diff --git a/src/AsyncEventSource.cpp b/src/AsyncEventSource.cpp
index 7b95b48a..1109d056 100644
--- a/src/AsyncEventSource.cpp
+++ b/src/AsyncEventSource.cpp
@@ -217,8 +217,12 @@ bool AsyncEventSourceClient::_queueMessage(const char *message, size_t len) {
     forcing Q run will only eat more heap ram and blow the buffer, let's just keep data in our own queue
     the queue will be processed at least on each onAck()/onPoll() call from AsyncTCP
   */
-  if (_messageQueue.size() < SSE_MAX_QUEUED_MESSAGES >> 2 && _client->canSend()) {
+  if (_client && _client->canSend() && _messageQueue.size() < SSE_MAX_QUEUED_MESSAGES >> 2) {
     _runQueue();
+
+  } else if (!_client) {
+    _messageQueue.clear();
+    return false;
   }
 
   return true;
@@ -243,9 +247,14 @@ bool AsyncEventSourceClient::_queueMessage(AsyncEvent_SharedData_t &&msg) {
     forcing Q run will only eat more heap ram and blow the buffer, let's just keep data in our own queue
     the queue will be processed at least on each onAck()/onPoll() call from AsyncTCP
   */
-  if (_messageQueue.size() < SSE_MAX_QUEUED_MESSAGES >> 2 && _client->canSend()) {
+  if (_client && _client->canSend() && _messageQueue.size() < SSE_MAX_QUEUED_MESSAGES >> 2) {
     _runQueue();
+
+  } else if (!_client) {
+    _messageQueue.clear();
+    return false;
   }
+
   return true;
 }
 
@@ -334,7 +343,7 @@ void AsyncEventSourceClient::_runQueue() {
   }
 
   // flush socket
-  if (total_bytes_written) {
+  if (total_bytes_written && _client) {
     _client->send();
   }
 }
@@ -360,7 +369,21 @@ void AsyncEventSource::_addClient(AsyncEventSourceClient *client) {
 #ifdef ESP32
   std::lock_guard<std::recursive_mutex> lock(_client_queue_lock);
 #endif
-  _clients.emplace_back(client);
+
+  // find first unique_ptr with nullptr and reuse it
+  bool reused = false;
+  for (auto &c : _clients) {
+    if (c.get() == nullptr) {
+      c.reset(client);
+      reused = true;
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (!reused) {
+    _clients.emplace_back(client);
+  }
+
   if (_connectcb) {
     _connectcb(client);
   }
@@ -377,7 +400,7 @@ void AsyncEventSource::_handleDisconnect(AsyncEventSourceClient *client) {
 #endif
   for (auto i = _clients.begin(); i != _clients.end(); ++i) {
     if (i->get() == client) {
-      _clients.erase(i);
+      i->reset();  // reset the unique_ptr but do not remove the list entry yet to keep other iterators valid
       break;
     }
   }
@@ -392,7 +415,7 @@ void AsyncEventSource::close() {
   std::lock_guard<std::recursive_mutex> lock(_client_queue_lock);
 #endif
   for (const auto &c : _clients) {
-    if (c->connected()) {
+    if (c.get() != nullptr && c->connected()) {
       /**
        * @brief: Fix self-deadlock by using recursive_mutex instead.
        * Due to c->close() shall call the callback function _onDisconnect()
@@ -403,6 +426,17 @@ void AsyncEventSource::close() {
   }
 }
 
+void AsyncEventSource::cleanup() {
+#ifdef ESP32
+  std::lock_guard<std::recursive_mutex> lock(_client_queue_lock);
+#endif
+
+  // resize the list to remove unique_ptr with nullptr
+  _clients.remove_if([](const std::unique_ptr<AsyncEventSourceClient> &c) {
+    return c.get() == nullptr;
+  });
+}
+
 // pmb fix
 size_t AsyncEventSource::avgPacketsWaiting() const {
   size_t aql = 0;
@@ -410,17 +444,13 @@ size_t AsyncEventSource::avgPacketsWaiting() const {
 #ifdef ESP32
   std::lock_guard<std::recursive_mutex> lock(_client_queue_lock);
 #endif
-  if (!_clients.size()) {
-    return 0;
-  }
-
   for (const auto &c : _clients) {
-    if (c->connected()) {
+    if (c.get() != nullptr && c->connected()) {
       aql += c->packetsWaiting();
       ++nConnectedClients;
     }
   }
-  return ((aql) + (nConnectedClients / 2)) / (nConnectedClients);  // round up
+  return nConnectedClients == 0 ? 0 : ((aql) + (nConnectedClients / 2)) / (nConnectedClients);  // round up
 }
 
 AsyncEventSource::SendStatus AsyncEventSource::send(const char *message, const char *event, uint32_t id, uint32_t reconnect) {
@@ -431,10 +461,12 @@ AsyncEventSource::SendStatus AsyncEventSource::send(const char *message, const c
   size_t hits = 0;
   size_t miss = 0;
   for (const auto &c : _clients) {
-    if (c->write(shared_msg)) {
-      ++hits;
-    } else {
-      ++miss;
+    if (c.get() != nullptr && c->connected()) {
+      if (c->write(shared_msg)) {
+        ++hits;
+      } else {
+        ++miss;
+      }
     }
   }
   return hits == 0 ? DISCARDED : (miss == 0 ? ENQUEUED : PARTIALLY_ENQUEUED);
@@ -446,7 +478,7 @@ size_t AsyncEventSource::count() const {
 #endif
   size_t n_clients{0};
   for (const auto &i : _clients) {
-    if (i->connected()) {
+    if (i.get() != nullptr && i->connected()) {
       ++n_clients;
     }
   }
@@ -462,11 +494,15 @@ void AsyncEventSource::handleRequest(AsyncWebServerRequest *request) {
   request->send(new AsyncEventSourceResponse(this));
 }
 
+// list iteration protected by caller's lock
 void AsyncEventSource::_adjust_inflight_window() {
-  if (_clients.size()) {
-    size_t inflight = SSE_MAX_INFLIGH / _clients.size();
+  const size_t clientCount = count();
+  if (clientCount) {
+    size_t inflight = SSE_MAX_INFLIGH / clientCount;
     for (const auto &c : _clients) {
-      c->set_max_inflight_bytes(inflight);
+      if (c.get() != nullptr && c->connected()) {
+        c->set_max_inflight_bytes(inflight);
+      }
     }
     // Serial.printf("adjusted inflight to: %u\n", inflight);
   }
diff --git a/src/AsyncEventSource.h b/src/AsyncEventSource.h
index 69c755ff..a8bd2a1a 100644
--- a/src/AsyncEventSource.h
+++ b/src/AsyncEventSource.h
@@ -272,6 +272,10 @@ class AsyncEventSource : public AsyncWebHandler {
   // close all connected clients
   void close();
 
+  // Cleanup internal resources.
+  // Has to be called periodically in the loop
+  void cleanup();
+
   /**
      * @brief set on-connect callback for the client
      * used to deliver messages to client on first connect