diff --git a/src/connector.c b/src/connector.c
index 6c89b02c..2a4b9b64 100644
--- a/src/connector.c
+++ b/src/connector.c
@@ -677,19 +677,6 @@ retry:
 	 * so look for them first. */
 	if (likely(buf[0] == '{')) {
 		process_client_msg(cdata, buf);
-	} else if (cmdmatch(buf, "ping")) {
-		LOGDEBUG("Connector received ping request");
-		send_unix_msg(sockd, "pong");
-	} else if (cmdmatch(buf, "accept")) {
-		LOGDEBUG("Connector received accept signal");
-		cdata->accept = true;
-	} else if (cmdmatch(buf, "reject")) {
-		LOGDEBUG("Connector received reject signal");
-		cdata->accept = false;
-	} else if (cmdmatch(buf, "loglevel")) {
-		sscanf(buf, "loglevel=%d", &ckp->loglevel);
-	} else if (cmdmatch(buf, "shutdown")) {
-		goto out;
 	} else if (cmdmatch(buf, "dropclient")) {
 		client_instance_t *client;
 
@@ -702,12 +689,26 @@ retry:
 		client = ref_client_by_id(cdata, client_id);
 		if (unlikely(!client)) {
 			LOGINFO("Connector failed to find client id %ld to drop", client_id);
+			stratifier_drop_client(ckp, client_id);
 			goto retry;
 		}
 		ret = drop_client(cdata, client);
 		dec_instance_ref(cdata, client);
 		if (ret >= 0)
 			LOGINFO("Connector dropped client id: %ld", client_id);
+	} else if (cmdmatch(buf, "ping")) {
+		LOGDEBUG("Connector received ping request");
+		send_unix_msg(sockd, "pong");
+	} else if (cmdmatch(buf, "accept")) {
+		LOGDEBUG("Connector received accept signal");
+		cdata->accept = true;
+	} else if (cmdmatch(buf, "reject")) {
+		LOGDEBUG("Connector received reject signal");
+		cdata->accept = false;
+	} else if (cmdmatch(buf, "loglevel")) {
+		sscanf(buf, "loglevel=%d", &ckp->loglevel);
+	} else if (cmdmatch(buf, "shutdown")) {
+		goto out;
 	} else if (cmdmatch(buf, "passthrough")) {
 		client_instance_t *client;