diff --git a/extra/io/unix/backend/kqueue/kqueue.factor b/extra/io/unix/backend/kqueue/kqueue.factor
index 287b88c1c3..226e6c2ec7 100644
--- a/extra/io/unix/backend/kqueue/kqueue.factor
+++ b/extra/io/unix/backend/kqueue/kqueue.factor
@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@ TUPLE: unix-kqueue-io ;
 
 ! Global variables
 SYMBOL: kqueue-fd
-SYMBOL: kqueue-added
-SYMBOL: kqueue-deleted
 SYMBOL: kqueue-events
 
 : max-events ( -- n )
@@ -19,29 +17,9 @@ SYMBOL: kqueue-events
     256 ; inline
 
 M: unix-kqueue-io init-unix-io ( -- )
-    H{ } clone kqueue-added set-global
-    H{ } clone kqueue-deleted set-global
     max-events "kevent" <c-array> kqueue-events set-global
     kqueue dup io-error kqueue-fd set-global ;
 
-M: unix-kqueue-io register-io-task ( task -- )
-    dup io-task-fd kqueue-added get-global key? [ drop ] [
-        dup io-task-fd kqueue-deleted get-global key? [
-            io-task-fd kqueue-deleted get-global delete-at
-        ] [
-            dup io-task-fd kqueue-added get-global set-at
-        ] if
-    ] if ;
-
-M: unix-kqueue-io unregister-io-task ( task -- )
-    dup io-task-fd kqueue-deleted get-global key? [ drop ] [
-        dup io-task-fd kqueue-added get-global key? [
-            io-task-fd kqueue-added get-global delete-at
-        ] [
-            dup io-task-fd kqueue-deleted get-global set-at
-        ] if
-    ] if ;
-
 : io-task-filter ( task -- n )
     class {
         { read-task    [ EVFILT_READ  ] }
@@ -57,6 +35,10 @@ M: unix-kqueue-io unregister-io-task ( task -- )
     over io-task-fd over set-kevent-ident
     swap io-task-filter over set-kevent-filter ;
 
+: register-kevent ( task flags -- )
+    >r make-kevent r> over set-kevent-flags
+    kqueue-fd get-global swap 1 f 0 f kevent io-error ;
+
 : make-add-kevent ( task -- event )
     make-kevent
     EV_ADD over set-kevent-flags ;
@@ -65,28 +47,16 @@ M: unix-kqueue-io unregister-io-task ( task -- )
     make-kevent
     EV_DELETE over set-kevent-flags ;
 
-: kqueue-additions ( -- kevents )
-    kqueue-added get-global
-    dup clear-assoc values
-    [ make-add-kevent ] map ;
+M: unix-kqueue-io register-io-task ( task -- )
+    EV_ADD EV_ENABLE bitor register-kevent ;
 
-: kqueue-deletions ( -- kevents )
-    kqueue-deleted get-global
-    dup clear-assoc values
-    [ make-delete-kevent ] map ;
+M: unix-kqueue-io unregister-io-task ( task -- )
+    EV_DELETE EV_DISABLE bitor register-kevent ;
 
-: kqueue-changelist ( -- byte-array n )
-    kqueue-additions kqueue-deletions append
-    dup concat f like swap length ;
-
-: kqueue-eventlist ( -- byte-array n )
-    kqueue-events get-global max-events ;
-
-: do-kevent ( timespec -- n )
+: wait-kevent ( timespec -- n )
     >r
     kqueue-fd get-global
-    kqueue-changelist
-    kqueue-eventlist
+    f 0 kqueue-events get-global max-events
     r> kevent dup multiplexer-error ;
 
 : kevent-task ( kevent -- task )
@@ -100,7 +70,7 @@ M: unix-kqueue-io unregister-io-task ( task -- )
 
 M: unix-kqueue-io unix-io-multiplex ( ms -- )
     make-timespec
-    do-kevent
+    wait-kevent
     kqueue-events get-global handle-kevents ;
 
 T{ unix-kqueue-io } unix-io-backend set-global
diff --git a/extra/io/unix/unix.factor b/extra/io/unix/unix.factor
index 3800008864..1c86224433 100755
--- a/extra/io/unix/unix.factor
+++ b/extra/io/unix/unix.factor
@@ -3,9 +3,8 @@ io.unix.launcher io.unix.mmap io.backend combinators namespaces
 system vocabs.loader ;
 
 {
-    ! kqueue is a work in progress
-    ! { [ macosx? ] [ "io.unix.backend.kqueue" ] }
-    ! { [ bsd? ] [ "io.unix.backend.kqueue" ] }
+    { [ macosx? ] [ "io.unix.backend.kqueue" ] }
+    { [ bsd? ] [ "io.unix.backend.kqueue" ] }
     { [ unix? ] [ "io.unix.backend.select" ] }
 } cond require