diff --git a/src/cfgparse.c b/src/cfgparse.c
index bc9d93f86..a3f9c9636 100644
--- a/src/cfgparse.c
+++ b/src/cfgparse.c
@@ -5690,7 +5690,7 @@ int check_config_validity()
 		struct listener *listener;
 		unsigned int next_id;
 
-		if (!curproxy->uuid) {
+		if (curproxy->uuid < 0) {
 			/* proxy ID not set, use automatic numbering with first
 			 * spare entry starting with next_pxid.
 			 */
@@ -6512,7 +6512,8 @@ int check_config_validity()
 		}
 
 		if (curproxy->cap & PR_CAP_FE) {
-			curproxy->accept = frontend_accept;
+			if (!curproxy->accept)
+				curproxy->accept = frontend_accept;
 
 			if (curproxy->tcp_req.inspect_delay ||
 			    !LIST_ISEMPTY(&curproxy->tcp_req.inspect_rules))
diff --git a/src/dumpstats.c b/src/dumpstats.c
index c8b60a61b..07761218c 100644
--- a/src/dumpstats.c
+++ b/src/dumpstats.c
@@ -160,7 +160,8 @@ static struct proxy *alloc_stats_fe(const char *name, const char *file, int line
 		return NULL;
 
 	init_new_proxy(fe);
-
+	fe->next = proxy;
+	proxy = fe;
 	fe->last_change = now.tv_sec;
 	fe->id = strdup("GLOBAL");
 	fe->cap = PR_CAP_FE;
@@ -169,6 +170,10 @@ static struct proxy *alloc_stats_fe(const char *name, const char *file, int line
 	fe->conf.file = strdup(file);
 	fe->conf.line = line;
 	fe->accept = stats_accept;
+
+	/* the stats frontend is the only one able to assign ID #0 */
+	fe->conf.id.key = fe->uuid = 0;
+	eb32_insert(&used_proxy_id, &fe->conf.id);
 	return fe;
 }
 
@@ -1709,8 +1714,8 @@ static int stats_dump_raw_to_buffer(struct stream_interface *si)
 		if (si->applet.ctx.stats.flags & STAT_SHOW_STAT) {
 			while (si->applet.ctx.stats.px) {
 				px = si->applet.ctx.stats.px;
-				/* skip the disabled proxies and non-networked ones */
-				if (px->state != PR_STSTOPPED &&
+				/* skip the disabled proxies, global frontend and non-networked ones */
+				if (px->state != PR_STSTOPPED && px->uuid > 0 &&
 				    (px->cap & (PR_CAP_FE | PR_CAP_BE))) {
 					if (stats_dump_proxy(si, px, NULL) == 0)
 						return 0;
@@ -2176,8 +2181,8 @@ static int stats_dump_http(struct stream_interface *si, struct uri_auth *uri)
 			if (buffer_almost_full(&rep->buf))
 				return 0;
 			px = si->applet.ctx.stats.px;
-			/* skip the disabled proxies and non-networked ones */
-			if (px->state != PR_STSTOPPED && (px->cap & (PR_CAP_FE | PR_CAP_BE)))
+			/* skip the disabled proxies, global frontend and non-networked ones */
+			if (px->state != PR_STSTOPPED && px->uuid > 0 && (px->cap & (PR_CAP_FE | PR_CAP_BE)))
 				if (stats_dump_proxy(si, px, uri) == 0)
 					return 0;
 
diff --git a/src/proxy.c b/src/proxy.c
index 820be2fa5..2c710bbbc 100644
--- a/src/proxy.c
+++ b/src/proxy.c
@@ -96,17 +96,17 @@ int get_backend_server(const char *bk_name, const char *sv_name,
 
 	*sv = NULL;
 
-	pid = 0;
+	pid = -1;
 	if (*bk_name == '#')
 		pid = atoi(bk_name + 1);
-	sid = 0;
+	sid = -1;
 	if (*sv_name == '#')
 		sid = atoi(sv_name + 1);
 
 	for (p = proxy; p; p = p->next)
 		if ((p->cap & PR_CAP_BE) &&
-		    ((pid && p->uuid == pid) ||
-		     (!pid && strcmp(p->id, bk_name) == 0)))
+		    ((pid >= 0 && p->uuid == pid) ||
+		     (pid < 0 && strcmp(p->id, bk_name) == 0)))
 			break;
 	if (bk)
 		*bk = p;
@@ -320,15 +320,15 @@ struct proxy *findproxy_mode(const char *name, int mode, int cap) {
 struct proxy *findproxy(const char *name, int cap) {
 
 	struct proxy *curproxy, *target = NULL;
-	int pid = 0;
+	int pid = -1;
 
 	if (*name == '#')
 		pid = atoi(name + 1);
 
 	for (curproxy = proxy; curproxy; curproxy = curproxy->next) {
 		if ((curproxy->cap & cap) != cap ||
-		    (pid && curproxy->uuid != pid) ||
-		    (!pid && strcmp(curproxy->id, name)))
+		    (pid >= 0 && curproxy->uuid != pid) ||
+		    (pid < 0 && strcmp(curproxy->id, name)))
 			continue;
 
 		if (!target) {
@@ -451,6 +451,9 @@ void init_new_proxy(struct proxy *p)
 	/* Timeouts are defined as -1 */
 	proxy_reset_timeouts(p);
 	p->tcp_rep.inspect_delay = TICK_ETERNITY;
+
+	/* initial uuid is unassigned (-1) */
+	p->uuid = -1;
 }
 
 /*