diff --git a/server/core/dcb.c b/server/core/dcb.c
index 939fe6a2b..2cc65eeb3 100644
--- a/server/core/dcb.c
+++ b/server/core/dcb.c
@@ -1827,6 +1827,7 @@ dcb_maybe_add_persistent(DCB *dcb)
         MXS_DEBUG("%lu [dcb_maybe_add_persistent] Adding DCB to persistent pool, user %s.\n",
                   pthread_self(),
                   dcb->user);
+        dcb->was_persistent = false;
         dcb->dcb_is_zombie = false;
         dcb->persistentstart = time(NULL);
         if (dcb->session)
diff --git a/server/modules/protocol/MySQL/MySQLBackend/mysql_backend.c b/server/modules/protocol/MySQL/MySQLBackend/mysql_backend.c
index 4253b1c45..fe48791b6 100644
--- a/server/modules/protocol/MySQL/MySQLBackend/mysql_backend.c
+++ b/server/modules/protocol/MySQL/MySQLBackend/mysql_backend.c
@@ -947,8 +947,9 @@ static int gw_MySQLWrite_backend(DCB *dcb, GWBUF *queue)
     CHK_DCB(dcb);
     spinlock_acquire(&dcb->authlock);
 
-    if (dcb->was_persistent)
+    if (dcb->was_persistent && dcb->state == DCB_STATE_POLLING)
     {
+        ss_dassert(dcb->persistentstart == 0);
         /**
          * This is a DCB that was just taken out of the persistent connection pool.
          * We need to sent a COM_CHANGE_USER query to the backend to reset the