diff --git a/threadregular.go b/threadregular.go
index 57bafdd3..854da730 100644
--- a/threadregular.go
+++ b/threadregular.go
@@ -13,8 +13,9 @@ import (
 type regularThread struct {
 	contextHolder
 
-	state  *threadState
-	thread *phpThread
+	state     *threadState
+	thread    *phpThread
+	workReady chan contextHolder // Channel to receive work directly
 }
 
 var (
@@ -22,12 +23,14 @@ var (
 	regularThreadMu    = &sync.RWMutex{}
 	regularRequestChan chan contextHolder
 	regularSemaphore   *semaphore.Weighted // FIFO admission control
+	regularThreadPool  sync.Pool           // Pool of idle threads for direct handoff
 )
 
 func convertToRegularThread(thread *phpThread) {
 	thread.setHandler(&regularThread{
-		thread: thread,
-		state:  thread.state,
+		thread:    thread,
+		state:     thread.state,
+		workReady: make(chan contextHolder, 1), // Buffered to avoid blocking sender
 	})
 	attachRegularThread(thread)
 }
@@ -77,13 +80,19 @@ func (handler *regularThread) waitForRequest() string {
 
 	handler.state.markAsWaiting(true)
 
-	var ch contextHolder
+	// Put this thread in the pool for direct handoff
+	regularThreadPool.Put(handler)
 
+	// Wait for work to be assigned (either via pool or fallback channel)
+	var ch contextHolder
 	select {
 	case <-handler.thread.drainChan:
 		// go back to beforeScriptExecution
 		return handler.beforeScriptExecution()
+	case ch = <-handler.workReady:
+		// Work received via direct handoff from the pool
 	case ch = <-regularRequestChan:
+		// Fallback: work came via global channel
 	}
 
 	handler.ctx = ch.ctx
@@ -111,6 +120,18 @@ func handleRequestWithRegularPHPThreads(ch contextHolder) error {
 	}
 	defer regularSemaphore.Release(1)
 
+	// Fast path: try to get an idle thread from the pool
+	if idle := regularThreadPool.Get(); idle != nil {
+		handler := idle.(*regularThread)
+		// Send work to the thread's dedicated channel
+		handler.workReady <- ch
+		metrics.DequeuedRequest()
+		<-ch.frankenPHPContext.done
+		metrics.StopRequest()
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// Slow path: no idle thread in pool, use the global channel
 	regularRequestChan <- ch
 	metrics.DequeuedRequest()
 	<-ch.frankenPHPContext.done
diff --git a/threadworker.go b/threadworker.go
index 09edc6ea..3bce21ba 100644
--- a/threadworker.go
+++ b/threadworker.go
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ type workerThread struct {
 	workerFrankenPHPContext *frankenPHPContext
 	workerContext           context.Context
 	backoff                 *exponentialBackoff
-	isBootingScript         bool // true if the worker has not reached frankenphp_handle_request yet
+	isBootingScript         bool               // true if the worker has not reached frankenphp_handle_request yet
+	workReady               chan contextHolder // Channel to receive work directly from pool
 }
 
 func convertToWorkerThread(thread *phpThread, worker *worker) {
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ func convertToWorkerThread(thread *phpThread, worker *worker) {
 			minBackoff:             100 * time.Millisecond,
 			maxConsecutiveFailures: worker.maxConsecutiveFailures,
 		},
+		workReady: make(chan contextHolder, 1), // Buffered to avoid blocking sender
 	})
 	worker.attachThread(thread)
 }
@@ -210,6 +212,9 @@ func (handler *workerThread) waitForWorkerRequest() (bool, any) {
 
 	handler.state.markAsWaiting(true)
 
+	// Put this thread in the pool for direct handoff
+	handler.worker.threadPool.Put(handler)
+
 	var requestCH contextHolder
 	select {
 	case <-handler.thread.drainChan:
@@ -225,7 +230,11 @@ func (handler *workerThread) waitForWorkerRequest() (bool, any) {
 
 		return false, nil
 	case requestCH = <-handler.thread.requestChan:
+		// Fast path: direct thread affinity
+	case requestCH = <-handler.workReady:
+		// Medium path: pool handoff
 	case requestCH = <-handler.worker.requestChan:
+		// Slow path: global channel
 	}
 
 	handler.workerContext = requestCH.ctx
diff --git a/worker.go b/worker.go
index 657cad76..fe0d8a0f 100644
--- a/worker.go
+++ b/worker.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ type worker struct {
 	semaphore              *semaphore.Weighted
 	threads                []*phpThread
 	threadMutex            sync.RWMutex
+	threadPool             sync.Pool // Pool of idle worker threads for direct handoff
 	allowPathMatching      bool
 	maxConsecutiveFailures int
 	onThreadReady          func(int)
@@ -249,23 +250,7 @@ func (worker *worker) isAtThreadLimit() bool {
 func (worker *worker) handleRequest(ch contextHolder) error {
 	metrics.StartWorkerRequest(worker.name)
 
-	// dispatch requests to all worker threads in order
-	worker.threadMutex.RLock()
-	for _, thread := range worker.threads {
-		select {
-		case thread.requestChan <- ch:
-			worker.threadMutex.RUnlock()
-			<-ch.frankenPHPContext.done
-			metrics.StopWorkerRequest(worker.name, time.Since(ch.frankenPHPContext.startedAt))
-
-			return nil
-		default:
-			// thread is busy, continue
-		}
-	}
-	worker.threadMutex.RUnlock()
-
-	// if no thread was available, mark the request as queued and use semaphore admission control
+	// mark the request as queued and use admission control
 	metrics.QueuedWorkerRequest(worker.name)
 
 	workerScaleChan := scaleChan
@@ -281,6 +266,18 @@ func (worker *worker) handleRequest(ch contextHolder) error {
 	}
 	defer worker.semaphore.Release(1)
 
+	// Fast path: try to get an idle thread from the pool
+	if idle := worker.threadPool.Get(); idle != nil {
+		handler := idle.(*workerThread)
+		// Direct handoff - send work to the thread's dedicated channel
+		handler.workReady <- ch
+		metrics.DequeuedWorkerRequest(worker.name)
+		<-ch.frankenPHPContext.done
+		metrics.StopWorkerRequest(worker.name, time.Since(ch.frankenPHPContext.startedAt))
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// Slow path: no idle thread in pool, use the global channel
 	worker.requestChan <- ch
 	metrics.DequeuedWorkerRequest(worker.name)
 	<-ch.frankenPHPContext.done