diff --git a/gmid.h b/gmid.h
index 9e8415d..1dde21a 100644
--- a/gmid.h
+++ b/gmid.h
@@ -240,6 +240,7 @@ struct client {
 	struct proxy	*proxy;
 	struct bufferevent *proxybev;
 	struct tls	*proxyctx;
+	int		 proxyevset;
 	struct event	 proxyev;
 
 	char		*header;
diff --git a/proxy.c b/proxy.c
index fa31674..97d3257 100644
--- a/proxy.c
+++ b/proxy.c
@@ -288,6 +288,7 @@ proxy_handshake(int fd, short event, void *d)
 		return;
 	}
 
+	c->proxyevset = 0;
 	proxy_enqueue_req(c);
 }
 
@@ -327,6 +328,7 @@ proxy_setup_tls(struct client *c)
 	if (tls_connect_socket(c->proxyctx, c->pfd, p->host) == -1)
 		goto err;
 
+	c->proxyevset = 1;
 	event_set(&c->proxyev, c->pfd, EV_READ|EV_WRITE, proxy_handshake, c);
 	event_add(&c->proxyev, &handshake_timeout);
 
diff --git a/server.c b/server.c
index e9211d3..c9cb7ce 100644
--- a/server.c
+++ b/server.c
@@ -1277,19 +1277,21 @@ client_close(struct client *c)
 	bufferevent_free(c->bev);
 	c->bev = NULL;
 
-	if (c->proxybev != NULL) {
-		if (event_pending(&c->proxyev, EV_READ|EV_WRITE, NULL))
-			event_del(&c->proxyev);
-
-		if (c->pfd != -1 && c->proxyctx != NULL) {
-			/* shut down the proxy TLS connection */
-			client_proxy_close(c->pfd, 0, c->proxyctx);
-			c->pfd = -1;
-		}
-
-		bufferevent_free(c->proxybev);
+	if (c->proxyevset &&
+	    event_pending(&c->proxyev, EV_READ|EV_WRITE, NULL)) {
+		c->proxyevset = 0;
+		event_del(&c->proxyev);
 	}
 
+	if (c->pfd != -1 && c->proxyctx != NULL) {
+		/* shut down the proxy TLS connection */
+		client_proxy_close(c->pfd, 0, c->proxyctx);
+		c->pfd = -1;
+	}
+
+	if (c->proxybev != NULL)
+		bufferevent_free(c->proxybev);
+
 	client_close_ev(c->fd, 0, c);
 }