diff --git a/lib/transfer.c b/lib/transfer.c
index b76e39a68e..49c9fd62bd 100644
--- a/lib/transfer.c
+++ b/lib/transfer.c
@@ -1896,11 +1896,14 @@ Curl_setup_transfer(
   struct SingleRequest *k = &data->req;
   struct connectdata *conn = data->conn;
   struct HTTP *http = data->req.p.http;
-  bool httpsending = ((conn->handler->protocol&PROTO_FAMILY_HTTP) &&
-                      (http->sending == HTTPSEND_REQUEST));
+  bool httpsending;
+
   DEBUGASSERT(conn != NULL);
   DEBUGASSERT((sockindex <= 1) && (sockindex >= -1));
 
+  httpsending = ((conn->handler->protocol&PROTO_FAMILY_HTTP) &&
+                 (http->sending == HTTPSEND_REQUEST));
+
   if(conn->bits.multiplex || conn->httpversion == 20 || httpsending) {
     /* when multiplexing, the read/write sockets need to be the same! */
     conn->sockfd = sockindex == -1 ?