diff --git a/include/proto/connection.h b/include/proto/connection.h
index 7e4cb03bf..b1d8638e9 100644
--- a/include/proto/connection.h
+++ b/include/proto/connection.h
@@ -123,9 +123,6 @@ static inline void conn_ctrl_init(struct connection *conn)
 		int fd = conn->handle.fd;
 
 		fd_insert(fd, conn, conn_fd_handler, tid_bit);
-		/* mark the fd as ready so as not to needlessly poll at the beginning */
-		fd_may_recv(fd);
-		fd_may_send(fd);
 		conn->flags |= CO_FL_CTRL_READY;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/include/proto/fd.h b/include/proto/fd.h
index 4b932357f..747b34f78 100644
--- a/include/proto/fd.h
+++ b/include/proto/fd.h
@@ -241,6 +241,14 @@ static inline void fd_may_recv(const int fd)
 		return;
 }
 
+/* Report that FD <fd> may receive and send without polling. Used at FD
+ * initialization.
+ */
+static inline void fd_may_both(const int fd)
+{
+	HA_ATOMIC_OR(&fdtab[fd].state, FD_EV_READY_RW);
+}
+
 /* Disable readiness when active. This is useful to interrupt reading when it
  * is suspected that the end of data might have been reached (eg: short read).
  * This can only be done using level-triggered pollers, so if any edge-triggered
@@ -339,6 +347,8 @@ static inline void fd_insert(int fd, void *owner, void (*iocb)(int fd), unsigned
 	 */
 	if (locked)
 		HA_SPIN_UNLOCK(FD_LOCK, &fdtab[fd].lock);
+	/* the two directions are ready until proven otherwise */
+	fd_may_both(fd);
 	_HA_ATOMIC_ADD(&ha_used_fds, 1);
 }