diff --git a/src/networking.c b/src/networking.c
index 7d8470489..3a36badb8 100644
--- a/src/networking.c
+++ b/src/networking.c
@@ -1711,12 +1711,12 @@ void readQueryFromClient(aeEventLoop *el, int fd, void *privdata, int mask) {
             return;
         } else {
             serverLog(LL_VERBOSE, "Reading from client: %s",strerror(errno));
-            freeClient(c);
+            freeClientAsync(c);
             return;
         }
     } else if (nread == 0) {
         serverLog(LL_VERBOSE, "Client closed connection");
-        freeClient(c);
+        freeClientAsync(c);
         return;
     } else if (c->flags & CLIENT_MASTER) {
         /* Append the query buffer to the pending (not applied) buffer
@@ -1739,7 +1739,7 @@ void readQueryFromClient(aeEventLoop *el, int fd, void *privdata, int mask) {
 //        serverLog(LL_WARNING,"Closing client that reached max query buffer length: %s (qbuf initial bytes: %s)", ci, bytes);
         sdsfree(ci);
         sdsfree(bytes);
-        freeClient(c);
+        freeClientAsync(c);
         return;
     }
 
@@ -2538,8 +2538,10 @@ void *IOThreadMain(void *myid) {
             client *c = listNodeValue(ln);
             if (io_threads_op == IO_THREADS_OP_WRITE) {
                 writeToClient(c->fd,c,0);
-            } else {
+            } else if (io_threads_op == IO_THREADS_OP_READ) {
                 readQueryFromClient(NULL,c->fd,c,0);
+            } else {
+                serverPanic("io_threads_op value is unknown");
             }
         }
         listEmpty(io_threads_list[id]);
@@ -2632,7 +2634,7 @@ int handleClientsWithPendingWritesUsingThreads(void) {
     /* Start threads if needed. */
     if (!io_threads_active) startThreadedIO();
 
-    if (tio_debug) printf("%d TOTAL pending clients\n", processed);
+    if (tio_debug) printf("%d TOTAL WRITE pending clients\n", processed);
 
     /* Distribute the clients across N different lists. */
     listIter li;
@@ -2649,6 +2651,7 @@ int handleClientsWithPendingWritesUsingThreads(void) {
 
     /* Give the start condition to the waiting threads, by setting the
      * start condition atomic var. */
+    io_threads_op = IO_THREADS_OP_WRITE;
     for (int j = 0; j < server.io_threads_num; j++) {
         int count = listLength(io_threads_list[j]);
         io_threads_pending[j] = count;
@@ -2661,7 +2664,7 @@ int handleClientsWithPendingWritesUsingThreads(void) {
             pending += io_threads_pending[j];
         if (pending == 0) break;
     }
-    if (tio_debug) printf("All threads finshed\n");
+    if (tio_debug) printf("I/O WRITE All threads finshed\n");
 
     /* Run the list of clients again to install the write handler where
      * needed. */
@@ -2699,4 +2702,48 @@ int postponeClientRead(client *c) {
 }
 
 int handleClientsWithPendingReadsUsingThreads(void) {
+    if (!io_threads_active) return 0;
+    int processed = listLength(server.clients_pending_read);
+    if (processed == 0) return 0;
+
+    if (tio_debug) printf("%d TOTAL READ pending clients\n", processed);
+
+    /* Distribute the clients across N different lists. */
+    listIter li;
+    listNode *ln;
+    listRewind(server.clients_pending_read,&li);
+    int item_id = 0;
+    while((ln = listNext(&li))) {
+        client *c = listNodeValue(ln);
+        int target_id = item_id % server.io_threads_num;
+        listAddNodeTail(io_threads_list[target_id],c);
+        item_id++;
+    }
+
+    /* Give the start condition to the waiting threads, by setting the
+     * start condition atomic var. */
+    io_threads_op = IO_THREADS_OP_READ;
+    for (int j = 0; j < server.io_threads_num; j++) {
+        int count = listLength(io_threads_list[j]);
+        io_threads_pending[j] = count;
+    }
+
+    /* Wait for all threads to end their work. */
+    while(1) {
+        unsigned long pending = 0;
+        for (int j = 0; j < server.io_threads_num; j++)
+            pending += io_threads_pending[j];
+        if (pending == 0) break;
+    }
+    if (tio_debug) printf("I/O READ All threads finshed\n");
+
+    /* Run the list of clients again to process the new buffers. */
+    listRewind(server.clients_pending_read,&li);
+    while((ln = listNext(&li))) {
+        client *c = listNodeValue(ln);
+        c->flags &= ~CLIENT_PENDING_READ;
+        processInputBufferAndReplicate(c);
+    }
+    listEmpty(server.clients_pending_read);
+    return processed;
 }
diff --git a/src/server.c b/src/server.c
index ef6b85c44..e0c48b097 100644
--- a/src/server.c
+++ b/src/server.c
@@ -2092,6 +2092,7 @@ void beforeSleep(struct aeEventLoop *eventLoop) {
 void afterSleep(struct aeEventLoop *eventLoop) {
     UNUSED(eventLoop);
     if (moduleCount()) moduleAcquireGIL();
+    handleClientsWithPendingReadsUsingThreads();
 }
 
 /* =========================== Server initialization ======================== */
diff --git a/src/server.h b/src/server.h
index dcfcb55fb..0d7882419 100644
--- a/src/server.h
+++ b/src/server.h
@@ -1578,6 +1578,7 @@ int clientsArePaused(void);
 int processEventsWhileBlocked(void);
 int handleClientsWithPendingWrites(void);
 int handleClientsWithPendingWritesUsingThreads(void);
+int handleClientsWithPendingReadsUsingThreads(void);
 int stopThreadedIOIfNeeded(void);
 int clientHasPendingReplies(client *c);
 void unlinkClient(client *c);