diff --git a/bgpd/bgp_route.c b/bgpd/bgp_route.c
index c0b6acc2d0..8a237e329e 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgp_route.c
+++ b/bgpd/bgp_route.c
@@ -371,14 +371,12 @@ static int bgp_dest_set_defer_flag(struct bgp_dest *dest, bool delete)
 	 */
 	if (set_flag && table) {
 		if (bgp && (bgp->gr_info[afi][safi].t_select_deferral)) {
+			if (!CHECK_FLAG(dest->flags, BGP_NODE_SELECT_DEFER))
+				bgp->gr_info[afi][safi].gr_deferred++;
 			SET_FLAG(dest->flags, BGP_NODE_SELECT_DEFER);
-			if (dest->rt_node == NULL)
-				dest->rt_node = listnode_add(
-					bgp->gr_info[afi][safi].route_list,
-					dest);
 			if (BGP_DEBUG(update, UPDATE_OUT))
-				zlog_debug("DEFER route %pBD, dest %p, node %p",
-					   dest, dest, dest->rt_node);
+				zlog_debug("DEFER route %pBD, dest %p", dest,
+					   dest);
 			return 0;
 		}
 	}
@@ -2920,37 +2918,39 @@ int bgp_best_path_select_defer(struct bgp *bgp, afi_t afi, safi_t safi)
 	struct bgp_dest *dest;
 	int cnt = 0;
 	struct afi_safi_info *thread_info;
-	struct listnode *node = NULL, *nnode = NULL;
 
-	if (bgp->gr_info[afi][safi].t_route_select)
+	if (bgp->gr_info[afi][safi].t_route_select) {
+		struct thread *t = bgp->gr_info[afi][safi].t_route_select;
+
+		thread_info = THREAD_ARG(t);
+		XFREE(MTYPE_TMP, thread_info);
 		BGP_TIMER_OFF(bgp->gr_info[afi][safi].t_route_select);
+	}
 
 	if (BGP_DEBUG(update, UPDATE_OUT)) {
 		zlog_debug("%s: processing route for %s : cnt %d", __func__,
 			   get_afi_safi_str(afi, safi, false),
-			   listcount(bgp->gr_info[afi][safi].route_list));
+			   bgp->gr_info[afi][safi].gr_deferred);
 	}
 
 	/* Process the route list */
-	node = listhead(bgp->gr_info[afi][safi].route_list);
-	while (node) {
-		dest = listgetdata(node);
-		nnode = node->next;
-		list_delete_node(bgp->gr_info[afi][safi].route_list, node);
-		dest->rt_node = NULL;
+	for (dest = bgp_table_top(bgp->rib[afi][safi]); dest;
+	     dest = bgp_route_next(dest)) {
+		if (!CHECK_FLAG(dest->flags, BGP_NODE_SELECT_DEFER))
+			continue;
 
-		if (CHECK_FLAG(dest->flags, BGP_NODE_SELECT_DEFER)) {
-			UNSET_FLAG(dest->flags, BGP_NODE_SELECT_DEFER);
-			bgp_process_main_one(bgp, dest, afi, safi);
-			cnt++;
-			if (cnt >= BGP_MAX_BEST_ROUTE_SELECT)
-				break;
+		UNSET_FLAG(dest->flags, BGP_NODE_SELECT_DEFER);
+		bgp->gr_info[afi][safi].gr_deferred--;
+		bgp_process_main_one(bgp, dest, afi, safi);
+		cnt++;
+		if (cnt >= BGP_MAX_BEST_ROUTE_SELECT) {
+			bgp_dest_unlock_node(dest);
+			break;
 		}
-		node = nnode;
 	}
 
 	/* Send EOR message when all routes are processed */
-	if (list_isempty(bgp->gr_info[afi][safi].route_list)) {
+	if (bgp->gr_info[afi][safi].gr_deferred) {
 		bgp_send_delayed_eor(bgp);
 		/* Send route processing complete message to RIB */
 		bgp_zebra_update(afi, safi, bgp->vrf_id,
@@ -3287,13 +3287,7 @@ void bgp_rib_remove(struct bgp_dest *dest, struct bgp_path_info *pi,
 			if (CHECK_FLAG(dest->flags, BGP_NODE_SELECT_DEFER)) {
 				UNSET_FLAG(dest->flags, BGP_NODE_SELECT_DEFER);
 				bgp = pi->peer->bgp;
-				if ((dest->rt_node)
-				    && (bgp->gr_info[afi][safi].route_list)) {
-					list_delete_node(bgp->gr_info[afi][safi]
-								 .route_list,
-							 dest->rt_node);
-					dest->rt_node = NULL;
-				}
+				bgp->gr_info[afi][safi].gr_deferred--;
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/bgpd/bgp_table.c b/bgpd/bgp_table.c
index 70e226b01b..022a6413e2 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgp_table.c
+++ b/bgpd/bgp_table.c
@@ -154,13 +154,8 @@ void bgp_delete_listnode(struct bgp_node *node)
 
 		if (bgp && rn && rn->lock == 1) {
 			/* Delete the route from the selection pending list */
-			if ((node->rt_node)
-			    && (bgp->gr_info[afi][safi].route_list)) {
-				list_delete_node(
-					bgp->gr_info[afi][safi].route_list,
-					node->rt_node);
-				node->rt_node = NULL;
-			}
+			bgp->gr_info[afi][safi].gr_deferred--;
+			UNSET_FLAG(node->flags, BGP_NODE_SELECT_DEFER);
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/bgpd/bgp_table.h b/bgpd/bgp_table.h
index 9dd27628ce..4e9abf863d 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgp_table.h
+++ b/bgpd/bgp_table.h
@@ -102,8 +102,7 @@ struct bgp_node {
 #define BGP_NODE_LABEL_CHANGED          (1 << 2)
 #define BGP_NODE_REGISTERED_FOR_LABEL   (1 << 3)
 #define BGP_NODE_SELECT_DEFER           (1 << 4)
-	/* list node pointer */
-	struct listnode *rt_node;
+
 	struct bgp_addpath_node_data tx_addpath;
 
 	enum bgp_path_selection_reason reason;
diff --git a/bgpd/bgpd.c b/bgpd/bgpd.c
index cf16378de1..0095a1cab0 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgpd.c
+++ b/bgpd/bgpd.c
@@ -3022,7 +3022,7 @@ static struct bgp *bgp_create(as_t *as, const char *name,
 		bgp->gr_info[afi][safi].eor_received = 0;
 		bgp->gr_info[afi][safi].t_select_deferral = NULL;
 		bgp->gr_info[afi][safi].t_route_select = NULL;
-		bgp->gr_info[afi][safi].route_list = list_new();
+		bgp->gr_info[afi][safi].gr_deferred = 0;
 	}
 
 	bgp->v_update_delay = bm->v_update_delay;
@@ -3394,14 +3394,21 @@ int bgp_delete(struct bgp *bgp)
 
 	/* Delete the graceful restart info */
 	FOREACH_AFI_SAFI (afi, safi) {
+		struct thread *t;
+
 		gr_info = &bgp->gr_info[afi][safi];
 		if (!gr_info)
 			continue;
 
 		BGP_TIMER_OFF(gr_info->t_select_deferral);
+
+		t = gr_info->t_route_select;
+		if (t) {
+			void *info = THREAD_ARG(t);
+
+			XFREE(MTYPE_TMP, info);
+		}
 		BGP_TIMER_OFF(gr_info->t_route_select);
-		if (gr_info->route_list)
-			list_delete(&gr_info->route_list);
 	}
 
 	if (BGP_DEBUG(zebra, ZEBRA)) {
diff --git a/bgpd/bgpd.h b/bgpd/bgpd.h
index 74828e91df..480a3ad129 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgpd.h
+++ b/bgpd/bgpd.h
@@ -265,8 +265,8 @@ struct graceful_restart_info {
 	uint32_t eor_received;
 	/* Deferral Timer */
 	struct thread *t_select_deferral;
-	/* Route list */
-	struct list *route_list;
+	/* Routes Deferred */
+	uint32_t gr_deferred;
 	/* Best route select */
 	struct thread *t_route_select;
 	/* AFI, SAFI enabled */