diff --git a/src/connector.c b/src/connector.c
index e2820fe7..984c8f03 100644
--- a/src/connector.c
+++ b/src/connector.c
@@ -459,10 +459,10 @@ static void parse_redirector_share(client_instance_t *client, const json_t *val)
 	}
 }
 
-/* Client is holding a reference count from being on the epoll list */
-static void parse_client_msg(cdata_t *cdata, client_instance_t *client)
+/* Client is holding a reference count from being on the epoll list. Returns
+ * true if we will still be receiving messages from this client. */
+static bool __parse_client_msg(ckpool_t *ckp, cdata_t *cdata, client_instance_t *client)
 {
-	ckpool_t *ckp = cdata->ckp;
 	int buflen, ret;
 	json_t *val;
 	char *eol;
@@ -472,8 +472,7 @@ retry:
 		if (!client->remote) {
 			LOGNOTICE("Client id %"PRId64" fd %d overloaded buffer without EOL, disconnecting",
 				client->id, client->fd);
-			invalidate_client(ckp, cdata, client);
-			return;
+			return false;
 		}
 		client->buf = realloc(client->buf, round_up_page(client->bufofs + MAX_MSGSIZE + 1));
 	}
@@ -481,11 +480,10 @@ retry:
 	ret = read(client->fd, client->buf + client->bufofs, MAX_MSGSIZE);
 	if (ret < 1) {
 		if (likely(errno == EAGAIN || errno == EWOULDBLOCK || !ret))
-			return;
+			return true;
 		LOGINFO("Client id %"PRId64" fd %d disconnected - recv fail with bufofs %lu ret %d errno %d %s",
 			client->id, client->fd, client->bufofs, ret, errno, ret && errno ? strerror(errno) : "");
-		invalidate_client(ckp, cdata, client);
-		return;
+		return false;
 	}
 	client->bufofs += ret;
 reparse:
@@ -497,8 +495,7 @@ reparse:
 	buflen = eol - client->buf + 1;
 	if (unlikely(buflen > MAX_MSGSIZE && !client->remote)) {
 		LOGNOTICE("Client id %"PRId64" fd %d message oversize, disconnecting", client->id, client->fd);
-		invalidate_client(ckp, cdata, client);
-		return;
+		return false;
 	}
 
 	if (!(val = json_loads(client->buf, JSON_DISABLE_EOF_CHECK, NULL))) {
@@ -506,8 +503,7 @@ reparse:
 
 		LOGINFO("Client id %"PRId64" sent invalid json message %s", client->id, client->buf);
 		send_client(cdata, client->id, buf);
-		invalidate_client(ckp, cdata, client);
-		return;
+		return false;
 	} else {
 		char *s;
 
@@ -549,6 +545,12 @@ reparse:
 	goto retry;
 }
 
+static void parse_client_msg(ckpool_t *ckp, cdata_t *cdata, client_instance_t *client)
+{
+	if (unlikely(!__parse_client_msg(ckp, cdata, client)))
+		invalidate_client(ckp, cdata, client);
+}
+
 static client_instance_t *ref_client_by_id(cdata_t *cdata, int64_t id)
 {
 	client_instance_t *client;
@@ -571,6 +573,7 @@ static client_instance_t *ref_client_by_id(cdata_t *cdata, int64_t id)
 void *receiver(void *arg)
 {
 	cdata_t *cdata = (cdata_t *)arg;
+	ckpool_t *ckp = cdata->ckp;
 	struct epoll_event event;
 	uint64_t serverfds, i;
 	int ret, epfd;
@@ -634,7 +637,7 @@ void *receiver(void *arg)
 		 * message first. */
 		events = event.events;
 		if (likely(events & EPOLLIN))
-			parse_client_msg(cdata, client);
+			parse_client_msg(ckp, cdata, client);
 		if (unlikely(client->invalid))
 			goto noparse;
 		if (unlikely(events & EPOLLERR)) {