diff --git a/servers/lloadd/backend.c b/servers/lloadd/backend.c
index 9101c7b4a9..17d0ec51df 100644
--- a/servers/lloadd/backend.c
+++ b/servers/lloadd/backend.c
@@ -99,9 +99,10 @@ backend_select( Operation *op )
 }
 
 void *
-backend_connect( Backend *b )
+backend_connect( void *ctx, void *arg )
 {
     struct evutil_addrinfo hints = {};
+    Backend *b = arg;
 
 #ifdef LDAP_PF_LOCAL
     if ( b->b_proto == LDAP_PROTO_IPC ) {
diff --git a/servers/lloadd/daemon.c b/servers/lloadd/daemon.c
index 9388ae8afe..31382e594b 100644
--- a/servers/lloadd/daemon.c
+++ b/servers/lloadd/daemon.c
@@ -1300,10 +1300,7 @@ slapd_daemon( struct event_base *daemon_base )
     }
 
     LDAP_STAILQ_FOREACH ( b, &backend, b_next ) {
-        rc = backend_connect( b );
-        if ( rc ) {
-            return rc;
-        }
+        ldap_pvt_thread_pool_submit( &connection_pool, backend_connect, b );
     }
 
     lloadd_inited = 1;
diff --git a/servers/lloadd/proto-slap.h b/servers/lloadd/proto-slap.h
index 869dbe9b0b..cb648ad087 100644
--- a/servers/lloadd/proto-slap.h
+++ b/servers/lloadd/proto-slap.h
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ struct config_reply_s; /* config.h */
  * backend.c
  */
 
-LDAP_SLAPD_F (int) backend_connect( Backend *b );
+LDAP_SLAPD_F (void *) backend_connect( void *ctx, void *arg );
 
 /*
  * ch_malloc.c
diff --git a/servers/lloadd/upstream.c b/servers/lloadd/upstream.c
index 9702d5a523..5cc883fdd3 100644
--- a/servers/lloadd/upstream.c
+++ b/servers/lloadd/upstream.c
@@ -102,6 +102,8 @@ upstream_destroy( Connection *c )
     b->b_conns = NULL;
     ldap_pvt_thread_mutex_unlock( &b->b_lock );
 
+    ldap_pvt_thread_pool_submit( &connection_pool, backend_connect, b );
+
     ldap_pvt_thread_mutex_lock( &c->c_mutex );
 
     event_del( c->c_read_event );