->count) {
+		pool->round_robin++;
+	} else {
+		pool->round_robin = 0;
+		next = 0;
+	}
+	od_relay_t *relay;
+	relay = &pool->pool[next];
+	machine_queue_put(relay->task_queue, msg);
+}
diff --git a/src/od_relay_pool.h b/src/od_relay_pool.h
index 95d8ac97..6e89daf9 100644
--- a/src/od_relay_pool.h
+++ b/src/od_relay_pool.h
@@ -13,9 +13,11 @@ struct od_relaypool
 {
 	od_relay_t *pool;
 	int count;
+	int round_robin;
 };
 
-int od_relaypool_init(od_relaypool_t*, od_system_t*, int);
-int od_relaypool_start(od_relaypool_t*);
+int  od_relaypool_init(od_relaypool_t*, od_system_t*, int);
+int  od_relaypool_start(od_relaypool_t*);
+void od_relaypool_feed(od_relaypool_t*, machine_msg_t*);
 
 #endif /* OD_RELAY_POOL_H */
diff --git a/src/od_router.c b/src/od_router.c
index 7cb29dbb..9f5d4cd5 100644
--- a/src/od_router.c
+++ b/src/od_router.c
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ int od_router_start(od_router_t *router)
 	coroutine_id = machine_coroutine_create(od_router, router);
 	if (coroutine_id == -1) {
 		od_error(&instance->log, "router", "failed to start router");
-		return 1;
+		return -1;
 	}
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/od_system.h b/src/od_system.h
index 18f835c6..ef09299b 100644
--- a/src/od_system.h
+++ b/src/od_system.h
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ struct od_system
 	void *router;
 	void *periodic;
 	void *relay_pool;
-	machine_queue_t *task_queue;
 };
 
 #endif /* OD_SYSTEM_H */