Improving response time to process desired transaction requests in event based network servers, which execute in a single process. The response time is improved by processing the desired transaction requests ahead of other prior arriving transaction requests. In one embodiment, such desired transaction requests are determined based on connections on which the transaction requests are received. Arrival of transaction requests on high priority connections causes the signal handler to be executed on a preemptive basis, and the signal handler causes the transaction requests received on the high priority connections to be executed.