diff --git a/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/rwsplitsession.cc b/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/rwsplitsession.cc
index c3693465a..aad2e8a20 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/rwsplitsession.cc
+++ b/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/rwsplitsession.cc
@@ -879,17 +879,40 @@ bool RWSplitSession::retry_master_query(SRWBackend& backend)
 {
     bool can_continue = false;
 
-    if (backend->has_session_commands())
+    if (backend->is_replaying_history())
     {
-        // Try to route the session command again. If the master is not available, the response will be
-        // returned from one of the slaves.
+        // Master failed while it was replaying the session command history
+        mxb_assert(m_config.master_reconnection);
+        mxb_assert(!m_query_queue.empty());
 
+        retry_query(m_query_queue.front().release());
+        m_query_queue.pop_front();
+        can_continue = true;
+    }
+    else if (backend->has_session_commands())
+    {
+        // We were routing a session command to all servers but the master server from which the response
+        // was expected failed: try to route the session command again. If the master is not available,
+        // the response will be returned from one of the slaves if the configuration allows it.
+
+        mxb_assert(backend->next_session_command()->get_position() == m_recv_sescmd + 1);
+        mxb_assert(m_qc.current_route_info().target() == TARGET_ALL);
         mxb_assert(!m_current_query.get());
         mxb_assert(!m_sescmd_list.empty());
         mxb_assert(m_sescmd_count >= 2);
         MXS_INFO("Retrying session command due to master failure: %s",
                  backend->next_session_command()->to_string().c_str());
 
+        // MXS-2609: Maxscale crash in RWSplitSession::retry_master_query()
+        // To prevent a crash from happening, we make sure the session command list is not empty before
+        // we touch it. This should be converted into a debug assertion once the true root cause of the
+        // problem is found.
+        if (m_sescmd_count < 2 || m_sescmd_list.empty())
+        {
+            MXS_WARNING("Session command list was empty when it should not be");
+            return false;
+        }
+
         // Before routing it, pop the failed session command off the list and decrement the number of
         // executed session commands. This "overwrites" the existing command and prevents history duplication.
         m_sescmd_list.pop_back();
@@ -900,6 +923,8 @@ bool RWSplitSession::retry_master_query(SRWBackend& backend)
     }
     else if (m_current_query.get())
     {
+        // A query was in progress, try to route it again
+        mxb_assert(m_prev_target == backend);
         retry_query(m_current_query.release());
         can_continue = true;
     }