diff --git a/servers/lloadd/client.c b/servers/lloadd/client.c
index 466d065d06..0057b86439 100644
--- a/servers/lloadd/client.c
+++ b/servers/lloadd/client.c
@@ -111,7 +111,10 @@ client_read_cb( evutil_socket_t s, short what, void *arg )
             "suspended read event on connid=%lu\n",
             c->c_connid );
 
-    CONNECTION_UNLOCK(c);
+    /* We have scheduled a call to handle_requests which takes care of
+     * handling further requests, just make sure the connection sticks around
+     * for that */
+    CONNECTION_UNLOCK_INCREF(c);
     return;
 }
 
@@ -121,7 +124,7 @@ handle_requests( void *ctx, void *arg )
     Connection *c = arg;
     int requests_handled = 0;
 
-    CONNECTION_LOCK(c);
+    CONNECTION_LOCK_DECREF(c);
     for ( ; requests_handled < slap_conn_max_pdus_per_cycle;
             requests_handled++ ) {
         BerElement *ber;
diff --git a/servers/lloadd/operation.c b/servers/lloadd/operation.c
index 0d0b2898b5..8ff873a2ae 100644
--- a/servers/lloadd/operation.c
+++ b/servers/lloadd/operation.c
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ operation_destroy_from_client( Operation *op )
         ldap_pvt_thread_mutex_unlock( &op->o_mutex );
 
         assert( upstream != NULL );
-        CONNECTION_UNLOCK(upstream);
+        UPSTREAM_UNLOCK_OR_DESTROY(upstream);
         CONNECTION_LOCK_DECREF(client);
         return;
     }
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ operation_destroy_from_upstream( Operation *op )
         ldap_pvt_thread_mutex_unlock( &op->o_mutex );
 
         assert( client != NULL );
-        CONNECTION_UNLOCK(client);
+        CLIENT_UNLOCK_OR_DESTROY(client);
         CONNECTION_LOCK_DECREF(upstream);
         return;
     }
@@ -743,11 +743,13 @@ fail:
     if ( upstream ) {
         ldap_pvt_thread_mutex_unlock( &upstream->c_io_mutex );
         CONNECTION_LOCK_DECREF(upstream);
+        upstream->c_n_ops_executing--;
         UPSTREAM_UNLOCK_OR_DESTROY(upstream);
         operation_send_reject( op, LDAP_OTHER, "internal error", 0 );
     }
     CONNECTION_LOCK_DECREF(client);
     op->o_client_refcnt--;
     operation_destroy_from_client( op );
-    return rc;
+    CLIENT_UNLOCK_OR_DESTROY(client);
+    return -1;
 }
diff --git a/servers/lloadd/upstream.c b/servers/lloadd/upstream.c
index f6fbc5fa63..8485afe658 100644
--- a/servers/lloadd/upstream.c
+++ b/servers/lloadd/upstream.c
@@ -922,9 +922,11 @@ upstream_destroy( Connection *c )
     root = c->c_ops;
     c->c_ops = NULL;
     executing = c->c_n_ops_executing;
+    c->c_n_ops_executing = 0;
 
     read_event = c->c_read_event;
     write_event = c->c_write_event;
+
     CONNECTION_UNLOCK_INCREF(c);
 
     freed = tavl_free( root, (AVL_FREE)operation_lost_upstream );