diff --git a/server/core/dcb.cc b/server/core/dcb.cc
index ad81b8d8c..69fe345e5 100644
--- a/server/core/dcb.cc
+++ b/server/core/dcb.cc
@@ -389,7 +389,7 @@ dcb_connect(SERVER *server, MXS_SESSION *session, const char *protocol)
             /**
              * Link dcb to session. Unlink is called in dcb_final_free
              */
-            session_link_dcb(session, dcb);
+            session_link_backend_dcb(session, dcb);
 
             MXS_DEBUG("Reusing a persistent connection, dcb %p", dcb);
             dcb->persistentstart = 0;
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ dcb_connect(SERVER *server, MXS_SESSION *session, const char *protocol)
     /**
      * Link dcb to session. Unlink is called in dcb_final_free
      */
-    session_link_dcb(session, dcb);
+    session_link_backend_dcb(session, dcb);
 
     fd = dcb->func.connect(dcb, server, session);
 
diff --git a/server/core/maxscale/session.h b/server/core/maxscale/session.h
index a8101d0db..6867d7ba9 100644
--- a/server/core/maxscale/session.h
+++ b/server/core/maxscale/session.h
@@ -44,12 +44,12 @@ int session_isvalid(MXS_SESSION *);
 const char *session_state(mxs_session_state_t);
 
 /**
- * Link a session to a DCB.
+ * Link a session to a backend DCB.
  *
  * @param session  The session to link with the dcb
- * @param dcb      The DCB to be linked
+ * @param dcb      The backend DCB to be linked
  */
-void session_link_dcb(MXS_SESSION *session, struct dcb *dcb);
+void session_link_backend_dcb(MXS_SESSION *session, struct dcb *dcb);
 
 RESULTSET *sessionGetList(SESSIONLISTFILTER);
 
diff --git a/server/core/session.cc b/server/core/session.cc
index 2503b056e..7403e9fe8 100644
--- a/server/core/session.cc
+++ b/server/core/session.cc
@@ -314,11 +314,9 @@ session_set_dummy(DCB *client_dcb)
     return session;
 }
 
-void session_link_dcb(MXS_SESSION *session, DCB *dcb)
+void session_link_backend_dcb(MXS_SESSION *session, DCB *dcb)
 {
-    ss_info_dassert(session->state != SESSION_STATE_FREE,
-                    "If session->state is SESSION_STATE_FREE then this attempt to "
-                    "access freed memory block.");
+    ss_dassert(dcb->dcb_role == DCB_ROLE_BACKEND_HANDLER);
 
     atomic_add(&session->refcount, 1);
     dcb->session = session;