diff --git a/include/haproxy/session.h b/include/haproxy/session.h
index 9fd540a6d..f0731c711 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/session.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/session.h
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ static inline void session_store_counters(struct session *sess)
 		}
 
 		stkctr_set_entry(stkctr, NULL);
-		stksess_kill_if_expired(stkctr->table, ts, 1);
+		stksess_kill_if_expired(stkctr->table, ts);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/include/haproxy/stick_table.h b/include/haproxy/stick_table.h
index 3e10db107..4132af129 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/stick_table.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/stick_table.h
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ struct stktable *stktable_find_by_name(const char *name);
 struct stksess *stksess_new(struct stktable *t, struct stktable_key *key);
 void stksess_setkey(struct stktable *t, struct stksess *ts, struct stktable_key *key);
 void stksess_free(struct stktable *t, struct stksess *ts);
-int stksess_kill(struct stktable *t, struct stksess *ts, int decrefcount);
+int stksess_kill(struct stktable *t, struct stksess *ts);
 int stktable_get_key_shard(struct stktable *t, const void *key, size_t len);
 
 int stktable_init(struct stktable *t, char **err_msg);
@@ -215,7 +215,15 @@ static inline int __stksess_kill_if_expired(struct stktable *t, struct stksess *
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static inline void stksess_kill_if_expired(struct stktable *t, struct stksess *ts, int decrefcnt)
+/*
+ * Decrease the refcount of a stksess and relase it if the refcount falls to 0
+ * _AND_ if the session expired. Note,, the refcount is always decremented.
+ *
+ * This function locks the corresponding table shard to proceed. When this
+ * function is called, the caller must be sure it owns a reference on the
+ * stksess (refcount >= 1).
+ */
+static inline void stksess_kill_if_expired(struct stktable *t, struct stksess *ts)
 {
 	uint shard;
 	size_t len;
@@ -232,11 +240,11 @@ static inline void stksess_kill_if_expired(struct stktable *t, struct stksess *t
 		ALREADY_CHECKED(shard);
 
 		HA_RWLOCK_WRLOCK(STK_TABLE_LOCK, &t->shards[shard].sh_lock);
-		if (!decrefcnt || !HA_ATOMIC_SUB_FETCH(&ts->ref_cnt, 1))
+		if (!HA_ATOMIC_SUB_FETCH(&ts->ref_cnt, 1))
 			__stksess_kill_if_expired(t, ts);
 		HA_RWLOCK_WRUNLOCK(STK_TABLE_LOCK, &t->shards[shard].sh_lock);
 	}
-	else if (decrefcnt)
+	else
 		HA_ATOMIC_SUB_FETCH(&ts->ref_cnt, 1);
 }
 
diff --git a/include/haproxy/stream.h b/include/haproxy/stream.h
index 12c58b891..6781249e8 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/stream.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/stream.h
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ static inline void stream_store_counters(struct stream *s)
 			stktable_touch_local(s->stkctr[i].table, ts, 0);
 		}
 		stkctr_set_entry(&s->stkctr[i], NULL);
-		stksess_kill_if_expired(s->stkctr[i].table, ts, 1);
+		stksess_kill_if_expired(s->stkctr[i].table, ts);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ static inline void stream_stop_content_counters(struct stream *s)
 			stktable_touch_local(s->stkctr[i].table, ts, 0);
 		}
 		stkctr_set_entry(&s->stkctr[i], NULL);
-		stksess_kill_if_expired(s->stkctr[i].table, ts, 1);
+		stksess_kill_if_expired(s->stkctr[i].table, ts);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/stick_table.c b/src/stick_table.c
index 2b5eddd7b..f562a62a2 100644
--- a/src/stick_table.c
+++ b/src/stick_table.c
@@ -162,11 +162,14 @@ int __stksess_kill(struct stktable *t, struct stksess *ts)
 }
 
 /*
- * Decrease the refcount if decrefcnt is not 0, and try to kill the stksess.
+ * Decrease the refcount of a stksess and relase it if the refcount falls to 0.
  * Returns non-zero if deleted, zero otherwise.
- * This function locks the table
+ *
+ * This function locks the corresponding table shard to proceed. When this
+ * function is called, the caller must be sure it owns a reference on the
+ * stksess (refcount >= 1).
  */
-int stksess_kill(struct stktable *t, struct stksess *ts, int decrefcnt)
+int stksess_kill(struct stktable *t, struct stksess *ts)
 {
 	uint shard;
 	size_t len;
@@ -183,7 +186,7 @@ int stksess_kill(struct stktable *t, struct stksess *ts, int decrefcnt)
 	ALREADY_CHECKED(shard);
 
 	HA_RWLOCK_WRLOCK(STK_TABLE_LOCK, &t->shards[shard].sh_lock);
-	if (!decrefcnt || !HA_ATOMIC_SUB_FETCH(&ts->ref_cnt, 1))
+	if (!HA_ATOMIC_SUB_FETCH(&ts->ref_cnt, 1))
 		ret = __stksess_kill(t, ts);
 	HA_RWLOCK_WRUNLOCK(STK_TABLE_LOCK, &t->shards[shard].sh_lock);
 
@@ -5268,7 +5271,7 @@ static int table_process_entry(struct appctx *appctx, struct stksess *ts, char *
 		break;
 
 	case STK_CLI_ACT_CLR:
-		if (!stksess_kill(t, ts, 1)) {
+		if (!stksess_kill(t, ts)) {
 			/* don't delete an entry which is currently referenced */
 			return cli_err(appctx, "Entry currently in use, cannot remove\n");
 		}
@@ -5685,7 +5688,7 @@ static void cli_release_show_table(struct appctx *appctx)
 	struct show_table_ctx *ctx = appctx->svcctx;
 
 	if (ctx->state == STATE_DUMP) {
-		stksess_kill_if_expired(ctx->t, ctx->entry, 1);
+		stksess_kill_if_expired(ctx->t, ctx->entry);
 	}
 }