diff --git a/include/nuttx/mqueue.h b/include/nuttx/mqueue.h
index b6673a3b73..191b193a7e 100644
--- a/include/nuttx/mqueue.h
+++ b/include/nuttx/mqueue.h
@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@
 # define nxmq_pollnotify(msgq, eventset)
 #endif
 
+# define MQ_WNELIST(mq)               (&((mq)->waitfornotempty))
+# define MQ_WNFLIST(mq)               (&((mq)->waitfornotfull))
+
 /****************************************************************************
  * Public Type Declarations
  ****************************************************************************/
@@ -94,6 +97,8 @@
 struct mqueue_inode_s
 {
   FAR struct inode *inode;    /* Containing inode */
+  dq_queue_t waitfornotempty; /* Task list waiting for not empty */
+  dq_queue_t waitfornotfull;  /* Task list waiting for not full */
   struct list_node msglist;   /* Prioritized message list */
   int16_t maxmsgs;            /* Maximum number of messages in the queue */
   int16_t nmsgs;              /* Number of message in the queue */
diff --git a/sched/init/nx_start.c b/sched/init/nx_start.c
index 4be3b50750..3d329194a6 100644
--- a/sched/init/nx_start.c
+++ b/sched/init/nx_start.c
@@ -138,22 +138,6 @@ dq_queue_t g_pendingtasks;
 
 dq_queue_t g_waitingforsignal;
 
-#ifndef CONFIG_DISABLE_MQUEUE
-/* This is the list of all tasks that are blocked waiting for a message
- * queue to become non-empty.
- */
-
-dq_queue_t g_waitingformqnotempty;
-#endif
-
-#ifndef CONFIG_DISABLE_MQUEUE
-/* This is the list of all tasks that are blocked waiting for a message
- * queue to become non-full.
- */
-
-dq_queue_t g_waitingformqnotfull;
-#endif
-
 #ifdef CONFIG_PAGING
 /* This is the list of all tasks that are blocking waiting for a page fill */
 
@@ -243,12 +227,12 @@ const struct tasklist_s g_tasklisttable[NUM_TASK_STATES] =
 #ifndef CONFIG_DISABLE_MQUEUE
   ,
   {                                              /* TSTATE_WAIT_MQNOTEMPTY */
-    &g_waitingformqnotempty,
-    TLIST_ATTR_PRIORITIZED
+    (FAR void *)offsetof(struct mqueue_inode_s, waitfornotempty),
+    TLIST_ATTR_PRIORITIZED | TLIST_ATTR_OFFSET
   },
   {                                              /* TSTATE_WAIT_MQNOTFULL */
-    &g_waitingformqnotfull,
-    TLIST_ATTR_PRIORITIZED
+    (FAR void *)offsetof(struct mqueue_inode_s, waitfornotfull),
+    TLIST_ATTR_PRIORITIZED | TLIST_ATTR_OFFSET
   }
 #endif
 #ifdef CONFIG_PAGING
diff --git a/sched/mqueue/mq_msgqalloc.c b/sched/mqueue/mq_msgqalloc.c
index a2faf54788..0728278b74 100644
--- a/sched/mqueue/mq_msgqalloc.c
+++ b/sched/mqueue/mq_msgqalloc.c
@@ -101,6 +101,9 @@ int nxmq_alloc_msgq(FAR struct mq_attr *attr,
 #ifndef CONFIG_DISABLE_MQUEUE_NOTIFICATION
       msgq->ntpid = INVALID_PROCESS_ID;
 #endif
+
+      dq_init(&msgq->waitfornotempty);
+      dq_init(&msgq->waitfornotfull);
     }
   else
     {
diff --git a/sched/mqueue/mq_rcvinternal.c b/sched/mqueue/mq_rcvinternal.c
index c704576af7..328c21bf87 100644
--- a/sched/mqueue/mq_rcvinternal.c
+++ b/sched/mqueue/mq_rcvinternal.c
@@ -280,16 +280,12 @@ ssize_t nxmq_do_receive(FAR struct mqueue_inode_s *msgq,
   if (msgq->nwaitnotfull > 0)
     {
       /* Find the highest priority task that is waiting for
-       * this queue to be not-full in g_waitingformqnotfull list.
+       * this queue to be not-full in waitfornotfull list.
        * This must be performed in a critical section because
        * messages can be sent from interrupt handlers.
        */
 
-      for (btcb = (FAR struct tcb_s *)g_waitingformqnotfull.head;
-           btcb && btcb->waitobj != msgq;
-           btcb = btcb->flink)
-        {
-        }
+      btcb = (FAR struct tcb_s *)dq_peek(MQ_WNFLIST(msgq));
 
       /* If one was found, unblock it.  NOTE:  There is a race
        * condition here:  the queue might be full again by the
diff --git a/sched/mqueue/mq_sndinternal.c b/sched/mqueue/mq_sndinternal.c
index af1e3eb44d..5ec5d2ba80 100644
--- a/sched/mqueue/mq_sndinternal.c
+++ b/sched/mqueue/mq_sndinternal.c
@@ -389,17 +389,13 @@ int nxmq_do_send(FAR struct mqueue_inode_s *msgq,
   if (msgq->nwaitnotempty > 0)
     {
       /* Find the highest priority task that is waiting for
-       * this queue to be non-empty in g_waitingformqnotempty
+       * this queue to be non-empty in waitfornotempty
        * list. leave_critical_section() should give us sufficient
        * protection since interrupts should never cause a change
        * in this list
        */
 
-      for (btcb = (FAR struct tcb_s *)g_waitingformqnotempty.head;
-           btcb && btcb->waitobj != msgq;
-           btcb = btcb->flink)
-        {
-        }
+      btcb = (FAR struct tcb_s *)dq_peek(MQ_WNELIST(msgq));
 
       /* If one was found, unblock it */
 
diff --git a/sched/sched/sched.h b/sched/sched/sched.h
index 82454fae1c..c876eb205b 100644
--- a/sched/sched/sched.h
+++ b/sched/sched/sched.h
@@ -178,22 +178,6 @@ extern dq_queue_t g_pendingtasks;
 
 extern dq_queue_t g_waitingforsignal;
 
-/* This is the list of all tasks that are blocked waiting for a message
- * queue to become non-empty.
- */
-
-#ifndef CONFIG_DISABLE_MQUEUE
-extern dq_queue_t g_waitingformqnotempty;
-#endif
-
-/* This is the list of all tasks that are blocked waiting for a message
- * queue to become non-full.
- */
-
-#ifndef CONFIG_DISABLE_MQUEUE
-extern dq_queue_t g_waitingformqnotfull;
-#endif
-
 /* This is the list of all tasks that are blocking waiting for a page fill */
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_PAGING