diff --git a/apps/app_queue.c b/apps/app_queue.c
index fb919f1072..06e9a913c8 100644
--- a/apps/app_queue.c
+++ b/apps/app_queue.c
@@ -628,14 +628,17 @@ static void *device_state_thread(void *data)
 
 	while (!device_state.stop) {
 		ast_mutex_lock(&device_state.lock);
-		while (!(sc = AST_LIST_REMOVE_HEAD(&device_state.state_change_q, entry)))
-			ast_cond_wait(&device_state.cond, &device_state.lock);
+		ast_cond_wait(&device_state.cond, &device_state.lock);
+		sc = AST_LIST_REMOVE_HEAD(&device_state.state_change_q, entry);
 		ast_mutex_unlock(&device_state.lock);
 
 		/* Check to see if we were woken up to see the request to stop */
 		if (device_state.stop)
 			return NULL;
 
+		if (!sc)
+			continue;
+
 		handle_statechange(sc);
 
 		free(sc);