diff --git a/src/ioc/rsrv/camessage.c b/src/ioc/rsrv/camessage.c
index 51ab8f3a0..b992b46eb 100644
--- a/src/ioc/rsrv/camessage.c
+++ b/src/ioc/rsrv/camessage.c
@@ -2497,12 +2497,7 @@ int camessage ( struct client *client )
     unsigned bytes_left;
     int status = RSRV_ERROR;
 
-    if ( ! pCaBucket ) {
-        pCaBucket = bucketCreate(CAS_HASH_TABLE_SIZE);
-        if(!pCaBucket){
-            return RSRV_ERROR;
-        }
-    }
+    assert(pCaBucket);
 
     /* drain remnents of large messages that will not fit */
     if ( client->recvBytesToDrain ) {
diff --git a/src/ioc/rsrv/caservertask.c b/src/ioc/rsrv/caservertask.c
index b31dd596a..9559600cf 100644
--- a/src/ioc/rsrv/caservertask.c
+++ b/src/ioc/rsrv/caservertask.c
@@ -298,7 +298,9 @@ int rsrv_init (void)
     freeListInitPvt ( &rsrvLargeBufFreeListTCP, rsrvSizeofLargeBufTCP, 1 );
     ellInit ( &casIntfAddrList );
     ellInit ( &beaconAddrList );
-    pCaBucket = NULL;
+    pCaBucket = bucketCreate(CAS_HASH_TABLE_SIZE);
+    if (!pCaBucket)
+        cantProceed("RSRV failed to allocate ID lookup table\n");
 
     castcp_startStopEvent = epicsEventMustCreate(epicsEventEmpty);
     castcp_ctl = ctlPause;
@@ -552,12 +554,10 @@ void casr (unsigned level)
             MAX_TCP,
             (unsigned int) freeListItemsAvail ( rsrvLargeBufFreeListTCP ),
             rsrvSizeofLargeBufTCP );
-        if(pCaBucket){
-            printf( "The server's resource id conversion table:\n");
-            LOCK_CLIENTQ;
-            bucketShow (pCaBucket);
-            UNLOCK_CLIENTQ;
-        }
+        printf( "The server's resource id conversion table:\n");
+        LOCK_CLIENTQ;
+        bucketShow (pCaBucket);
+        UNLOCK_CLIENTQ;
         printf ( "The server's array size limit is %u bytes max\n",
             rsrvSizeofLargeBufTCP );
 
diff --git a/src/ioc/rsrv/server.h b/src/ioc/rsrv/server.h
index ce084fa65..708326bb3 100644
--- a/src/ioc/rsrv/server.h
+++ b/src/ioc/rsrv/server.h
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ GLBLTYPE ELLLIST            clientQudp; /* locked by clientQlock */
 GLBLTYPE ELLLIST            beaconAddrList;
 GLBLTYPE ELLLIST            casIntfAddrList;
 GLBLTYPE epicsMutexId       clientQlock;
-GLBLTYPE BUCKET             *pCaBucket;
+GLBLTYPE BUCKET             *pCaBucket; /* locked by clientQlock */
 GLBLTYPE void               *rsrvClientFreeList;
 GLBLTYPE void               *rsrvChanFreeList;
 GLBLTYPE void               *rsrvEventFreeList;
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ GLBLTYPE void               *rsrvSmallBufFreeListTCP;
 GLBLTYPE void               *rsrvLargeBufFreeListTCP;
 GLBLTYPE unsigned           rsrvSizeofLargeBufTCP;
 GLBLTYPE void               *rsrvPutNotifyFreeList;
-GLBLTYPE unsigned           rsrvChannelCount;
+GLBLTYPE unsigned           rsrvChannelCount; /* locked by clientQlock */
 
 GLBLTYPE epicsEventId       casudp_startStopEvent;
 GLBLTYPE epicsEventId       beacon_startStopEvent;