diff --git a/include/types/checks.h b/include/types/checks.h
index dbbf96ddd..294adc6dd 100644
--- a/include/types/checks.h
+++ b/include/types/checks.h
@@ -236,6 +236,7 @@ struct tcpcheck_rule {
 	int inverse;                            /* 0 = regular match, 1 = inverse match */
 	unsigned short port;                    /* port to connect to */
 	unsigned short conn_opts;               /* options when setting up a new connection */
+	struct tcpcheck_rule *expect_head;      /* first expect of a chain. */
 };
 
 #endif /* _TYPES_CHECKS_H */
diff --git a/src/cfgparse-listen.c b/src/cfgparse-listen.c
index 4117ea9b6..be3ae037d 100644
--- a/src/cfgparse-listen.c
+++ b/src/cfgparse-listen.c
@@ -3191,6 +3191,7 @@ stats_error_parsing:
 			}
 		}
 		else if (strcmp(args[1], "expect") == 0) {
+			struct tcpcheck_rule *tcpcheck, *prev_check;
 			const char *ptr_arg;
 			int cur_arg;
 			int inverse = 0;
@@ -3216,7 +3217,6 @@ stats_error_parsing:
 			 * exclamation mark, and cur_arg is the argument which holds this word.
 			 */
 			if (strcmp(ptr_arg, "binary") == 0) {
-				struct tcpcheck_rule *tcpcheck;
 				char *err = NULL;
 
 				if (!*(args[cur_arg + 1])) {
@@ -3249,12 +3249,8 @@ stats_error_parsing:
 					}
 					tcpcheck->comment = strdup(args[cur_arg + 1]);
 				}
-
-				LIST_ADDQ(&curproxy->tcpcheck_rules, &tcpcheck->list);
 			}
 			else if (strcmp(ptr_arg, "string") == 0) {
-				struct tcpcheck_rule *tcpcheck;
-
 				if (!*(args[cur_arg + 1])) {
 					ha_alert("parsing [%s:%d] : '%s %s %s' expects <string> as an argument.\n",
 						 file, linenum, args[0], args[1], ptr_arg);
@@ -3281,12 +3277,8 @@ stats_error_parsing:
 					}
 					tcpcheck->comment = strdup(args[cur_arg + 1]);
 				}
-
-				LIST_ADDQ(&curproxy->tcpcheck_rules, &tcpcheck->list);
 			}
 			else if (strcmp(ptr_arg, "rstring") == 0) {
-				struct tcpcheck_rule *tcpcheck;
-
 				if (!*(args[cur_arg + 1])) {
 					ha_alert("parsing [%s:%d] : '%s %s %s' expects <regex> as an argument.\n",
 						 file, linenum, args[0], args[1], ptr_arg);
@@ -3320,8 +3312,6 @@ stats_error_parsing:
 					}
 					tcpcheck->comment = strdup(args[cur_arg + 1]);
 				}
-
-				LIST_ADDQ(&curproxy->tcpcheck_rules, &tcpcheck->list);
 			}
 			else {
 				ha_alert("parsing [%s:%d] : '%s %s' only supports [!] 'binary', 'string', 'rstring', found '%s'.\n",
@@ -3329,6 +3319,21 @@ stats_error_parsing:
 				err_code |= ERR_ALERT | ERR_FATAL;
 				goto out;
 			}
+
+			/* All tcp-check expect points back to the first inverse expect rule
+			 * in a chain of one or more expect rule, potentially itself.
+			 */
+			tcpcheck->expect_head = tcpcheck;
+			list_for_each_entry_rev(prev_check, &curproxy->tcpcheck_rules, list) {
+				if (prev_check->action == TCPCHK_ACT_EXPECT) {
+					if (prev_check->inverse)
+						tcpcheck->expect_head = prev_check;
+					continue;
+				}
+				if (prev_check->action != TCPCHK_ACT_COMMENT)
+					break;
+			}
+			LIST_ADDQ(&curproxy->tcpcheck_rules, &tcpcheck->list);
 		}
 		else {
 			ha_alert("parsing [%s:%d] : '%s' only supports 'comment', 'connect', 'send' or 'expect'.\n", file, linenum, args[0]);
diff --git a/src/checks.c b/src/checks.c
index 4470c8f4a..ea534f512 100644
--- a/src/checks.c
+++ b/src/checks.c
@@ -3121,6 +3121,9 @@ static int tcpcheck_main(struct check *check)
 				}
 			}
 
+			/* Having received new data, reset the expect chain to its head. */
+			check->current_step = check->current_step->expect_head;
+
 			/* mark the step as started */
 			check->last_started_step = check->current_step;
 
@@ -3158,7 +3161,6 @@ static int tcpcheck_main(struct check *check)
 		tcpcheck_expect:
 			if (!done && (check->current_step->string != NULL) && (b_data(&check->bi) < check->current_step->string_len) )
 				continue; /* try to read more */
-
 			if (check->current_step->string != NULL)
 				ret = my_memmem(contentptr, b_data(&check->bi), check->current_step->string, check->current_step->string_len) != NULL;
 			else if (check->current_step->expect_regex != NULL)
@@ -3462,7 +3464,7 @@ int init_email_alert(struct mailers *mls, struct proxy *p, char **err)
 
 static int add_tcpcheck_expect_str(struct list *list, const char *str)
 {
-	struct tcpcheck_rule *tcpcheck;
+	struct tcpcheck_rule *tcpcheck, *prev_check;
 
 	if ((tcpcheck = pool_alloc(pool_head_tcpcheck_rule)) == NULL)
 		return 0;
@@ -3476,6 +3478,19 @@ static int add_tcpcheck_expect_str(struct list *list, const char *str)
 		return 0;
 	}
 
+	/* All tcp-check expect points back to the first inverse expect rule
+	 * in a chain of one or more expect rule, potentially itself.
+	 */
+	tcpcheck->expect_head = tcpcheck;
+	list_for_each_entry_rev(prev_check, list, list) {
+		if (prev_check->action == TCPCHK_ACT_EXPECT) {
+			if (prev_check->inverse)
+				tcpcheck->expect_head = prev_check;
+			continue;
+		}
+		if (prev_check->action != TCPCHK_ACT_COMMENT)
+			break;
+	}
 	LIST_ADDQ(list, &tcpcheck->list);
 	return 1;
 }