diff --git a/src/shrpx_http_downstream_connection.cc b/src/shrpx_http_downstream_connection.cc
index a3a67824..23442bef 100644
--- a/src/shrpx_http_downstream_connection.cc
+++ b/src/shrpx_http_downstream_connection.cc
@@ -158,16 +158,6 @@ void backend_retry(Downstream *downstream) {
 }
 } // namespace
 
-namespace {
-void retry_readcb(struct ev_loop *loop, ev_io *w, int revents) {
-  auto conn = static_cast<Connection *>(w->data);
-  auto dconn = static_cast<HttpDownstreamConnection *>(conn->data);
-  auto downstream = dconn->get_downstream();
-
-  retry_downstream_connection(downstream, 502);
-}
-} // namespace
-
 namespace {
 void writecb(struct ev_loop *loop, ev_io *w, int revents) {
   int rv;
@@ -207,7 +197,7 @@ HttpDownstreamConnection::HttpDownstreamConnection(
     struct ev_loop *loop, Worker *worker)
     : conn_(loop, -1, nullptr, worker->get_mcpool(),
             group->shared_addr->timeout.write, group->shared_addr->timeout.read,
-            {}, {}, connectcb, retry_readcb, connect_timeoutcb, this,
+            {}, {}, connectcb, readcb, connect_timeoutcb, this,
             get_config()->tls.dyn_rec.warmup_threshold,
             get_config()->tls.dyn_rec.idle_timeout, Proto::HTTP1),
       on_read_(&HttpDownstreamConnection::noop),
@@ -443,10 +433,7 @@ int HttpDownstreamConnection::initiate_connection() {
       conn_.again_rt(group_->shared_addr->timeout.read);
     }
 
-    // downstream host might close connection while waiting for
-    // request header fields.  If it happens, establish new
-    // connection.
-    ev_set_cb(&conn_.rev, retry_readcb);
+    ev_set_cb(&conn_.rev, readcb);
 
     on_write_ = &HttpDownstreamConnection::write_first;
     first_write_done_ = false;
@@ -1179,8 +1166,6 @@ int HttpDownstreamConnection::write_first() {
     return SHRPX_ERR_RETRY;
   }
 
-  ev_set_cb(&conn_.rev, readcb);
-
   if (conn_.tls.ssl) {
     on_write_ = &HttpDownstreamConnection::write_tls;
   } else {