diff --git a/server/red_channel.c b/server/red_channel.c
index ec02018d..6296dc96 100644
--- a/server/red_channel.c
+++ b/server/red_channel.c
@@ -780,6 +780,7 @@ void red_channel_set_data(RedChannel *channel, void *data)
 
 void red_channel_client_destroy(RedChannelClient *rcc)
 {
+    rcc->destroying = 1;
     if (red_channel_client_is_connected(rcc)) {
         red_channel_client_disconnect(rcc);
     }
@@ -1439,6 +1440,7 @@ void red_client_destroy(RedClient *client)
         // some channels may be in other threads, so disconnection
         // is not synchronous.
         rcc = SPICE_CONTAINEROF(link, RedChannelClient, client_link);
+        rcc->destroying = 1;
         // some channels may be in other threads. However we currently
         // assume disconnect is synchronous (we changed the dispatcher
         // to wait for disconnection)
diff --git a/server/red_channel.h b/server/red_channel.h
index 045bfd43..543aec18 100644
--- a/server/red_channel.h
+++ b/server/red_channel.h
@@ -255,6 +255,7 @@ struct RedChannelClient {
 
     RedChannelCapabilities remote_caps;
     int is_mini_header;
+    int destroying;
 };
 
 struct RedChannel {
diff --git a/server/spicevmc.c b/server/spicevmc.c
index 5cdc513e..30aaf2f4 100644
--- a/server/spicevmc.c
+++ b/server/spicevmc.c
@@ -116,9 +116,9 @@ static void spicevmc_red_channel_client_on_disconnect(RedChannelClient *rcc)
     sin = state->chardev_sin;
     sif = SPICE_CONTAINEROF(sin->base.sif, SpiceCharDeviceInterface, base);
 
-    /* Don't destroy the rcc if the entire client is disconnecting, as then
-       red_client_destroy will already do this! */
-    if (!rcc->client->disconnecting)
+    /* Don't destroy the rcc if it is already being destroyed, as then
+       red_client_destroy/red_channel_client_destroy will already do this! */
+    if (!rcc->destroying)
         red_channel_client_destroy(rcc);
 
     state->rcc = NULL;