diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 7319bbc7ee..29506fb8aa 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@
 			favor of rwlocked access to localhost and localnets
 			members of dns_aclenv_t structure. [GL #3229]
 
+5842.	[cleanup]	Remove the task exclusive mode use in ns_clientmgr.
+			[GL #3230]
+
 	--- 9.18.2 released ---
 
 5856.	[bug]		The "starting maxtime timer" message related to outgoing
diff --git a/lib/ns/client.c b/lib/ns/client.c
index d21e6be59c..42bfdfd8f1 100644
--- a/lib/ns/client.c
+++ b/lib/ns/client.c
@@ -2437,13 +2437,8 @@ clientmgr_destroy(ns_clientmgr_t *manager) {
 
 	dns_aclenv_detach(&manager->aclenv);
 
-	isc_mutex_destroy(&manager->lock);
 	isc_mutex_destroy(&manager->reclock);
 
-	if (manager->excl != NULL) {
-		isc_task_detach(&manager->excl);
-	}
-
 	isc_task_detach(&manager->task);
 	ns_server_detach(&manager->sctx);
 
@@ -2464,13 +2459,6 @@ ns_clientmgr_create(ns_server_t *sctx, isc_taskmgr_t *taskmgr,
 	manager = isc_mem_get(mctx, sizeof(*manager));
 	*manager = (ns_clientmgr_t){ .magic = 0, .mctx = mctx };
 
-	result = isc_taskmgr_excltask(taskmgr, &manager->excl);
-	if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
-		isc_mem_put(mctx, manager, sizeof(*manager));
-		return (result);
-	}
-
-	isc_mutex_init(&manager->lock);
 	isc_mutex_init(&manager->reclock);
 
 	manager->taskmgr = taskmgr;
@@ -2479,7 +2467,6 @@ ns_clientmgr_create(ns_server_t *sctx, isc_taskmgr_t *taskmgr,
 
 	dns_aclenv_attach(aclenv, &manager->aclenv);
 
-	manager->exiting = false;
 	result = isc_task_create_bound(manager->taskmgr, 20, &manager->task,
 				       manager->tid);
 	RUNTIME_CHECK(result == ISC_R_SUCCESS);
@@ -2502,33 +2489,16 @@ ns_clientmgr_create(ns_server_t *sctx, isc_taskmgr_t *taskmgr,
 
 void
 ns_clientmgr_destroy(ns_clientmgr_t **managerp) {
-	isc_result_t result;
 	ns_clientmgr_t *manager;
-	bool unlock = false;
 
 	REQUIRE(managerp != NULL);
+	REQUIRE(VALID_MANAGER(*managerp));
+
 	manager = *managerp;
 	*managerp = NULL;
-	REQUIRE(VALID_MANAGER(manager));
 
 	MTRACE("destroy");
 
-	/*
-	 * Check for success because we may already be task-exclusive
-	 * at this point.  Only if we succeed at obtaining an exclusive
-	 * lock now will we need to relinquish it later.
-	 */
-	result = isc_task_beginexclusive(manager->excl);
-	if (result == ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
-		unlock = true;
-	}
-
-	manager->exiting = true;
-
-	if (unlock) {
-		isc_task_endexclusive(manager->excl);
-	}
-
 	if (isc_refcount_decrement(&manager->references) == 1) {
 		clientmgr_destroy(manager);
 	}
diff --git a/lib/ns/include/ns/client.h b/lib/ns/include/ns/client.h
index c5d8e86cf7..67d89a8922 100644
--- a/lib/ns/include/ns/client.h
+++ b/lib/ns/include/ns/client.h
@@ -147,7 +147,6 @@ struct ns_clientmgr {
 	ns_server_t    *sctx;
 	isc_taskmgr_t  *taskmgr;
 	isc_timermgr_t *timermgr;
-	isc_task_t	   *excl;
 	isc_refcount_t	references;
 	int		tid;
 
@@ -156,10 +155,6 @@ struct ns_clientmgr {
 
 	dns_aclenv_t *aclenv;
 
-	/* Lock covers manager state. */
-	isc_mutex_t lock;
-	bool	    exiting;
-
 	/* Lock covers the recursing list */
 	isc_mutex_t   reclock;
 	client_list_t recursing; /*%< Recursing clients */