diff --git a/src/cli.c b/src/cli.c
index 16ddf0526..fad064b92 100644
--- a/src/cli.c
+++ b/src/cli.c
@@ -2982,11 +2982,19 @@ int mworker_cli_sockpair_new(struct mworker_proc *mworker_proc, int proc)
 		global.maxsock++; /* for the listening socket */
 	}
 
+	/* the sockpair was asssigned successfully to the listener for the
+	 * worker,  we can remove it from the mworker_proc, so it's not used
+	 * elsewhere accidentally
+	 */
+	mworker_proc->ipc_fd[1] = -1;
+
 	return 0;
 
 error:
 	close(mworker_proc->ipc_fd[0]);
 	close(mworker_proc->ipc_fd[1]);
+	mworker_proc->ipc_fd[0] = -1;
+	mworker_proc->ipc_fd[1] = -1;
 	free(err);
 
 	return -1;