diff --git a/Release/src/http/client/http_client_asio.cpp b/Release/src/http/client/http_client_asio.cpp
index 49376dc882..560eac68d0 100644
--- a/Release/src/http/client/http_client_asio.cpp
+++ b/Release/src/http/client/http_client_asio.cpp
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ enum class httpclient_errorcode_context
     close
 };
 
-class asio_connection : public std::enable_shared_from_this<asio_connection>
+class asio_connection
 {
     friend class asio_client;
 public:
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ class asio_connection : public std::enable_shared_from_this<asio_connection>
     bool m_keep_alive;
 };
 
-/// <summary>Implements a connection pool with adaptive connection removal and callback notification on idle</summary>
+/// <summary>Implements a connection pool with adaptive connection removal</summary>
 /// <remarks>
 /// The timeout mechanism is based on the `uint64_t m_epoch` member. Every 30 seconds,
 /// the lambda in `start_epoch_interval` fires, triggering the cleanup of any
@@ -247,20 +247,18 @@ class asio_connection : public std::enable_shared_from_this<asio_connection>
 ///   }
 /// </code>
 ///
-/// Additionally, idle notification is only triggered when two cleanup phases have
-/// occurred with no calls to `acquire()` between them. This prevents a race
-/// condition where the cleanup might occur when the pool happens to be
-/// instantaneously empty but still under heavy load.
+/// Additionally, when two cleanup phases have occurred with no calls to `release()`
+/// between them, the internal self-reference is cleared. If there are no active
+/// `http_client`s keeping the pool alive, this will cause the pool to expire upon
+/// cleanup handler termination. Whenever a new call to `release()` arrives, the self
+/// reference is re-applied to keep the pool alive.
 /// </remarks>
 class asio_connection_pool : public std::enable_shared_from_this<asio_connection_pool>
 {
 public:
-    asio_connection_pool(const std::function<void(asio_connection_pool*)>& m_cb = {})
-        : m_pool_epoch_timer(crossplat::threadpool::shared_instance().service()),
-        m_parent_pool_cb(m_cb)
-    {
-        start_epoch_interval(shared_from_this());
-    }
+    asio_connection_pool()
+        : m_pool_epoch_timer(crossplat::threadpool::shared_instance().service())
+    {}
 
     std::shared_ptr<asio_connection> acquire()
     {
@@ -283,39 +281,56 @@ class asio_connection_pool : public std::enable_shared_from_this<asio_connection
             return;
 
         std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(m_lock);
+        if (m_self_reference == nullptr)
+        {
+            auto sptr = this->shared_from_this();
+            m_self_reference = sptr;
+            start_epoch_interval(sptr);
+        }
+
         m_epoch++;
         m_connections.emplace_back(m_epoch, connection);
     }
 
 private:
+    // Note: must be called under m_lock
     static void start_epoch_interval(const std::shared_ptr<asio_connection_pool>& pool) {
+        _ASSERTE(pool.get() != nullptr);
+        _ASSERTE(pool->m_self_reference != nullptr);
+
+        auto& self = *pool;
         std::weak_ptr<asio_connection_pool> weak_pool = pool;
-        auto prev_epoch = pool->m_epoch;
+
+        self.m_prev_epoch = self.m_epoch;
         pool->m_pool_epoch_timer.expires_from_now(boost::posix_time::seconds(30));
-        pool->m_pool_epoch_timer.async_wait([prev_epoch, weak_pool](const boost::system::error_code& ec) {
+        pool->m_pool_epoch_timer.async_wait([weak_pool](const boost::system::error_code& ec) {
             if (ec)
                 return;
 
             auto pool = weak_pool.lock();
             if (!pool)
                 return;
+            auto& self = *pool;
 
-            std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(pool->m_lock);
-            if (prev_epoch == pool->m_epoch && pool->m_parent_pool_cb)
+            std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(self.m_lock);
+            _ASSERTE(self.m_self_reference != nullptr);
+            if (self.m_prev_epoch == self.m_epoch)
             {
-                assert(pool->m_connections.empty());
-                pool->m_parent_pool_cb(pool.get());
+                assert(self.m_connections.empty());
+                self.m_self_reference = nullptr;
             }
             else
             {
-                auto erase_end = std::find_if(pool->m_connections.begin(), pool->m_connections.end(), [prev_epoch](std::pair<uint64_t, std::shared_ptr<asio_connection>>& p)
+                auto prev_epoch = self.m_prev_epoch;
+                auto erase_end = std::find_if(self.m_connections.begin(), self.m_connections.end(),
+                    [prev_epoch](std::pair<uint64_t, std::shared_ptr<asio_connection>>& p)
                 {
                     return p.first > prev_epoch;
                 });
 
-                pool->m_connections.erase(pool->m_connections.begin(), erase_end);
+                self.m_connections.erase(self.m_connections.begin(), erase_end);
+                start_epoch_interval(pool);
             }
-            start_epoch_interval(pool);
         });
     }
 
@@ -323,8 +338,9 @@ class asio_connection_pool : public std::enable_shared_from_this<asio_connection
     boost::asio::deadline_timer m_pool_epoch_timer;
     std::deque<std::pair<uint64_t, std::shared_ptr<asio_connection>>> m_connections;
     uint64_t m_epoch = 0;
+    uint64_t m_prev_epoch = 0;
 
-    const std::function<void(asio_connection_pool*)> m_parent_pool_cb;
+    std::shared_ptr<asio_connection_pool> m_self_reference;
 };
 
 class asio_shared_connection_pool : public std::enable_shared_from_this<asio_shared_connection_pool>
@@ -336,26 +352,27 @@ class asio_shared_connection_pool : public std::enable_shared_from_this<asio_sha
 
         std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(m_lock);
         auto it = m_pools.find(pool_key);
-        if (it == m_pools.end())
+        if (it != m_pools.end())
         {
-            std::weak_ptr<asio_shared_connection_pool> weak_this = shared_from_this();
-            ret = std::make_shared<asio_connection_pool>([pool_key, weak_this](asio_connection_pool* inner_pool_ptr)
+            ret = it->second.lock();
+            if (ret == nullptr)
             {
-                auto self = weak_this.lock();
-                if (!self)
-                    return;
-
-                std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(self->m_lock);
-                auto it = self->m_pools.find(pool_key);
-                if (it != self->m_pools.end() && it->second.get() == inner_pool_ptr)
-                    self->m_pools.erase(it);
-            });
-            m_pools.emplace(pool_key, ret);
+                // Previous pool expired
+                ret = std::make_shared<asio_connection_pool>();
+                it->second = ret;
+            }
         }
         else
         {
-            ret = it->second;
+            if (m_pools.empty())
+            {
+                // If transitioning from empty to having a single element, restart the timer.
+                start_timer(shared_from_this());
+            }
+            ret = std::make_shared<asio_connection_pool>();
+            m_pools.emplace(pool_key, ret);
         }
+
         assert(ret != nullptr);
         return ret;
     }
@@ -367,9 +384,39 @@ class asio_shared_connection_pool : public std::enable_shared_from_this<asio_sha
         return s_instance;
     }
 
+    asio_shared_connection_pool() : m_timer(crossplat::threadpool::shared_instance().service()) {}
+
 private:
+    static void start_timer(const std::shared_ptr<asio_shared_connection_pool>& self)
+    {
+        self->m_timer.expires_from_now(boost::posix_time::seconds(60));
+        std::weak_ptr<asio_shared_connection_pool> weak_this = self;
+        self->m_timer.async_wait([weak_this](const boost::system::error_code& ec)
+        {
+            if (ec)
+                return;
+            auto strong_this = weak_this.lock();
+            if (!strong_this)
+                return;
+
+            std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(strong_this->m_lock);
+            auto b = strong_this->m_pools.begin();
+            auto e = strong_this->m_pools.end();
+            for (; b != e;)
+            {
+                if (b->second.expired())
+                    b = strong_this->m_pools.erase(b);
+                else
+                    ++b;
+            }
+            if (!strong_this->m_pools.empty())
+                start_timer(strong_this);
+        });
+    }
+
+    boost::asio::deadline_timer m_timer;
     std::mutex m_lock;
-    std::unordered_map<std::string, std::shared_ptr<asio_connection_pool>> m_pools;
+    std::unordered_map<std::string, std::weak_ptr<asio_connection_pool>> m_pools;
 };
 
 class asio_client final : public _http_client_communicator