diff --git a/include/types/proxy.h b/include/types/proxy.h
index 9666909e5..36eb515cc 100644
--- a/include/types/proxy.h
+++ b/include/types/proxy.h
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ struct proxy {
 	struct stktable *table;			/* table for storing sticking streams */
 
 	struct task *task;			/* the associated task, mandatory to manage rate limiting, stopping and resource shortage, NULL if disabled */
-	struct list tcpcheck_rules;		/* tcp-check send / expect rules */
+	struct list *tcpcheck_rules;		/* tcp-check send / expect rules */
 	int grace;				/* grace time after stop request */
 	int check_len;				/* Length of the HTTP or SSL3 request */
 	char *check_req;			/* HTTP or SSL request to use for PR_O_HTTP_CHK|PR_O_SSL3_CHK */
diff --git a/src/cfgparse-listen.c b/src/cfgparse-listen.c
index 06ed3e449..e922c09ba 100644
--- a/src/cfgparse-listen.c
+++ b/src/cfgparse-listen.c
@@ -352,6 +352,16 @@ int cfg_parse_listen(const char *file, int linenum, char **args, int kwm)
 			}
 			curproxy->check_body_len = defproxy.check_body_len;
 
+			if ((curproxy->options2 & PR_O2_CHK_ANY) == PR_O2_TCPCHK_CHK) {
+				curproxy->tcpcheck_rules =  calloc(1, sizeof(*curproxy->tcpcheck_rules));
+				if (!curproxy->tcpcheck_rules) {
+					ha_alert("parsing [%s:%d] : out of memory.\n", file, linenum);
+					err_code |= ERR_ALERT | ERR_FATAL;
+					goto out;
+				}
+				LIST_INIT(curproxy->tcpcheck_rules);
+			}
+
 			if (defproxy.expect_str) {
 				curproxy->expect_str = strdup(defproxy.expect_str);
 				if (defproxy.expect_regex) {
@@ -2712,6 +2722,16 @@ stats_error_parsing:
 			if (warnifnotcap(curproxy, PR_CAP_BE, file, linenum, args[1], NULL))
 				err_code |= ERR_WARN;
 
+			if ((curproxy != &defproxy) && !curproxy->tcpcheck_rules) {
+				curproxy->tcpcheck_rules =  calloc(1, sizeof(*curproxy->tcpcheck_rules));
+				if (!curproxy->tcpcheck_rules) {
+					ha_alert("parsing [%s:%d] : out of memory.\n", file, linenum);
+					err_code |= ERR_ALERT | ERR_FATAL;
+					goto out;
+				}
+				LIST_INIT(curproxy->tcpcheck_rules);
+			}
+
 			free(curproxy->check_req);
 			curproxy->check_req = NULL;
 			curproxy->options2 &= ~PR_O2_CHK_ANY;
@@ -3075,6 +3095,16 @@ stats_error_parsing:
 			goto out;
 		}
 
+		if (curproxy->tcpcheck_rules == NULL) {
+			curproxy->tcpcheck_rules = calloc(1, sizeof(*curproxy->tcpcheck_rules));
+			if (curproxy->tcpcheck_rules == NULL) {
+				ha_alert("parsing [%s:%d] : out of memory.\n", file, linenum);
+				err_code |= ERR_ALERT | ERR_ABORT;
+				goto out;
+			}
+			LIST_INIT(curproxy->tcpcheck_rules);
+		}
+
 		if (strcmp(args[1], "comment") == 0) {
 			int cur_arg;
 			struct tcpcheck_rule *tcpcheck;
@@ -3092,7 +3122,7 @@ stats_error_parsing:
 
 			tcpcheck->comment = strdup(args[cur_arg + 1]);
 
-			LIST_ADDQ(&curproxy->tcpcheck_rules, &tcpcheck->list);
+			LIST_ADDQ(curproxy->tcpcheck_rules, &tcpcheck->list);
 			if (alertif_too_many_args_idx(1, 1, file, linenum, args, &err_code))
 				goto out;
 		}
@@ -3102,13 +3132,13 @@ stats_error_parsing:
 			struct tcpcheck_rule *tcpcheck;
 
 			/* check if first rule is also a 'connect' action */
-			tcpcheck = LIST_NEXT(&curproxy->tcpcheck_rules, struct tcpcheck_rule *, list);
-			while (&tcpcheck->list != &curproxy->tcpcheck_rules &&
+			tcpcheck = LIST_NEXT(curproxy->tcpcheck_rules, struct tcpcheck_rule *, list);
+			while (&tcpcheck->list != curproxy->tcpcheck_rules &&
 			       tcpcheck->action == TCPCHK_ACT_COMMENT) {
 				tcpcheck = LIST_NEXT(&tcpcheck->list, struct tcpcheck_rule *, list);
 			}
 
-			if (&tcpcheck->list != &curproxy->tcpcheck_rules
+			if (&tcpcheck->list != curproxy->tcpcheck_rules
 			    && tcpcheck->action != TCPCHK_ACT_CONNECT) {
 				ha_alert("parsing [%s:%d] : first step MUST also be a 'connect' when there is a 'connect' step in the tcp-check ruleset.\n",
 					 file, linenum);
@@ -3174,7 +3204,7 @@ stats_error_parsing:
 
 			}
 
-			LIST_ADDQ(&curproxy->tcpcheck_rules, &tcpcheck->list);
+			LIST_ADDQ(curproxy->tcpcheck_rules, &tcpcheck->list);
 		}
 		else if (strcmp(args[1], "send") == 0) {
 			if (! *(args[2]) ) {
@@ -3203,7 +3233,7 @@ stats_error_parsing:
 					tcpcheck->comment = strdup(args[4]);
 				}
 
-				LIST_ADDQ(&curproxy->tcpcheck_rules, &tcpcheck->list);
+				LIST_ADDQ(curproxy->tcpcheck_rules, &tcpcheck->list);
 			}
 		}
 		else if (strcmp(args[1], "send-binary") == 0) {
@@ -3238,7 +3268,7 @@ stats_error_parsing:
 					tcpcheck->comment = strdup(args[4]);
 				}
 
-				LIST_ADDQ(&curproxy->tcpcheck_rules, &tcpcheck->list);
+				LIST_ADDQ(curproxy->tcpcheck_rules, &tcpcheck->list);
 			}
 		}
 		else if (strcmp(args[1], "expect") == 0) {
@@ -3389,7 +3419,7 @@ stats_error_parsing:
 			 * in a chain of one or more expect rule, potentially itself.
 			 */
 			tcpcheck->expect.head = tcpcheck;
-			list_for_each_entry_rev(prev_check, &curproxy->tcpcheck_rules, list) {
+			list_for_each_entry_rev(prev_check, curproxy->tcpcheck_rules, list) {
 				if (prev_check->action == TCPCHK_ACT_EXPECT) {
 					if (prev_check->expect.inverse)
 						tcpcheck->expect.head = prev_check;
@@ -3398,7 +3428,7 @@ stats_error_parsing:
 				if (prev_check->action != TCPCHK_ACT_COMMENT)
 					break;
 			}
-			LIST_ADDQ(&curproxy->tcpcheck_rules, &tcpcheck->list);
+			LIST_ADDQ(curproxy->tcpcheck_rules, &tcpcheck->list);
 		}
 		else {
 			ha_alert("parsing [%s:%d] : '%s' only supports 'comment', 'connect', 'send' or 'expect'.\n", file, linenum, args[0]);
diff --git a/src/cfgparse.c b/src/cfgparse.c
index d049899b3..139103399 100644
--- a/src/cfgparse.c
+++ b/src/cfgparse.c
@@ -3133,7 +3133,7 @@ out_uri_auth_compat:
 			memcpy(curproxy->check_req, sslv3_client_hello_pkt, curproxy->check_len);
 		}
 
-		if (!LIST_ISEMPTY(&curproxy->tcpcheck_rules) &&
+		if (curproxy->tcpcheck_rules != NULL &&
 		    (curproxy->options2 & PR_O2_CHK_ANY) != PR_O2_TCPCHK_CHK) {
 			ha_warning("config : %s '%s' uses tcp-check rules without 'option tcp-check', so the rules are ignored.\n",
 				   proxy_type_str(curproxy), curproxy->id);
diff --git a/src/checks.c b/src/checks.c
index b2fb34d0f..bb1a5041c 100644
--- a/src/checks.c
+++ b/src/checks.c
@@ -3804,7 +3804,7 @@ static int init_srv_check(struct server *srv)
 	    (!is_inet_addr(&srv->check.addr) && (is_addr(&srv->check.addr) || !is_inet_addr(&srv->addr))))
 		goto init;
 
-	if (!LIST_ISEMPTY(&srv->proxy->tcpcheck_rules)) {
+	if (!srv->proxy->tcpcheck_rules || LIST_ISEMPTY(srv->proxy->tcpcheck_rules)) {
 		ha_alert("config: %s '%s': server '%s' has neither service port nor check port.\n",
 			 proxy_type_str(srv->proxy), srv->proxy->id, srv->id);
 		ret |= ERR_ALERT | ERR_ABORT;
@@ -3812,7 +3812,7 @@ static int init_srv_check(struct server *srv)
 	}
 
 	/* search the first action (connect / send / expect) in the list */
-	r = get_first_tcpcheck_rule(&srv->proxy->tcpcheck_rules);
+	r = get_first_tcpcheck_rule(srv->proxy->tcpcheck_rules);
 	if (!r || (r->action != TCPCHK_ACT_CONNECT) || !r->port) {
 		ha_alert("config: %s '%s': server '%s' has neither service port nor check port "
 			 "nor tcp_check rule 'connect' with port information.\n",
@@ -3822,7 +3822,7 @@ static int init_srv_check(struct server *srv)
 	}
 
 	/* scan the tcp-check ruleset to ensure a port has been configured */
-	list_for_each_entry(r, &srv->proxy->tcpcheck_rules, list) {
+	list_for_each_entry(r, srv->proxy->tcpcheck_rules, list) {
 		if ((r->action == TCPCHK_ACT_CONNECT) && (!r->port)) {
 			ha_alert("config: %s '%s': server '%s' has neither service port nor check port, "
 				 "and a tcp_check rule 'connect' with no port information.\n",
diff --git a/src/proxy.c b/src/proxy.c
index 046b1b555..d2d6a43d6 100644
--- a/src/proxy.c
+++ b/src/proxy.c
@@ -876,7 +876,6 @@ void init_new_proxy(struct proxy *p)
 	LIST_INIT(&p->conf.listeners);
 	LIST_INIT(&p->conf.errors);
 	LIST_INIT(&p->conf.args.list);
-	LIST_INIT(&p->tcpcheck_rules);
 	LIST_INIT(&p->filter_configs);
 
 	/* Timeouts are defined as -1 */
diff --git a/src/server.c b/src/server.c
index 8307ae2ca..e5652f26b 100644
--- a/src/server.c
+++ b/src/server.c
@@ -1867,7 +1867,7 @@ struct server *new_server(struct proxy *proxy)
 	srv->check.status = HCHK_STATUS_INI;
 	srv->check.server = srv;
 	srv->check.proxy = proxy;
-	srv->check.tcpcheck_rules = &proxy->tcpcheck_rules;
+	srv->check.tcpcheck_rules = proxy->tcpcheck_rules;
 
 	srv->agent.status = HCHK_STATUS_INI;
 	srv->agent.server = srv;