diff --git a/include/haproxy/event_hdl.h b/include/haproxy/event_hdl.h
index ee133a2e3..097f881fe 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/event_hdl.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/event_hdl.h
@@ -425,20 +425,13 @@ static inline struct event_hdl_async_event *event_hdl_async_equeue_pop(event_hdl
 	return MT_LIST_POP(queue, struct event_hdl_async_event *, mt_list);
 }
 
-/* use this to initialize an event subscription list
- * (event_hdl_sub_list)
- */
-static inline void event_hdl_sub_list_init(event_hdl_sub_list *sub_list)
-{
-	MT_LIST_INIT(&sub_list->head);
-	HA_SPIN_INIT(&sub_list->insert_lock);
-}
+/* use this to initialize <sub_list> event subscription list */
+void event_hdl_sub_list_init(event_hdl_sub_list *sub_list);
 
 /* use this function when you need to destroy <sub_list>
- * subscription list
+ * event subscription list
  * All subscriptions will be removed and properly freed according
  * to their types
- * If <sub_list> is NULL, global subscription list will be used.
  */
 void event_hdl_sub_list_destroy(event_hdl_sub_list *sub_list);
 
diff --git a/src/event_hdl.c b/src/event_hdl.c
index 86fcbf577..c3bacfea6 100644
--- a/src/event_hdl.c
+++ b/src/event_hdl.c
@@ -759,6 +759,13 @@ int event_hdl_publish(event_hdl_sub_list *sub_list,
 	}
 }
 
+void event_hdl_sub_list_init(event_hdl_sub_list *sub_list)
+{
+	BUG_ON(!sub_list); /* unexpected, global sublist is managed internally */
+	MT_LIST_INIT(&sub_list->head);
+	HA_SPIN_INIT(&sub_list->insert_lock);
+}
+
 /* when a subscription list is no longer used, call this
  * to do the cleanup and make sure all related subscriptions are
  * safely ended according to their types
@@ -768,8 +775,7 @@ void event_hdl_sub_list_destroy(event_hdl_sub_list *sub_list)
 	struct event_hdl_sub *cur_sub;
 	struct mt_list *elt1, elt2;
 
-	if (!sub_list)
-		sub_list = &global_event_hdl_sub_list; /* fall back to global list */
+	BUG_ON(!sub_list); /* unexpected, global sublist is managed internally */
 	mt_list_for_each_entry_safe(cur_sub, &sub_list->head, mt_list, elt1, elt2) {
 		/* remove cur elem from list */
 		MT_LIST_DELETE_SAFE(elt1);