diff --git a/common/init.c b/common/init.c
index 073c5cd8a..dbdf40527 100644
--- a/common/init.c
+++ b/common/init.c
@@ -161,17 +161,6 @@ _init_common_subsystems (gpg_err_source_t errsource, int *argcp, char ***argvp)
   /* Try to auto set the character set.  */
   set_native_charset (NULL);
 
-#ifdef HAVE_W32_SYSTEM
-  /* For W32 we need to initialize the socket layer.  This is because
-     we use recv and send in libassuan as well as at some other
-     places.  */
-  {
-    WSADATA wsadat;
-
-    WSAStartup (0x202, &wsadat);
-  }
-#endif
-
 #ifdef HAVE_W32CE_SYSTEM
   /* Register the sleep exit function before the estream init so that
      the sleep will be called after the estream registered atexit
diff --git a/dirmngr/dirmngr-client.c b/dirmngr/dirmngr-client.c
index 1ea10a8ad..f65a7fcfa 100644
--- a/dirmngr/dirmngr-client.c
+++ b/dirmngr/dirmngr-client.c
@@ -208,16 +208,6 @@ main (int argc, char **argv )
    * init_common_subsystems, but we don't need that here.  */
   gpgrt_set_fixed_string_mapper (map_static_macro_string);
 
-  /* For W32 we need to initialize the socket subsystem.  Because we
-     don't use Pth we need to do this explicit. */
-#ifdef HAVE_W32_SYSTEM
- {
-   WSADATA wsadat;
-
-   WSAStartup (0x202, &wsadat);
- }
-#endif /*HAVE_W32_SYSTEM*/
-
   /* Init Assuan.  */
   assuan_set_assuan_log_prefix (log_get_prefix (NULL));
   assuan_set_gpg_err_source (GPG_ERR_SOURCE_DEFAULT);
diff --git a/scd/apdu.c b/scd/apdu.c
index 46d18b14b..33951a2da 100644
--- a/scd/apdu.c
+++ b/scd/apdu.c
@@ -813,7 +813,7 @@ static int
 close_pcsc_reader (int slot)
 {
   (void)slot;
-  if (--pcsc.count == 0)
+  if (--pcsc.count == 0 && npth_mutex_trylock (&reader_table_lock) == 0)
     {
       int i;