diff --git a/src/vty/telnet_interface.c b/src/vty/telnet_interface.c
index 32ab6bee8..0a04d158c 100644
--- a/src/vty/telnet_interface.c
+++ b/src/vty/telnet_interface.c
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ static int client_data(struct osmo_fd *fd, unsigned int what)
 	}
 
 	/* vty might have been closed from vithin vty_read() */
-	if (!conn->vty)
+	if (rc == -EBADFD)
 		return rc;
 
 	if (what & BSC_FD_WRITE) {
@@ -193,7 +193,6 @@ void vty_event(enum event event, int sock, struct vty *vty)
 		break;
 	case VTY_CLOSED:
 		/* vty layer is about to free() vty */
-		connection->vty = NULL;
 		telnet_close_client(bfd);
 		break;
 	default:
diff --git a/src/vty/vty.c b/src/vty/vty.c
index 8bfc35cdb..fc86bdf3a 100644
--- a/src/vty/vty.c
+++ b/src/vty/vty.c
@@ -1432,9 +1432,10 @@ int vty_read(struct vty *vty)
 	}
 
 	/* Check status. */
-	if (vty->status == VTY_CLOSE)
+	if (vty->status == VTY_CLOSE) {
 		vty_close(vty);
-	else {
+		return -EBADFD;
+	} else {
 		vty_event(VTY_WRITE, vty_sock, vty);
 		vty_event(VTY_READ, vty_sock, vty);
 	}