diff --git a/src/cfgparse.c b/src/cfgparse.c
index 3ed58f393..44eac17d6 100644
--- a/src/cfgparse.c
+++ b/src/cfgparse.c
@@ -3543,6 +3543,31 @@ int check_config_validity()
 			/* update the mux */
 			newsrv->mux_proto = mux_ent;
 		}
+
+		/* initialize idle conns lists */
+		for (newsrv = curproxy->srv; newsrv; newsrv = newsrv->next) {
+			int i;
+
+			newsrv->priv_conns = calloc(global.nbthread, sizeof(*newsrv->priv_conns));
+			newsrv->idle_conns = calloc(global.nbthread, sizeof(*newsrv->idle_conns));
+			newsrv->safe_conns = calloc(global.nbthread, sizeof(*newsrv->safe_conns));
+
+			if (!newsrv->priv_conns || !newsrv->idle_conns || !newsrv->safe_conns) {
+				free(srv->safe_conns); srv->safe_conns = NULL;
+				free(srv->idle_conns); srv->idle_conns = NULL;
+				free(srv->priv_conns); srv->priv_conns = NULL;
+				ha_alert("parsing [%s:%d] : failed to allocate idle connections for server '%s'.\n",
+					 newsrv->conf.file, newsrv->conf.line, newsrv->id);
+				cfgerr++;
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			for (i = 0; i < global.nbthread; i++) {
+				LIST_INIT(&newsrv->priv_conns[i]);
+				LIST_INIT(&newsrv->idle_conns[i]);
+				LIST_INIT(&newsrv->safe_conns[i]);
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	/***********************************************************/
diff --git a/src/server.c b/src/server.c
index 50325de41..86137f3e5 100644
--- a/src/server.c
+++ b/src/server.c
@@ -1713,7 +1713,6 @@ static void srv_settings_cpy(struct server *srv, struct server *src, int srv_tmp
 struct server *new_server(struct proxy *proxy)
 {
 	struct server *srv;
-	int i;
 
 	srv = calloc(1, sizeof *srv);
 	if (!srv)
@@ -1724,19 +1723,6 @@ struct server *new_server(struct proxy *proxy)
 	LIST_INIT(&srv->actconns);
 	srv->pendconns = EB_ROOT;
 
-	if ((srv->priv_conns = calloc(global.nbthread, sizeof(*srv->priv_conns))) == NULL)
-		goto free_srv;
-	if ((srv->idle_conns = calloc(global.nbthread, sizeof(*srv->idle_conns))) == NULL)
-		goto free_priv_conns;
-	if ((srv->safe_conns = calloc(global.nbthread, sizeof(*srv->safe_conns))) == NULL)
-		goto free_idle_conns;
-
-	for (i = 0; i < global.nbthread; i++) {
-		LIST_INIT(&srv->priv_conns[i]);
-		LIST_INIT(&srv->idle_conns[i]);
-		LIST_INIT(&srv->safe_conns[i]);
-	}
-
 	srv->next_state = SRV_ST_RUNNING; /* early server setup */
 	srv->last_change = now.tv_sec;
 
@@ -1755,14 +1741,6 @@ struct server *new_server(struct proxy *proxy)
 	srv->max_reuse = -1;
 
 	return srv;
-
-  free_idle_conns:
-	free(srv->idle_conns);
-  free_priv_conns:
-	free(srv->priv_conns);
-  free_srv:
-	free(srv);
-	return NULL;
 }
 
 /*