diff --git a/include/haproxy/server-t.h b/include/haproxy/server-t.h
index 02f15fc01..a01081d54 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/server-t.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/server-t.h
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ struct server {
 	unsigned cumulative_weight;		/* weight of servers prior to this one in the same group, for chash balancing */
 	int maxqueue;				/* maximum number of pending connections allowed */
 
-	uint refcount_dynsrv;                   /* refcount used for dynamic servers */
+	uint refcount;                          /* refcount used to remove a server at runtime */
 
 	/* The elements below may be changed on every single request by any
 	 * thread, and generally at the same time.
diff --git a/include/haproxy/server.h b/include/haproxy/server.h
index b39be2a1c..99d26ba0d 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/server.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/server.h
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ int srv_set_addr_via_libc(struct server *srv, int *err_code);
 int srv_init_addr(void);
 struct server *cli_find_server(struct appctx *appctx, char *arg);
 struct server *new_server(struct proxy *proxy);
-void srv_use_dynsrv(struct server *srv);
-struct server *free_server(struct server *srv);
+void srv_take(struct server *srv);
+struct server *srv_drop(struct server *srv);
 int srv_init_per_thr(struct server *srv);
 
 /* functions related to server name resolution */
diff --git a/src/check.c b/src/check.c
index 4a4e4c770..55f07939b 100644
--- a/src/check.c
+++ b/src/check.c
@@ -1241,13 +1241,13 @@ struct task *process_chk_conn(struct task *t, void *context, unsigned int state)
 	TRACE_LEAVE(CHK_EV_TASK_WAKE, check);
 
 	/* Free the check if set to PURGE. After this, the check instance may be
-	 * freed via the free_server invocation, so it must not be accessed
-	 * after this point.
+	 * freed via the srv_drop invocation, so it must not be accessed after
+	 * this point.
 	 */
 	if (unlikely(check->state & CHK_ST_PURGE)) {
 		free_check(check);
 		if (check->server)
-			free_server(check->server);
+			srv_drop(check->server);
 
 		t = NULL;
 	}
@@ -1688,6 +1688,7 @@ int init_srv_check(struct server *srv)
 		goto out;
 	}
 	srv->check.state |= CHK_ST_CONFIGURED | CHK_ST_ENABLED;
+	srv_take(srv);
 
 	/* Only increment maxsock for servers from the configuration. Dynamic
 	 * servers at the moment are not taken into account for the estimation
@@ -1743,6 +1744,7 @@ int init_srv_agent_check(struct server *srv)
 		srv->agent.inter = srv->check.inter;
 
 	srv->agent.state |= CHK_ST_CONFIGURED | CHK_ST_ENABLED | CHK_ST_AGENT;
+	srv_take(srv);
 
 	/* Only increment maxsock for servers from the configuration. Dynamic
 	 * servers at the moment are not taken into account for the estimation
diff --git a/src/hlua.c b/src/hlua.c
index 4ec28a083..ea9d31cdb 100644
--- a/src/hlua.c
+++ b/src/hlua.c
@@ -11759,10 +11759,10 @@ static void hlua_deinit()
 			lua_close(hlua_states[thr]);
 	}
 
-	free_server(socket_tcp);
+	srv_drop(socket_tcp);
 
 #ifdef USE_OPENSSL
-	free_server(socket_ssl);
+	srv_drop(socket_ssl);
 #endif
 
 	free_proxy(socket_proxy);
diff --git a/src/http_client.c b/src/http_client.c
index 6719ce507..9f06ccc44 100644
--- a/src/http_client.c
+++ b/src/http_client.c
@@ -738,9 +738,9 @@ static int httpclient_init()
 err:
 	ha_alert("httpclient: cannot initialize.\n");
 	free(errmsg);
-	free_server(httpclient_srv_raw);
+	srv_drop(httpclient_srv_raw);
 #ifdef USE_OPENSSL
-	free_server(httpclient_srv_ssl);
+	srv_drop(httpclient_srv_ssl);
 #endif
 	free_proxy(httpclient_proxy);
 	return err_code;
diff --git a/src/proxy.c b/src/proxy.c
index 5d701866b..3391dc90b 100644
--- a/src/proxy.c
+++ b/src/proxy.c
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ void free_proxy(struct proxy *p)
 	while (s) {
 		list_for_each_entry(srvdf, &server_deinit_list, list)
 			srvdf->fct(s);
-		s = free_server(s);
+		s = srv_drop(s);
 	}/* end while(s) */
 
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(l, l_next, &p->conf.listeners, by_fe) {
diff --git a/src/server.c b/src/server.c
index 54a569f72..fdce968f0 100644
--- a/src/server.c
+++ b/src/server.c
@@ -2160,6 +2160,8 @@ struct server *new_server(struct proxy *proxy)
 	if (!srv)
 		return NULL;
 
+	srv_take(srv);
+
 	srv->obj_type = OBJ_TYPE_SERVER;
 	srv->proxy = proxy;
 	queue_init(&srv->queue, proxy, srv);
@@ -2196,18 +2198,10 @@ struct server *new_server(struct proxy *proxy)
 	return srv;
 }
 
-/* Increment the dynamic server refcount. */
-void srv_use_dynsrv(struct server *srv)
+/* Increment the server refcount. */
+void srv_take(struct server *srv)
 {
-	BUG_ON(!(srv->flags & SRV_F_DYNAMIC));
-	HA_ATOMIC_INC(&srv->refcount_dynsrv);
-}
-
-/* Decrement the dynamic server refcount. */
-static uint srv_release_dynsrv(struct server *srv)
-{
-	BUG_ON(!(srv->flags & SRV_F_DYNAMIC));
-	return HA_ATOMIC_SUB_FETCH(&srv->refcount_dynsrv, 1);
+	HA_ATOMIC_INC(&srv->refcount);
 }
 
 /* Deallocate a server <srv> and its member. <srv> must be allocated. For
@@ -2215,9 +2209,9 @@ static uint srv_release_dynsrv(struct server *srv)
  * conducted only if the refcount is nul, unless the process is stopping.
  *
  * As a convenience, <srv.next> is returned if srv is not NULL. It may be useful
- * when calling free_server on the list of servers.
+ * when calling srv_drop on the list of servers.
  */
-struct server *free_server(struct server *srv)
+struct server *srv_drop(struct server *srv)
 {
 	struct server *next = NULL;
 
@@ -2230,10 +2224,8 @@ struct server *free_server(struct server *srv)
 	 * server when reaching zero.
 	 */
 	if (likely(!(global.mode & MODE_STOPPING))) {
-		if (srv->flags & SRV_F_DYNAMIC) {
-			if (srv_release_dynsrv(srv))
-				goto end;
-		}
+		if (HA_ATOMIC_SUB_FETCH(&srv->refcount, 1))
+			goto end;
 	}
 
 	task_destroy(srv->warmup);
@@ -4590,7 +4582,6 @@ static int cli_parse_add_server(char **args, char *payload, struct appctx *appct
 			goto out;
 
 		srv->check.state &= ~CHK_ST_ENABLED;
-		srv_use_dynsrv(srv);
 	}
 
 	if (srv->do_agent) {
@@ -4598,7 +4589,6 @@ static int cli_parse_add_server(char **args, char *payload, struct appctx *appct
 			goto out;
 
 		srv->agent.state &= ~CHK_ST_ENABLED;
-		srv_use_dynsrv(srv);
 	}
 
 	/* Attach the server to the end of the proxy linked list. Note that this
@@ -4649,7 +4639,6 @@ static int cli_parse_add_server(char **args, char *payload, struct appctx *appct
 	ebis_insert(&be->conf.used_server_name, &srv->conf.name);
 	ebis_insert(&be->used_server_addr, &srv->addr_node);
 
-	srv_use_dynsrv(srv);
 	thread_release();
 
 	/* Start the check task. The server must be fully initialized.
@@ -4701,7 +4690,7 @@ static int cli_parse_add_server(char **args, char *payload, struct appctx *appct
 		cli_err(appctx, usermsgs_str());
 
 	if (srv)
-		free_server(srv);
+		srv_drop(srv);
 
 	return 1;
 }
@@ -4823,7 +4812,7 @@ static int cli_parse_delete_server(char **args, char *payload, struct appctx *ap
 	thread_release();
 
 	ha_notice("Server deleted.\n");
-	free_server(srv);
+	srv_drop(srv);
 
 	cli_msg(appctx, LOG_INFO, "Server deleted.");
 
diff --git a/src/stats.c b/src/stats.c
index 8140d87f9..35415b309 100644
--- a/src/stats.c
+++ b/src/stats.c
@@ -3113,17 +3113,15 @@ int stats_dump_proxy_to_buffer(struct stream_interface *si, struct htx *htx,
 	case STAT_PX_ST_SV:
 		/* obj2 points to servers list as initialized above.
 		 *
-		 * A dynamic server may be removed during the stats dumping.
+		 * A server may be removed during the stats dumping.
 		 * Temporarily increment its refcount to prevent its
 		 * anticipated cleaning. Call free_server to release it.
 		 */
 		for (; appctx->ctx.stats.obj2 != NULL;
-		       appctx->ctx.stats.obj2 =
-		        (!(sv->flags & SRV_F_DYNAMIC)) ? sv->next : free_server(sv)) {
+		       appctx->ctx.stats.obj2 = srv_drop(sv)) {
 
 			sv = appctx->ctx.stats.obj2;
-			if (sv->flags & SRV_F_DYNAMIC)
-				srv_use_dynsrv(sv);
+			srv_take(sv);
 
 			if (htx) {
 				if (htx_almost_full(htx))
@@ -3136,8 +3134,7 @@ int stats_dump_proxy_to_buffer(struct stream_interface *si, struct htx *htx,
 
 			if (appctx->ctx.stats.flags & STAT_BOUND) {
 				if (!(appctx->ctx.stats.type & (1 << STATS_TYPE_SV))) {
-					if (sv->flags & SRV_F_DYNAMIC)
-						free_server(appctx->ctx.stats.obj2);
+					srv_drop(sv);
 					break;
 				}