diff --git a/include/haproxy/http_client.h b/include/haproxy/http_client.h
index c0d544781..097997eb5 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/http_client.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/http_client.h
@@ -24,4 +24,11 @@ static inline int httpclient_ended(struct httpclient *hc)
 	return !!(hc->flags & HTTPCLIENT_FS_ENDED);
 }
 
+/* Return 1 if the httpclient started */
+static inline int httpclient_started(struct httpclient *hc)
+{
+
+	return !!(hc->flags & HTTPCLIENT_FS_STARTED);
+}
+
 #endif /* ! _HAPROXY_HTTCLIENT_H */
diff --git a/src/http_client.c b/src/http_client.c
index 1eb3cd18a..d0a100531 100644
--- a/src/http_client.c
+++ b/src/http_client.c
@@ -438,8 +438,8 @@ void httpclient_destroy(struct httpclient *hc)
 	if (!hc)
 		return;
 
-	/* we should never destroy a client which was not stopped */
-	BUG_ON(!httpclient_ended(hc));
+	/* we should never destroy a client which was started but not stopped  */
+	BUG_ON(httpclient_started(hc) && !httpclient_ended(hc));
 
 	/* request */
 	istfree(&hc->req.url);