diff --git a/src/core/ngx_connection.c b/src/core/ngx_connection.c
index c818114df..09ad15fcc 100644
--- a/src/core/ngx_connection.c
+++ b/src/core/ngx_connection.c
@@ -900,11 +900,9 @@ ngx_close_connection(ngx_connection_t *c)
     c->read->closed = 1;
     c->write->closed = 1;
 
-    if (c->single_connection) {
-        ngx_unlock(&c->lock);
-        c->read->locked = 0;
-        c->write->locked = 0;
-    }
+    ngx_unlock(&c->lock);
+    c->read->locked = 0;
+    c->write->locked = 0;
 
     ngx_mutex_unlock(ngx_posted_events_mutex);
 
diff --git a/src/core/ngx_connection.h b/src/core/ngx_connection.h
index 87fd08723..3daf2eee4 100644
--- a/src/core/ngx_connection.h
+++ b/src/core/ngx_connection.h
@@ -152,7 +152,6 @@ struct ngx_connection_s {
 
     unsigned            log_error:3;     /* ngx_connection_log_error_e */
 
-    unsigned            single_connection:1;
     unsigned            unexpected_eof:1;
     unsigned            timedout:1;
     unsigned            error:1;
diff --git a/src/http/ngx_http_request.c b/src/http/ngx_http_request.c
index ea053057b..7fe30e57d 100644
--- a/src/http/ngx_http_request.c
+++ b/src/http/ngx_http_request.c
@@ -554,7 +554,6 @@ ngx_http_init_request(ngx_event_t *rev)
         return;
     }
 
-    c->single_connection = 1;
     c->destroyed = 0;
 
 #if (NGX_HTTP_SSL)
diff --git a/src/http/ngx_http_upstream.c b/src/http/ngx_http_upstream.c
index 6a77f7f03..d3e9b55aa 100644
--- a/src/http/ngx_http_upstream.c
+++ b/src/http/ngx_http_upstream.c
@@ -1118,8 +1118,6 @@ ngx_http_upstream_connect(ngx_http_request_t *r, ngx_http_upstream_t *u)
 
     r->connection->log->action = "connecting to upstream";
 
-    r->connection->single_connection = 0;
-
     if (u->state && u->state->response_sec) {
         tp = ngx_timeofday();
         u->state->response_sec = tp->sec - u->state->response_sec;