diff --git a/include/haproxy/proxy-t.h b/include/haproxy/proxy-t.h
index 2c85761bf..fcf9732bd 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/proxy-t.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/proxy-t.h
@@ -507,6 +507,7 @@ struct proxy {
 	struct list filter_configs;		/* list of the filters that are declared on this proxy */
 
 	struct guid_node guid;			/* GUID global tree node */
+	struct mt_list watcher_list;		/* list of elems which currently references this proxy instance (currently only used with backends) */
 
 	EXTRA_COUNTERS(extra_counters_fe);
 	EXTRA_COUNTERS(extra_counters_be);
diff --git a/src/proxy.c b/src/proxy.c
index 5bed1ae95..f9241ea1d 100644
--- a/src/proxy.c
+++ b/src/proxy.c
@@ -1580,6 +1580,7 @@ void init_new_proxy(struct proxy *p)
 
 	p->stream_new_from_sc = stream_new;
 	guid_init(&p->guid);
+	MT_LIST_INIT(&p->watcher_list);
 
 	p->extra_counters_fe = NULL;
 	p->extra_counters_be = NULL;