diff --git a/lib/io-loop.h b/lib/io-loop.h
index 877cd5ce..b0d3d6cc 100644
--- a/lib/io-loop.h
+++ b/lib/io-loop.h
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 extern struct birdloop main_birdloop;
 
 /* Start a new birdloop owned by given pool and domain */
-struct birdloop *birdloop_new(pool *p, uint order, const char *name, btime max_latency);
+struct birdloop *birdloop_new(pool *p, uint order, btime max_latency, const char *fmt, ...);
 
 /* Stop the loop. At the end, the @stopped callback is called unlocked in tail
  * position to finish cleanup. Run birdloop_free() from that callback to free
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@ event_list *birdloop_event_list(struct birdloop *loop);
 /* Get birdloop's time heap */
 struct timeloop *birdloop_time_loop(struct birdloop *loop);
 
+/* Get birdloop's pool */
+pool *birdloop_pool(struct birdloop *loop);
+
 /* Enter and exit the birdloop */
 void birdloop_enter(struct birdloop *loop);
 void birdloop_leave(struct birdloop *loop);
diff --git a/lib/resource.c b/lib/resource.c
index 0006bc8d..b1b89bdf 100644
--- a/lib/resource.c
+++ b/lib/resource.c
@@ -64,13 +64,19 @@ rp_new(pool *p, const char *name)
 }
 
 pool *
-rp_newf(pool *p, const char *fmt, ...)
+rp_vnewf(pool *p, const char *fmt, va_list args)
 {
   pool *z = rp_new(p, NULL);
+  z->name = mb_vsprintf(p, fmt, args);
+  return z;
+}
 
+pool *
+rp_newf(pool *p, const char *fmt, ...)
+{
   va_list args;
   va_start(args, fmt);
-  z->name = mb_vsprintf(p, fmt, args);
+  pool *z = rp_vnewf(p, fmt, args);
   va_end(args);
 
   return z;
diff --git a/lib/resource.h b/lib/resource.h
index 64803778..2adb9de0 100644
--- a/lib/resource.h
+++ b/lib/resource.h
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
 
 #include "lib/lists.h"
 
+#include <stdarg.h>
+
 struct resmem {
   size_t effective;			/* Memory actually used for data storage */
   size_t overhead;			/* Overhead memory imposed by allocator strategies */
@@ -60,6 +62,7 @@ void *ralloc(pool *, struct resclass *);
 
 pool *rp_new(pool *, const char *);		/* Create a new pool */
 pool *rp_newf(pool *, const char *, ...);	/* Create a new pool with a formatted string as its name */
+pool *rp_vnewf(pool *, const char *, va_list);	/* Create a new pool with a formatted string as its name */
 void rp_init(pool *, const char *);		/* Init a new pool */
 void rp_initf(pool *, const char *, ...);	/* Init a new pool with a formatted string as its name */
 static inline void rp_free(pool *p) { rfree(&p->r); }	/* Free the whole pool */
diff --git a/nest/proto.c b/nest/proto.c
index 1b25dfe9..d6269272 100644
--- a/nest/proto.c
+++ b/nest/proto.c
@@ -1116,8 +1116,11 @@ proto_cleanup(struct proto *p)
 {
   CALL(p->proto->cleanup, p);
 
-  rp_free(p->pool);
-  p->pool = NULL;
+  if (p->pool)
+  {
+    rp_free(p->pool);
+    p->pool = NULL;
+  }
 
   p->active = 0;
   proto_log_state_change(p);
@@ -1131,8 +1134,10 @@ proto_loop_stopped(void *ptr)
 
   birdloop_enter(&main_birdloop);
 
+  p->pool = NULL; /* is freed by birdloop_free() */
   birdloop_free(p->loop);
   p->loop = &main_birdloop;
+
   proto_cleanup(p);
 
   birdloop_leave(&main_birdloop);
@@ -1214,13 +1219,16 @@ proto_start(struct proto *p)
   DBG("Kicking %s up\n", p->name);
   PD(p, "Starting");
 
-  p->pool = rp_newf(proto_pool, "Protocol %s", p->cf->name);
-
   if (graceful_restart_state == GRS_INIT)
     p->gr_recovery = 1;
 
   if (p->cf->loop_order != DOMAIN_ORDER(the_bird))
-    p->loop = birdloop_new(p->pool, p->cf->loop_order, p->pool->name, p->cf->loop_max_latency);
+  {
+    p->loop = birdloop_new(proto_pool, p->cf->loop_order, p->cf->loop_max_latency, "Protocol %s", p->cf->name);
+    p->pool = birdloop_pool(p->loop);
+  }
+  else
+    p->pool = rp_newf(proto_pool, "Protocol %s", p->cf->name);
 
   p->iface_sub.target = proto_event_list(p);
 
diff --git a/nest/rt-table.c b/nest/rt-table.c
index cec13318..9629db2c 100644
--- a/nest/rt-table.c
+++ b/nest/rt-table.c
@@ -2845,10 +2845,15 @@ rt_setup(pool *pp, struct rtable_config *cf)
 {
   ASSERT_DIE(birdloop_inside(&main_birdloop));
 
-  pool *p = rp_newf(pp, "Routing table %s", cf->name);
+  /* Start the service thread */
+  struct birdloop *loop = birdloop_new(pp, DOMAIN_ORDER(service), 0, "Routing table service %s", cf->name);
+  pool *sp = birdloop_pool(loop);
+  pool *p = rp_newf(sp, "Routing table data %s", cf->name);
 
+  /* Create the actual table */
   struct rtable_private *t = ralloc(p, &rt_class);
   t->rp = p;
+  t->loop = loop;
 
   t->rte_slab = sl_new(p, sizeof(struct rte_storage));
 
@@ -2906,8 +2911,7 @@ rt_setup(pool *pp, struct rtable_config *cf)
     t->flowspec_trie->ipv4 = (t->addr_type == NET_FLOW4);
   }
 
-  /* Start the service thread */
-  t->loop = birdloop_new(p, DOMAIN_ORDER(service), mb_sprintf(p, "Routing table %s", t->name), 0);
+  /* Setup the service thread flag handler */
   birdloop_enter(t->loop);
   birdloop_flag_set_handler(t->loop, &t->fh);
   birdloop_leave(t->loop);
@@ -4073,8 +4077,8 @@ rt_delete(void *tab_)
 
   RT_UNLOCK(RT_PUB(tab));
 
+  /* Everything is freed by freeing the loop */
   birdloop_free(tab->loop);
-  rfree(tab->rp);
   config_del_obstacle(conf);
 
   birdloop_leave(&main_birdloop);
diff --git a/sysdep/unix/io-loop.c b/sysdep/unix/io-loop.c
index 8481bb6e..701eddf7 100644
--- a/sysdep/unix/io-loop.c
+++ b/sysdep/unix/io-loop.c
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 
 #define THREAD_STACK_SIZE	65536	/* To be lowered in near future */
 
-static struct birdloop *birdloop_new_internal(pool *pp, uint order, const char *name, int request_pickup, struct birdloop_pickup_group *group);
+static struct birdloop *birdloop_new_no_pickup(pool *pp, uint order, const char *name, ...);
 
 /*
  *	Nanosecond time for accounting purposes
@@ -87,6 +87,12 @@ birdloop_time_loop(struct birdloop *loop)
   return &loop->time;
 }
 
+pool *
+birdloop_pool(struct birdloop *loop)
+{
+  return loop->pool;
+}
+
 _Bool
 birdloop_inside(struct birdloop *loop)
 {
@@ -627,7 +633,7 @@ bird_thread_main(void *arg)
   tmp_init(thr->pool);
   init_list(&thr->loops);
 
-  thr->meta = birdloop_new_internal(thr->pool, DOMAIN_ORDER(meta), "Thread Meta", 0, thr->group);
+  thr->meta = birdloop_new_no_pickup(thr->pool, DOMAIN_ORDER(meta), "Thread Meta");
   thr->meta->thread = thr;
   birdloop_enter(thr->meta);
 
@@ -885,7 +891,7 @@ bird_thread_commit(struct config *new, struct config *old UNUSED)
 
     if ((dif > 0) && !thread_dropper_running)
     {
-      struct birdloop *tdl = birdloop_new(&root_pool, DOMAIN_ORDER(control), "Thread dropper", group->max_latency);
+      struct birdloop *tdl = birdloop_new(&root_pool, DOMAIN_ORDER(control), group->max_latency, "Thread dropper");
       event *tde = ev_new_init(tdl->pool, bird_thread_shutdown, NULL);
 
       LOCK_DOMAIN(resource, group->domain);
@@ -1178,11 +1184,11 @@ birdloop_run_timer(timer *tm)
 }
 
 static struct birdloop *
-birdloop_new_internal(pool *pp, uint order, const char *name, int request_pickup, struct birdloop_pickup_group *group)
+birdloop_vnew_internal(pool *pp, uint order, struct birdloop_pickup_group *group, const char *name, va_list args)
 {
   struct domain_generic *dg = domain_new(name, order);
 
-  pool *p = rp_new(pp, name);
+  pool *p = rp_vnewf(pp, name, args);
   struct birdloop *loop = mb_allocz(p, sizeof(struct birdloop));
   loop->pool = p;
 
@@ -1200,7 +1206,7 @@ birdloop_new_internal(pool *pp, uint order, const char *name, int request_pickup
   loop->event = (event) { .hook = birdloop_run, .data = loop, };
   loop->timer = (timer) { .hook = birdloop_run_timer, .data = loop, };
 
-  if (request_pickup)
+  if (group)
   {
     LOCK_DOMAIN(resource, group->domain);
     add_tail(&group->loops, &loop->n);
@@ -1218,10 +1224,24 @@ birdloop_new_internal(pool *pp, uint order, const char *name, int request_pickup
   return loop;
 }
 
-struct birdloop *
-birdloop_new(pool *pp, uint order, const char *name, btime max_latency)
+static struct birdloop *
+birdloop_new_no_pickup(pool *pp, uint order, const char *name, ...)
 {
-  return birdloop_new_internal(pp, order, name, 1, max_latency ? &pickup_groups[1] : &pickup_groups[0]);
+  va_list args;
+  va_start(args, name);
+  struct birdloop *loop = birdloop_vnew_internal(pp, order, NULL, name, args);
+  va_end(args);
+  return loop;
+}
+
+struct birdloop *
+birdloop_new(pool *pp, uint order, btime max_latency, const char *name, ...)
+{
+  va_list args;
+  va_start(args, name);
+  struct birdloop *loop = birdloop_vnew_internal(pp, order, max_latency ? &pickup_groups[1] : &pickup_groups[0], name, args);
+  va_end(args);
+  return loop;
 }
 
 static void