diff --git a/dev/flags/flags.c b/dev/flags/flags.c
index 2f7c76b63..620a66984 100644
--- a/dev/flags/flags.c
+++ b/dev/flags/flags.c
@@ -283,7 +283,6 @@ void show_task_state(unsigned int f)
 	SHOW_FLAG(f, TASK_IN_LIST);
 	SHOW_FLAG(f, TASK_KILLED);
 	SHOW_FLAG(f, TASK_SELF_WAKING);
-	SHOW_FLAG(f, TASK_SHARED_WQ);
 	SHOW_FLAG(f, TASK_QUEUED);
 	SHOW_FLAG(f, TASK_GLOBAL);
 	SHOW_FLAG(f, TASK_RUNNING);
diff --git a/include/haproxy/task-t.h b/include/haproxy/task-t.h
index 9d74fd91a..22d7b373c 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/task-t.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/task-t.h
@@ -34,8 +34,7 @@
 #define TASK_RUNNING      0x00000001  /* the task is currently running */
 #define TASK_GLOBAL       0x00000002  /* The task is currently in the global runqueue */
 #define TASK_QUEUED       0x00000004  /* The task has been (re-)added to the run queue */
-#define TASK_SHARED_WQ    0x00000008  /* The task's expiration may be updated by other
-                                       * threads, must be set before first queue/wakeup */
+/* unused                 0x00000008 */
 #define TASK_SELF_WAKING  0x00000010  /* task/tasklet found waking itself */
 #define TASK_KILLED       0x00000020  /* task/tasklet killed, may now be freed */
 #define TASK_IN_LIST      0x00000040  /* tasklet is in a tasklet list */
@@ -59,7 +58,7 @@
 /* unused: 0x20000..0x80000000 */
 
 /* These flags are persistent across scheduler calls */
-#define TASK_PERSISTENT   (TASK_SHARED_WQ | TASK_SELF_WAKING | TASK_KILLED | \
+#define TASK_PERSISTENT   (TASK_SELF_WAKING | TASK_KILLED | \
                            TASK_HEAVY | TASK_F_TASKLET | TASK_F_USR1)
 
 struct notification {
diff --git a/include/haproxy/task.h b/include/haproxy/task.h
index 4a794333e..a753cd90b 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/task.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/task.h
@@ -278,8 +278,8 @@ static inline struct task *task_unlink_wq(struct task *t)
 	unsigned long locked;
 
 	if (likely(task_in_wq(t))) {
-		locked = t->state & TASK_SHARED_WQ;
-		BUG_ON(!locked && t->tid != tid);
+		locked = t->tid < 0;
+		BUG_ON(t->tid >= 0 && t->tid != tid);
 		if (locked)
 			HA_RWLOCK_WRLOCK(TASK_WQ_LOCK, &wq_lock);
 		__task_unlink_wq(t);
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ static inline void task_queue(struct task *task)
 		return;
 
 #ifdef USE_THREAD
-	if (task->state & TASK_SHARED_WQ) {
+	if (task->tid < 0) {
 		HA_RWLOCK_WRLOCK(TASK_WQ_LOCK, &wq_lock);
 		if (!task_in_wq(task) || tick_is_lt(task->expire, task->wq.key))
 			__task_queue(task, &timers);
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ static inline void task_queue(struct task *task)
 	} else
 #endif
 	{
-		BUG_ON(task->tid != tid); // should have TASK_SHARED_WQ
+		BUG_ON(task->tid != tid);
 		if (!task_in_wq(task) || tick_is_lt(task->expire, task->wq.key))
 			__task_queue(task, &th_ctx->timers);
 	}
@@ -547,8 +547,6 @@ static inline struct task *task_init(struct task *t, int tid)
 	tid = 0;
 #endif
 	t->tid = tid;
-	if (tid < 0)
-		t->state |= TASK_SHARED_WQ;
 	t->nice = 0;
 	t->calls = 0;
 	t->call_date = 0;
@@ -709,7 +707,7 @@ static inline void task_schedule(struct task *task, int when)
 		return;
 
 #ifdef USE_THREAD
-	if (task->state & TASK_SHARED_WQ) {
+	if (task->tid < 0) {
 		/* FIXME: is it really needed to lock the WQ during the check ? */
 		HA_RWLOCK_WRLOCK(TASK_WQ_LOCK, &wq_lock);
 		if (task_in_wq(task))
diff --git a/src/task.c b/src/task.c
index c32b9e4db..eac03fe75 100644
--- a/src/task.c
+++ b/src/task.c
@@ -302,8 +302,8 @@ void __task_wakeup(struct task *t)
 void __task_queue(struct task *task, struct eb_root *wq)
 {
 #ifdef USE_THREAD
-	BUG_ON((wq == &timers && !(task->state & TASK_SHARED_WQ)) ||
-	       (wq == &th_ctx->timers && (task->state & TASK_SHARED_WQ)) ||
+	BUG_ON((wq == &timers && task->tid >= 0) ||
+	       (wq == &th_ctx->timers && task->tid < 0) ||
 	       (wq != &timers && wq != &th_ctx->timers));
 #endif
 	/* if this happens the process is doomed anyway, so better catch it now