diff --git a/src/listener.c b/src/listener.c
index 40a774e..b5fe2ac 100644
--- a/src/listener.c
+++ b/src/listener.c
@@ -433,6 +433,9 @@
  * used as a protocol's generic enable_all() primitive, for use after the
  * fork(). It puts the listeners into LI_READY or LI_FULL states depending on
  * their number of connections. It always returns ERR_NONE.
+ *
+ * Must be called with proto_lock held.
+ *
  */
 int enable_all_listeners(struct protocol *proto)
 {
@@ -447,6 +450,9 @@
  * the polling lists when they are in the LI_READY or LI_FULL states. It is
  * intended to be used as a protocol's generic disable_all() primitive. It puts
  * the listeners into LI_LISTEN, and always returns ERR_NONE.
+ *
+ * Must be called with proto_lock held.
+ *
  */
 int disable_all_listeners(struct protocol *proto)
 {
@@ -516,6 +522,9 @@
 /* This function closes all listening sockets bound to the protocol <proto>,
  * and the listeners end in LI_ASSIGNED state if they were higher. It does not
  * detach them from the protocol. It always returns ERR_NONE.
+ *
+ * Must be called with proto_lock held.
+ *
  */
 int unbind_all_listeners(struct protocol *proto)
 {
@@ -580,14 +589,19 @@
  * number of listeners is updated, as well as the global number of listeners
  * and jobs. Note that the listener must have previously been unbound. This
  * is the generic function to use to remove a listener.
+ *
+ * Will grab the proto_lock.
+ *
  */
 void delete_listener(struct listener *listener)
 {
 	HA_SPIN_LOCK(LISTENER_LOCK, &listener->lock);
 	if (listener->state == LI_ASSIGNED) {
 		listener->state = LI_INIT;
+		HA_SPIN_LOCK(PROTO_LOCK, &proto_lock);
 		LIST_DEL(&listener->proto_list);
 		listener->proto->nb_listeners--;
+		HA_SPIN_UNLOCK(PROTO_LOCK, &proto_lock);
 		_HA_ATOMIC_SUB(&jobs, 1);
 		_HA_ATOMIC_SUB(&listeners, 1);
 	}
diff --git a/src/proto_sockpair.c b/src/proto_sockpair.c
index a4faa37..e7dd670 100644
--- a/src/proto_sockpair.c
+++ b/src/proto_sockpair.c
@@ -80,6 +80,9 @@
 /* Add <listener> to the list of sockpair listeners (port is ignored). The
  * listener's state is automatically updated from LI_INIT to LI_ASSIGNED.
  * The number of listeners for the protocol is updated.
+ *
+ * Must be called with proto_lock held.
+ *
  */
 static void sockpair_add_listener(struct listener *listener, int port)
 {
@@ -97,6 +100,8 @@
  * loose them across the fork(). A call to uxst_enable_listeners() is needed
  * to complete initialization.
  *
+ * Must be called with proto_lock held.
+ *
  * The return value is composed from ERR_NONE, ERR_RETRYABLE and ERR_FATAL.
  */
 static int sockpair_bind_listeners(struct protocol *proto, char *errmsg, int errlen)
diff --git a/src/proto_tcp.c b/src/proto_tcp.c
index 64ffb83..bcbe27a 100644
--- a/src/proto_tcp.c
+++ b/src/proto_tcp.c
@@ -1103,6 +1103,9 @@
  * The sockets will be registered but not added to any fd_set, in order not to
  * loose them across the fork(). A call to enable_all_listeners() is needed
  * to complete initialization. The return value is composed from ERR_*.
+ *
+ * Must be called with proto_lock held.
+ *
  */
 static int tcp_bind_listeners(struct protocol *proto, char *errmsg, int errlen)
 {
@@ -1121,6 +1124,9 @@
 /* Add <listener> to the list of tcpv4 listeners, on port <port>. The
  * listener's state is automatically updated from LI_INIT to LI_ASSIGNED.
  * The number of listeners for the protocol is updated.
+ *
+ * Must be called with proto_lock held.
+ *
  */
 static void tcpv4_add_listener(struct listener *listener, int port)
 {
@@ -1136,6 +1142,9 @@
 /* Add <listener> to the list of tcpv6 listeners, on port <port>. The
  * listener's state is automatically updated from LI_INIT to LI_ASSIGNED.
  * The number of listeners for the protocol is updated.
+ *
+ * Must be called with proto_lock held.
+ *
  */
 static void tcpv6_add_listener(struct listener *listener, int port)
 {
diff --git a/src/proto_uxst.c b/src/proto_uxst.c
index 66093af..7263240 100644
--- a/src/proto_uxst.c
+++ b/src/proto_uxst.c
@@ -379,6 +379,9 @@
 /* Add <listener> to the list of unix stream listeners (port is ignored). The
  * listener's state is automatically updated from LI_INIT to LI_ASSIGNED.
  * The number of listeners for the protocol is updated.
+ *
+ * Must be called with proto_lock held.
+ *
  */
 static void uxst_add_listener(struct listener *listener, int port)
 {
@@ -594,6 +597,8 @@
  * loose them across the fork(). A call to uxst_enable_listeners() is needed
  * to complete initialization.
  *
+ * Must be called with proto_lock held.
+ *
  * The return value is composed from ERR_NONE, ERR_RETRYABLE and ERR_FATAL.
  */
 static int uxst_bind_listeners(struct protocol *proto, char *errmsg, int errlen)
@@ -613,6 +618,9 @@
 /* This function stops all listening UNIX sockets bound to the protocol
  * <proto>. It does not detaches them from the protocol.
  * It always returns ERR_NONE.
+ *
+ * Must be called with proto_lock held.
+ *
  */
 static int uxst_unbind_listeners(struct protocol *proto)
 {
diff --git a/src/protocol.c b/src/protocol.c
index 96e01c8..ac45cf2 100644
--- a/src/protocol.c
+++ b/src/protocol.c
@@ -18,18 +18,26 @@
 #include <common/mini-clist.h>
 #include <common/standard.h>
 
-#include <types/protocol.h>
+#include <proto/protocol.h>
 
 /* List head of all registered protocols */
 static struct list protocols = LIST_HEAD_INIT(protocols);
 struct protocol *__protocol_by_family[AF_CUST_MAX] = { };
 
+/* This is the global spinlock we may need to register/unregister listeners or
+ * protocols. Its main purpose is in fact to serialize the rare stop/deinit()
+ * phases.
+ */
+__decl_spinlock(proto_lock);
+
 /* Registers the protocol <proto> */
 void protocol_register(struct protocol *proto)
 {
+	HA_SPIN_LOCK(PROTO_LOCK, &proto_lock);
 	LIST_ADDQ(&protocols, &proto->list);
 	if (proto->sock_domain >= 0 && proto->sock_domain < AF_CUST_MAX)
 		__protocol_by_family[proto->sock_domain] = proto;
+	HA_SPIN_UNLOCK(PROTO_LOCK, &proto_lock);
 }
 
 /* Unregisters the protocol <proto>. Note that all listeners must have
@@ -37,8 +45,10 @@
  */
 void protocol_unregister(struct protocol *proto)
 {
+	HA_SPIN_LOCK(PROTO_LOCK, &proto_lock);
 	LIST_DEL(&proto->list);
 	LIST_INIT(&proto->list);
+	HA_SPIN_UNLOCK(PROTO_LOCK, &proto_lock);
 }
 
 /* binds all listeners of all registered protocols. Returns a composition
@@ -50,6 +60,7 @@
 	int err;
 
 	err = 0;
+	HA_SPIN_LOCK(PROTO_LOCK, &proto_lock);
 	list_for_each_entry(proto, &protocols, list) {
 		if (proto->bind_all) {
 			err |= proto->bind_all(proto, errmsg, errlen);
@@ -57,6 +68,7 @@
 				break;
 		}
 	}
+	HA_SPIN_UNLOCK(PROTO_LOCK, &proto_lock);
 	return err;
 }
 
@@ -71,11 +83,13 @@
 	int err;
 
 	err = 0;
+	HA_SPIN_LOCK(PROTO_LOCK, &proto_lock);
 	list_for_each_entry(proto, &protocols, list) {
 		if (proto->unbind_all) {
 			err |= proto->unbind_all(proto);
 		}
 	}
+	HA_SPIN_UNLOCK(PROTO_LOCK, &proto_lock);
 	return err;
 }
 
@@ -89,11 +103,13 @@
 	int err;
 
 	err = 0;
+	HA_SPIN_LOCK(PROTO_LOCK, &proto_lock);
 	list_for_each_entry(proto, &protocols, list) {
 		if (proto->enable_all) {
 			err |= proto->enable_all(proto);
 		}
 	}
+	HA_SPIN_UNLOCK(PROTO_LOCK, &proto_lock);
 	return err;
 }
 
@@ -107,11 +123,13 @@
 	int err;
 
 	err = 0;
+	HA_SPIN_LOCK(PROTO_LOCK, &proto_lock);
 	list_for_each_entry(proto, &protocols, list) {
 		if (proto->disable_all) {
 			err |= proto->disable_all(proto);
 		}
 	}
+	HA_SPIN_UNLOCK(PROTO_LOCK, &proto_lock);
 	return err;
 }