diff --git a/src/proxy/tcp_proxy_server.c b/src/proxy/tcp_proxy_server.c
index f0600388..e0037e13 100644
--- a/src/proxy/tcp_proxy_server.c
+++ b/src/proxy/tcp_proxy_server.c
@@ -214,10 +214,12 @@ static void diag_timer_cb(void* arg) {
 static void read_queue_drain_cb(struct ll_queue* q, void* arg) {
     struct tcp_proxy_server_conn* rc = (struct tcp_proxy_server_conn*)arg;
     struct UTUN_INSTANCE* inst = rc->ctx ? rc->ctx->inst : NULL;
+    struct tcp_conn* tc = rc->tc;
     struct ll_entry* e;
 
     if (rc->tx_buf) {
         int ret = send_msg(inst, TOPO_GROUP_UTUN, rc->peer_node_id, TCP_PROXY_SUBCMD_DATA, rc->stream_id, rc->tx_buf, rc->tx_len, 0);
+        if (!tc->read_queue) { u_free(rc->tx_buf); return; }
         DEBUG_DEBUG(DEBUG_CATEGORY_PROXY, "TPS TXBUF RETRY: sid=%08x len=%u ret=%d", rc->stream_id, rc->tx_len, ret);
         if (ret == 0) {
             u_free(rc->tx_buf); rc->tx_buf = NULL; rc->tx_len = 0;
@@ -246,7 +248,7 @@ static void read_queue_drain_cb(struct ll_queue* q, void* arg) {
     }
     if (rc->cli_closed) {
         do {
-            memory_pool_free(rc->tc->data_pool, e->dgram);
+            memory_pool_free(tc->data_pool, e->dgram);
             queue_entry_free(e);
             e = queue_data_get(q);
         } while (e);
@@ -254,19 +256,21 @@ static void read_queue_drain_cb(struct ll_queue* q, void* arg) {
         return;
     }
     int ret = send_msg(inst, TOPO_GROUP_UTUN, rc->peer_node_id, TCP_PROXY_SUBCMD_DATA, rc->stream_id, e->dgram, e->len, 0);
+    if (!tc->read_queue) { memory_pool_free(tc->data_pool, e->dgram); queue_entry_free(e); return; }
     rc->bytes_relayed += e->len; rc->drain_count++;
     DEBUG_TRACE(DEBUG_CATEGORY_PROXY, "TPS DRAIN #%u sid=%08x len=%u → ret=%d rq=%d",
                rc->drain_count, rc->stream_id, e->len, ret, q->count);
     if (ret == 0) {
-        memory_pool_free(rc->tc->data_pool, e->dgram); queue_entry_free(e);
+        memory_pool_free(tc->data_pool, e->dgram); queue_entry_free(e);
         queue_resume_callback(q);
     } else {
         rc->tx_buf = u_malloc(e->len);
         if (rc->tx_buf) { memcpy(rc->tx_buf, e->dgram, e->len); rc->tx_len = e->len; }
         else { DEBUG_ERROR(DEBUG_CATEGORY_PROXY, "TPS tx_buf malloc=%u failed sid=%08x — drop", e->len, rc->stream_id); }
-        memory_pool_free(rc->tc->data_pool, e->dgram); queue_entry_free(e);
+        memory_pool_free(tc->data_pool, e->dgram); queue_entry_free(e);
+        if (!tc->read_queue) return;
         DEBUG_DEBUG(DEBUG_CATEGORY_PROXY, "SOCK:BACKPRESSURE fd=%d sid=%08x — buffered %u for retry",
-                   (int)rc->tc->sock, rc->stream_id, rc->tx_len);
+                   (int)tc->sock, rc->stream_id, rc->tx_len);
         etcp_router_on_send_ready(inst, TOPO_GROUP_UTUN, rc->peer_node_id, ETCP_RT_ID_TCP_PROXY_CLIENT,
                                     &rc->pause_waiter, pause_resume_cb, rc);
         if (!rc->retry_timer) rc->retry_timer = uasync_set_timeout(rc->ua, 5000, rc, retry_timer_cb, "tps_retry");