diff --git a/src/common/libflux/handle.c b/src/common/libflux/handle.c
index 4382c3525ed3..dea44e0d33ce 100644
--- a/src/common/libflux/handle.c
+++ b/src/common/libflux/handle.c
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 #include "msg_handler.h" // for flux_sleep_on ()
 #include "flog.h"
 #include "conf.h"
+#include "mpipe.h"
 #include "message_private.h" // to check msg refcount in flux_send_new ()
 
 #if HAVE_CALIPER
@@ -73,7 +74,7 @@ struct flux_handle {
     const struct flux_handle_ops *ops;
     void            *impl;
     void            *dso;
-    struct flux_msglist *queue;
+    struct mpipe    *queue;
     int             pollfd;
 
     struct tagpool  *tagpool;
@@ -420,7 +421,7 @@ flux_t *flux_handle_create (void *impl,
         goto error;
     tagpool_set_grow_cb (h->tagpool, tagpool_grow_notify, h);
     if (!(flags & FLUX_O_NOREQUEUE)) {
-        if (!(h->queue = flux_msglist_create ()))
+        if (!(h->queue = mpipe_create (MPIPE_SINGLE_THREAD)))
             goto error;
     }
     if ((flags & FLUX_O_RPCTRACK)) {
@@ -546,7 +547,7 @@ void flux_handle_destroy (flux_t *h)
             if (h->dso)
                 dlclose (h->dso);
 #endif
-            flux_msglist_destroy (h->queue);
+            mpipe_destroy (h->queue);
         }
         free (h);
         errno = saved_errno;
@@ -886,8 +887,8 @@ static flux_msg_t *flux_recv_any (flux_t *h, int flags)
     flux_msg_t *msg;
 
     if (!(h->flags & FLUX_O_NOREQUEUE)) {
-        if (flux_msglist_count (h->queue) > 0)
-            return (flux_msg_t *)flux_msglist_pop (h->queue);
+        if (!mpipe_empty (h->queue))
+            return mpipe_dequeue (h->queue);
     }
     if (!h->ops->recv) {
         errno = ENOSYS;
@@ -968,6 +969,10 @@ flux_msg_t *flux_recv (flux_t *h, struct flux_match match, int flags)
  */
 int flux_requeue (flux_t *h, const flux_msg_t *msg, int flags)
 {
+    if (!h || !msg) {
+        errno = EINVAL;
+        return -1;
+    }
     h = lookup_clone_ancestor (h);
     int rc;
 
@@ -976,10 +981,13 @@ int flux_requeue (flux_t *h, const flux_msg_t *msg, int flags)
         errno = EINVAL;
         return -1;
     }
+    flux_msg_incref (msg);
     if (flags == FLUX_RQ_TAIL)
-        rc = flux_msglist_append (h->queue, msg);
+        rc = mpipe_enqueue (h->queue, (flux_msg_t **)&msg);
     else
-        rc = flux_msglist_push (h->queue, msg);
+        rc = mpipe_requeue (h->queue, (flux_msg_t **)&msg);
+    if (rc < 0)
+        flux_msg_decref (msg);
     return rc;
 }
 
@@ -1002,7 +1010,7 @@ int flux_pollfd (flux_t *h)
         if ((h->pollfd = epoll_create1 (EPOLL_CLOEXEC)) < 0)
             goto error;
         /* add queue pollfd */
-        ev.data.fd = flux_msglist_pollfd (h->queue);
+        ev.data.fd = mpipe_pollfd (h->queue);
         if (ev.data.fd < 0)
             goto error;
         if (epoll_ctl (h->pollfd, EPOLL_CTL_ADD, ev.data.fd, &ev) < 0)
@@ -1048,7 +1056,7 @@ int flux_pollevents (flux_t *h)
     }
     if (!(h->flags & FLUX_O_NOREQUEUE)) {
         /* get queue events */
-        if ((e = flux_msglist_pollevents (h->queue)) < 0)
+        if ((e = mpipe_pollevents (h->queue)) < 0)
             return -1;
         if ((e & POLLIN))
             events |= FLUX_POLLIN;
diff --git a/src/common/libflux/test/handle.c b/src/common/libflux/test/handle.c
index 3abb07327913..886898eeafb3 100644
--- a/src/common/libflux/test/handle.c
+++ b/src/common/libflux/test/handle.c
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ int main (int argc, char *argv[])
     flux_t *h;
     char *s;
     flux_msg_t *msg;
+    flux_msg_t *msg2;
     const char *topic;
     uint32_t matchtag;
 
@@ -267,12 +268,33 @@ int main (int argc, char *argv[])
     ok ((flux_pollevents (h) & FLUX_POLLIN) == 0,
        "flux_pollevents shows FLUX_POLLIN clear after queue is emptied");
 
-    /* flux_requeue bad flags */
+    /* flux_requeue bad args */
+    errno = 0;
+    ok (flux_requeue (NULL, msg, FLUX_RQ_HEAD) < 0 && errno == EINVAL,
+        "flux_requeue h=NULL fails with EINVAL");
+    errno = 0;
+    ok (flux_requeue (h, NULL, FLUX_RQ_HEAD) < 0 && errno == EINVAL,
+        "flux_requeue msg=NULL fails with EINVAL");
     errno = 0;
     ok (flux_requeue (h, msg, 0) < 0 && errno == EINVAL,
         "flux_requeue fails with EINVAL if HEAD|TAIL unspecified");
     flux_msg_destroy (msg);
 
+    /* requeue preserves aux container (kvs needs this) */
+    if (!(msg = flux_request_encode ("foo", NULL)))
+        BAIL_OUT ("couldn't encode request");
+    if (flux_msg_aux_set (msg, "fubar", "xyz", NULL) < 0)
+        BAIL_OUT ("couldn't attach something to message aux container");
+    ok (flux_requeue (h, msg, FLUX_RQ_HEAD) == 0,
+        "flux_requeue works");
+    msg2 = flux_recv (h, FLUX_MATCH_ANY, 0);
+    ok (msg2 == msg,
+        "flux_recv returned requeued message and it has the same address");
+    ok (flux_msg_aux_get (msg2, "fubar") != NULL,
+        "and aux was preserved");
+    flux_msg_decref (msg);
+    flux_msg_decref (msg2);
+
     /* flux_requeue: add foo, bar to HEAD; then receive bar, foo */
     if (!(msg = flux_request_encode ("foo", NULL)))
         BAIL_OUT ("couldn't encode request");