diff --git a/include/maxscale/protocol/rwbackend.hh b/include/maxscale/protocol/rwbackend.hh
index af610d80c..2a2387423 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/protocol/rwbackend.hh
+++ b/include/maxscale/protocol/rwbackend.hh
@@ -218,7 +218,6 @@ public:
     }
 
     void process_packets(GWBUF* buffer);
-    void process_reply_start(mxs::Buffer::iterator it);
 
     // Controlled by the session
     ResponseStat& response_stat();
@@ -245,6 +244,10 @@ private:
     bool             m_skip_next = false;
     Error            m_error;
 
+    void process_reply_start(mxs::Buffer::iterator it, uint32_t len);
+
+    void update_error(mxs::Buffer::iterator it, uint32_t len);
+
     inline bool is_opening_cursor() const
     {
         return m_opening_cursor;
diff --git a/server/modules/protocol/MySQL/rwbackend.cc b/server/modules/protocol/MySQL/rwbackend.cc
index 664213119..113e7a47a 100644
--- a/server/modules/protocol/MySQL/rwbackend.cc
+++ b/server/modules/protocol/MySQL/rwbackend.cc
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ bool is_last_eof(Iter it)
     return (status & SERVER_MORE_RESULTS_EXIST) == 0;
 }
 
-void RWBackend::process_reply_start(Iter it)
+void RWBackend::process_reply_start(Iter it, uint32_t len)
 {
     uint8_t cmd = *it;
     m_local_infile_requested = false;
@@ -263,6 +263,8 @@ void RWBackend::process_reply_start(Iter it)
 
     case MYSQL_REPLY_ERR:
         // Nothing ever follows an error packet
+        ++it;
+        update_error(it, len);
         set_reply_state(REPLY_STATE_DONE);
         break;
 
@@ -319,7 +321,7 @@ void RWBackend::process_packets(GWBUF* result)
         switch (m_reply_state)
         {
         case REPLY_STATE_START:
-            process_reply_start(it);
+            process_reply_start(it, len);
             break;
 
         case REPLY_STATE_DONE:
@@ -359,18 +361,7 @@ void RWBackend::process_packets(GWBUF* result)
             else if (cmd == MYSQL_REPLY_ERR)
             {
                 ++it;
-                uint16_t code = 0;
-                code |= (*it++);
-                code |= (*it++) << 8;
-                ++it;
-                auto sql_state_begin = it;
-                it.advance(5);
-                auto sql_state_end = it;
-                auto message_begin = it;
-                it.advance(len - (1 + 2 + 1 + 5));
-                auto message_end = it;
-
-                m_error.set(code, sql_state_begin, sql_state_end, message_begin, message_end);
+                update_error(it, len);
                 set_reply_state(REPLY_STATE_DONE);
             }
             break;
@@ -462,4 +453,21 @@ mxs::SRWBackends RWBackend::from_servers(SERVER_REF* servers)
 
     return backends;
 }
+
+void RWBackend::update_error(mxs::Buffer::iterator it, uint32_t len)
+{
+    uint16_t code = 0;
+    code |= (*it++);
+    code |= (*it++) << 8;
+    ++it;
+    auto sql_state_begin = it;
+    it.advance(5);
+    auto sql_state_end = it;
+    auto message_begin = it;
+    it.advance(len - (1 + 2 + 1 + 5));
+    auto message_end = it;
+
+    m_error.set(code, sql_state_begin, sql_state_end, message_begin, message_end);
+}
+
 }