diff --git a/include/haproxy/session.h b/include/haproxy/session.h
index 8174a2ae7..fa21dda6c 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/session.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/session.h
@@ -78,9 +78,20 @@ static inline void session_unown_conn(struct session *sess, struct connection *c
 {
 	struct sess_srv_list *srv_list = NULL;
 
+	/* WT: this currently is a workaround for an inconsistency between
+	 * the link status of the connection in the session list and the
+	 * connection's owner. This should be removed as soon as all this
+	 * is addressed. Right now it's possible to enter here with a non-null
+	 * conn->owner that points to a dead session, but in this case the
+	 * element is not linked.
+	 */
+	if (!LIST_ADDED(&conn->session_list))
+		return;
+
 	if (conn->flags & CO_FL_SESS_IDLE)
 		sess->idle_conns--;
 	LIST_DEL_INIT(&conn->session_list);
+	conn->owner = NULL;
 	list_for_each_entry(srv_list, &sess->srv_list, srv_list) {
 		if (srv_list->target == conn->target) {
 			if (LIST_ISEMPTY(&srv_list->conn_list)) {
diff --git a/src/session.c b/src/session.c
index b065ff3d2..710b6b6f6 100644
--- a/src/session.c
+++ b/src/session.c
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ void session_free(struct session *sess)
 void conn_session_free(struct connection *conn)
 {
 	session_free(conn->owner);
+	conn->owner = NULL;
 }
 
 /* count a new session to keep frontend, listener and track stats up to date */