diff --git a/include/haproxy/proxy.h b/include/haproxy/proxy.h
index 177e71783..783154af6 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/proxy.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/proxy.h
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ void proxy_capture_error(struct proxy *proxy, int is_back,
 void proxy_adjust_all_maxconn(void);
 struct proxy *cli_find_frontend(struct appctx *appctx, const char *arg);
 struct proxy *cli_find_frontend(struct appctx *appctx, const char *arg);
+int resolve_stick_rule(struct proxy *curproxy, struct sticking_rule *mrule);
 
 /*
  * This function returns a string containing the type of the proxy in a format
diff --git a/src/cfgparse.c b/src/cfgparse.c
index fc04fc479..9a28fae55 100644
--- a/src/cfgparse.c
+++ b/src/cfgparse.c
@@ -3243,71 +3243,22 @@ int check_config_validity()
 
 		/* find the target table for 'stick' rules */
 		list_for_each_entry(mrule, &curproxy->sticking_rules, list) {
-			struct stktable *target;
-
 			curproxy->be_req_ana |= AN_REQ_STICKING_RULES;
 			if (mrule->flags & STK_IS_STORE)
 				curproxy->be_rsp_ana |= AN_RES_STORE_RULES;
 
-			if (mrule->table.name)
-				target = stktable_find_by_name(mrule->table.name);
-			else
-				target = curproxy->table;
+			if (!resolve_stick_rule(curproxy, mrule))
+				cfgerr++;
 
-			if (!target) {
-				ha_alert("Proxy '%s': unable to find stick-table '%s'.\n",
-					 curproxy->id, mrule->table.name ? mrule->table.name : curproxy->id);
-				cfgerr++;
-			}
-			else if (!stktable_compatible_sample(mrule->expr,  target->type)) {
-				ha_alert("Proxy '%s': type of fetch not usable with type of stick-table '%s'.\n",
-					 curproxy->id, mrule->table.name ? mrule->table.name : curproxy->id);
-				cfgerr++;
-			}
-			else {
-				ha_free(&mrule->table.name);
-				mrule->table.t = target;
-				stktable_alloc_data_type(target, STKTABLE_DT_SERVER_ID, NULL, NULL);
-				stktable_alloc_data_type(target, STKTABLE_DT_SERVER_KEY, NULL, NULL);
-				if (!in_proxies_list(target->proxies_list, curproxy)) {
-					curproxy->next_stkt_ref = target->proxies_list;
-					target->proxies_list = curproxy;
-				}
-			}
 			err_code |= warnif_tcp_http_cond(curproxy, mrule->cond);
 		}
 
 		/* find the target table for 'store response' rules */
 		list_for_each_entry(mrule, &curproxy->storersp_rules, list) {
-			struct stktable *target;
-
 			curproxy->be_rsp_ana |= AN_RES_STORE_RULES;
 
-			if (mrule->table.name)
-				target = stktable_find_by_name(mrule->table.name);
-			else
-				target = curproxy->table;
-
-			if (!target) {
-				ha_alert("Proxy '%s': unable to find store table '%s'.\n",
-					 curproxy->id, mrule->table.name ? mrule->table.name : curproxy->id);
+			if (!resolve_stick_rule(curproxy, mrule))
 				cfgerr++;
-			}
-			else if (!stktable_compatible_sample(mrule->expr, target->type)) {
-				ha_alert("Proxy '%s': type of fetch not usable with type of stick-table '%s'.\n",
-					 curproxy->id, mrule->table.name ? mrule->table.name : curproxy->id);
-				cfgerr++;
-			}
-			else {
-				ha_free(&mrule->table.name);
-				mrule->table.t = target;
-				stktable_alloc_data_type(target, STKTABLE_DT_SERVER_ID, NULL, NULL);
-				stktable_alloc_data_type(target, STKTABLE_DT_SERVER_KEY, NULL, NULL);
-				if (!in_proxies_list(target->proxies_list, curproxy)) {
-					curproxy->next_stkt_ref = target->proxies_list;
-					target->proxies_list = curproxy;
-				}
-			}
 		}
 
 		/* check validity for 'tcp-request' layer 4/5/6/7 rules */
diff --git a/src/proxy.c b/src/proxy.c
index f8233fc78..7ff087190 100644
--- a/src/proxy.c
+++ b/src/proxy.c
@@ -130,6 +130,41 @@ const struct cfg_opt cfg_opts2[] =
 	{ NULL, 0, 0, 0 }
 };
 
+/* Helper function to resolve a single sticking rule after config parsing.
+ * Returns 1 for success and 0 for failure
+ */
+int resolve_stick_rule(struct proxy *curproxy, struct sticking_rule *mrule)
+{
+	struct stktable *target;
+
+	if (mrule->table.name)
+		target = stktable_find_by_name(mrule->table.name);
+	else
+		target = curproxy->table;
+
+	if (!target) {
+		ha_alert("Proxy '%s': unable to find stick-table '%s'.\n",
+		         curproxy->id, mrule->table.name ? mrule->table.name : curproxy->id);
+		return 0;
+	}
+	else if (!stktable_compatible_sample(mrule->expr, target->type)) {
+		ha_alert("Proxy '%s': type of fetch not usable with type of stick-table '%s'.\n",
+		         curproxy->id, mrule->table.name ? mrule->table.name : curproxy->id);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	/* success */
+	ha_free(&mrule->table.name);
+	mrule->table.t = target;
+	stktable_alloc_data_type(target, STKTABLE_DT_SERVER_ID, NULL, NULL);
+	stktable_alloc_data_type(target, STKTABLE_DT_SERVER_KEY, NULL, NULL);
+	if (!in_proxies_list(target->proxies_list, curproxy)) {
+		curproxy->next_stkt_ref = target->proxies_list;
+		target->proxies_list = curproxy;
+	}
+	return 1;
+}
+
 static void free_stick_rules(struct list *rules)
 {
 	struct sticking_rule *rule, *ruleb;