diff --git a/include/types/proxy.h b/include/types/proxy.h
index 5c078d9e4..641bc1c7b 100644
--- a/include/types/proxy.h
+++ b/include/types/proxy.h
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ struct proxy {
 	struct list listener_queue;		/* list of the temporarily limited listeners because of lack of a proxy resource */
 	struct stktable table;			/* table for storing sticking sessions */
 
-	struct task *task;			/* the associated task, mandatory to manage rate limiting, stopping and resource shortage */
+	struct task *task;			/* the associated task, mandatory to manage rate limiting, stopping and resource shortage, NULL if disabled */
 	int grace;				/* grace time after stop request */
 	char *check_req;			/* HTTP or SSL request to use for PR_O_HTTP_CHK|PR_O_SSL3_CHK */
 	int check_len;				/* Length of the HTTP or SSL3 request */
diff --git a/src/proxy.c b/src/proxy.c
index 8db70b601..820be2fa5 100644
--- a/src/proxy.c
+++ b/src/proxy.c
@@ -609,7 +609,8 @@ void soft_stop(void)
 			 task_wakeup(p->table.sync_task, TASK_WOKEN_MSG);
 
 		/* wake every proxy task up so that they can handle the stopping */
-		task_wakeup(p->task, TASK_WOKEN_MSG);
+		if (p->task)
+			task_wakeup(p->task, TASK_WOKEN_MSG);
 		p = p->next;
 	}