diff --git a/mcrouter/CarbonRouterInstance-inl.h b/mcrouter/CarbonRouterInstance-inl.h
index 72b29a7cc..bffa1a706 100644
--- a/mcrouter/CarbonRouterInstance-inl.h
+++ b/mcrouter/CarbonRouterInstance-inl.h
@@ -275,10 +275,7 @@ CarbonRouterInstance<RouterInfo>::spinUp() {
       }
     }
 
-    auto executorObserver = std::make_shared<ExecutorObserver>();
-    proxyThreads_->addObserver(executorObserver);
-    std::vector<folly::EventBase*> threadPoolEvbs =
-        executorObserver->extractEvbs();
+    auto threadPoolEvbs = extractEvbs(*proxyThreads_);
     if (threadPoolEvbs.size() != opts_.num_proxies) {
       return folly::makeUnexpected(folly::sformat(
           "IOThreadPoolExecutor size does not match num_proxies sz={} proxies={} {}",
@@ -286,7 +283,6 @@ CarbonRouterInstance<RouterInfo>::spinUp() {
           opts_.num_proxies,
           folly::exceptionStr(std::current_exception())));
     }
-    proxyThreads_->removeObserver(executorObserver);
 
     if (opts_.enable_service_router && mcrouter::gSRInitHook) {
       try {
diff --git a/mcrouter/ExecutorObserver.h b/mcrouter/ExecutorObserver.h
index b3579fde7..d47f26aa7 100644
--- a/mcrouter/ExecutorObserver.h
+++ b/mcrouter/ExecutorObserver.h
@@ -7,31 +7,30 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
-#include <folly/executors/ThreadPoolExecutor.h>
+#include <vector>
+
+#include <folly/executors/IOThreadPoolExecutor.h>
+#include <folly/io/async/EventBase.h>
 
 namespace facebook {
 namespace memcache {
 namespace mcrouter {
 
-class ExecutorObserver : public folly::ThreadPoolExecutor::Observer {
- public:
-  void threadStarted(
-      folly::ThreadPoolExecutor::ThreadHandle* threadHandle) override {
-    CHECK(!initializationComplete_);
-    evbs_.wlock()->push_back(
-        folly::IOThreadPoolExecutorBase::getEventBase(threadHandle));
-  }
-  void threadStopped(folly::ThreadPoolExecutor::ThreadHandle*) override {}
-
-  std::vector<folly::EventBase*> extractEvbs() {
-    CHECK(!std::exchange(initializationComplete_, true));
-    return evbs_.exchange({});
+/**
+ * Convenience method to convert the keepalives returned by getAllEventBases()
+ * into raw pointers, to accommodate for AsyncMcServer::Options interface.
+ * TODO: Change Options to accept KeepAlives instead?
+ */
+inline std::vector<folly::EventBase*> extractEvbs(
+    folly::IOThreadPoolExecutorBase& ex) {
+  auto evbKeepAlives = ex.getAllEventBases();
+  std::vector<folly::EventBase*> ret;
+  ret.reserve(evbKeepAlives.size());
+  for (const auto& ka : evbKeepAlives) {
+    ret.push_back(ka.get());
   }
-
- private:
-  bool initializationComplete_{false};
-  folly::Synchronized<std::vector<folly::EventBase*>> evbs_;
-};
+  return ret;
+}
 
 } // namespace mcrouter
 } // namespace memcache
diff --git a/mcrouter/Server-inl.h b/mcrouter/Server-inl.h
index 959e2a32d..db877d630 100644
--- a/mcrouter/Server-inl.h
+++ b/mcrouter/Server-inl.h
@@ -305,12 +305,9 @@ bool runServerDual(
         mcrouterOpts.num_proxies,
         std::make_shared<folly::NamedThreadFactory>(threadPrefix));
 
-    // Run observer and extract event bases
-    auto executorObserver = std::make_shared<ExecutorObserver>();
-    ioThreadPool->addObserver(executorObserver);
-    auto evbs = executorObserver->extractEvbs();
+    // extract event bases
+    auto evbs = extractEvbs(*ioThreadPool);
     CHECK_EQ(evbs.size(), mcrouterOpts.num_proxies);
-    ioThreadPool->removeObserver(executorObserver);
 
     // Create AsyncMcServer instance
     asyncMcServer =
@@ -508,12 +505,9 @@ bool runServer(
     ioThreadPool = std::make_shared<folly::IOThreadPoolExecutor>(
         mcrouterOpts.num_proxies, mcrouterOpts.num_proxies);
 
-    // Run observer and extract event bases
-    auto executorObserver = std::make_shared<ExecutorObserver>();
-    ioThreadPool->addObserver(executorObserver);
-    auto evbs = executorObserver->extractEvbs();
+    // extract event bases
+    auto evbs = extractEvbs(*ioThreadPool);
     CHECK_EQ(evbs.size(), mcrouterOpts.num_proxies);
-    ioThreadPool->removeObserver(executorObserver);
 
     // Get EVB of main thread
     auto localEvb = ioThreadPool->getEventBaseManager()->getEventBase();
diff --git a/mcrouter/lib/network/test/MockMcServerDual.cpp b/mcrouter/lib/network/test/MockMcServerDual.cpp
index 943b86834..98915a521 100644
--- a/mcrouter/lib/network/test/MockMcServerDual.cpp
+++ b/mcrouter/lib/network/test/MockMcServerDual.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include <folly/logging/Init.h>
 #include <thrift/lib/cpp2/server/ThriftServer.h>
 
+#include "mcrouter/ExecutorObserver.h"
 #include "mcrouter/lib/network/AsyncMcServer.h"
 #include "mcrouter/lib/network/AsyncMcServerWorker.h"
 #include "mcrouter/lib/network/CarbonMessageDispatcher.h"
@@ -86,33 +87,6 @@ void shutdown() {
   }
 }
 
-class ExecutorObserver : public folly::ThreadPoolExecutor::Observer {
- public:
-  void threadStarted(
-      folly::ThreadPoolExecutor::ThreadHandle* threadHandle) override {
-    CHECK(!initializationComplete_);
-    evbs_.wlock()->push_back(
-        folly::IOThreadPoolExecutor::getEventBase(threadHandle));
-  }
-  void threadPreviouslyStarted(
-      folly::ThreadPoolExecutor::ThreadHandle* threadHandle) override {
-    CHECK(!initializationComplete_);
-    evbs_.wlock()->push_back(
-        folly::IOThreadPoolExecutor::getEventBase(threadHandle));
-  }
-
-  void threadStopped(folly::ThreadPoolExecutor::ThreadHandle*) override {}
-
-  std::vector<folly::EventBase*> extractEvbs() {
-    CHECK(!std::exchange(initializationComplete_, true));
-    return evbs_.exchange({});
-  }
-
- private:
-  bool initializationComplete_{false};
-  folly::Synchronized<std::vector<folly::EventBase*>> evbs_;
-};
-
 class ShutdownSignalHandler : public folly::AsyncSignalHandler {
  public:
   explicit ShutdownSignalHandler(folly::EventBase* evb)
@@ -166,12 +140,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
     // Create IOThreadPoolExecutor and extract event bases
     std::shared_ptr<folly::IOThreadPoolExecutor> ioThreadPool =
         std::make_shared<folly::IOThreadPoolExecutor>(numThreads);
-    auto executorObserver = std::make_shared<ExecutorObserver>();
-    ioThreadPool->addObserver(executorObserver);
-    std::vector<folly::EventBase*> ioThreads;
-    for (auto& ioEvb : executorObserver->extractEvbs()) {
-      ioThreads.push_back(ioEvb);
-    }
+    auto ioThreads = mcrouter::extractEvbs(*ioThreadPool);
 
     // Thrift server setup
     LOG(INFO) << "Configure thrift server.";
diff --git a/mcrouter/test/cpp_unit_tests/McrouterClientUsage.cpp b/mcrouter/test/cpp_unit_tests/McrouterClientUsage.cpp
index b5928d4f5..13f2ca939 100644
--- a/mcrouter/test/cpp_unit_tests/McrouterClientUsage.cpp
+++ b/mcrouter/test/cpp_unit_tests/McrouterClientUsage.cpp
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ using facebook::memcache::MemcacheRouterInfo;
 using facebook::memcache::mcrouter::CarbonRouterClient;
 using facebook::memcache::mcrouter::CarbonRouterInstance;
 using facebook::memcache::mcrouter::defaultTestOptions;
-using facebook::memcache::mcrouter::ExecutorObserver;
 
 /**
  * This test provides an example of how to use the CarbonRouterClient API.
@@ -91,11 +90,8 @@ TEST(CarbonRouterClient, basicUsageSameThreadClient) {
   // Explicitly control which proxy should handle requests from this client.
   // Currently, this is necessary when using createSameThreadClient() with more
   // than one thread.
-  // Run observer and extract event bases
-  auto executorObserver = std::make_shared<ExecutorObserver>();
-  ioThreadPool->addObserver(executorObserver);
-  auto evbs = executorObserver->extractEvbs();
-  ioThreadPool->removeObserver(executorObserver);
+  // extract event bases
+  auto evbs = facebook::memcache::mcrouter::extractEvbs(*ioThreadPool);
 
   auto& eventBase = *evbs.front();
   client->setProxyIndex(0);