diff --git a/servers/slapd/connection.c b/servers/slapd/connection.c
index a662da37f7..1b0a122bb3 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/connection.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/connection.c
@@ -472,6 +472,7 @@ long connection_init(
 	assert( c->c_sasl_extra == NULL );
 	assert( c->c_sasl_bindop == NULL );
 	assert( c->c_currentber == NULL );
+	assert( c->c_writewaiter == 0 );
 
 	c->c_listener = listener;
 	ber_str2bv( dnsname, 0, 1, &c->c_peer_domain );
@@ -485,7 +486,6 @@ long connection_init(
 	c->c_n_get = 0;
 	c->c_n_read = 0;
 	c->c_n_write = 0;
-	c->c_writewaiter = 0;
 
 	/* set to zero until bind, implies LDAP_VERSION3 */
 	c->c_protocol = 0;
@@ -677,6 +677,7 @@ connection_destroy( Connection *c )
 		ber_sockbuf_ctrl( c->c_sb, LBER_SB_OPT_SET_MAX_INCOMING, &max );
 	}
 
+	c->c_writewaiter = 0;
     c->c_conn_state = SLAP_C_INVALID;
     c->c_struct_state = SLAP_C_UNUSED;
 }