diff --git a/include/types/checks.h b/include/types/checks.h
index 16a0997..2fc8012 100644
--- a/include/types/checks.h
+++ b/include/types/checks.h
@@ -211,6 +211,16 @@
 	unsigned char lr[HANA_OBS_SIZE];	/* result for l4/l7: 0 = ignore, 1 - error, 2 - OK */
 };
 
+#define TCPCHK_OPT_NONE         0x0000  /* no options specified, default */
+#define TCPCHK_OPT_SEND_PROXY   0x0001  /* send proxy-protocol string */
+#define TCPCHK_OPT_SSL          0x0002  /* SSL connection */
+#define TCPCHK_OPT_LINGER       0x0004  /* Do not RST connection, let it linger */
+
+struct tcpcheck_connect {
+	uint16_t port; /* port to connect to */
+	uint16_t options; /* options when setting up a new connection */
+};
+
 enum tcpcheck_send_type {
 	TCPCHK_SEND_UNDEF = 0, /* Send is not parsed. */
 	TCPCHK_SEND_STRING, /* Send an ASCII string. */
@@ -252,23 +262,16 @@
 	TCPCHK_ACT_COMMENT, /* no action, simply a comment used for logs */
 };
 
-/* flags used by tcpcheck_rule->conn_opts */
-#define TCPCHK_OPT_NONE         0x0000  /* no options specified, default */
-#define TCPCHK_OPT_SEND_PROXY   0x0001  /* send proxy-protocol string */
-#define TCPCHK_OPT_SSL          0x0002  /* SSL connection */
-#define TCPCHK_OPT_LINGER       0x0004  /* Do not RST connection, let it linger */
-
 struct tcpcheck_rule {
 	struct list list;                       /* list linked to from the proxy */
 	enum tcpcheck_rule_type action;         /* type of the rule. */
 	int index;                              /* Index within the list. Starts at 0. */
 	char *comment;				/* comment to be used in the logs and on the stats socket */
 	union {
+		struct tcpcheck_connect connect; /* Connect rule. */
 		struct tcpcheck_send send;      /* Send rule. */
 		struct tcpcheck_expect expect;  /* Expected pattern. */
 	};
-	unsigned short port;                    /* port to connect to */
-	unsigned short conn_opts;               /* options when setting up a new connection */
 };
 
 #endif /* _TYPES_CHECKS_H */
diff --git a/src/checks.c b/src/checks.c
index 247a4a8..36283b6 100644
--- a/src/checks.c
+++ b/src/checks.c
@@ -635,8 +635,8 @@
 			chunk_printf(chk, " at step %d of tcp-check", step);
 			/* we were looking for a string */
 			if (check->last_started_step && check->last_started_step->action == TCPCHK_ACT_CONNECT) {
-				if (check->last_started_step->port)
-					chunk_appendf(chk, " (connect port %d)" ,check->last_started_step->port);
+				if (check->last_started_step->connect.port)
+					chunk_appendf(chk, " (connect port %d)" ,check->last_started_step->connect.port);
 				else
 					chunk_appendf(chk, " (connect)");
 			}
@@ -2893,6 +2893,7 @@
 		next = get_next_tcpcheck_rule(head, check->current_step);
 
 		if (check->current_step->action == TCPCHK_ACT_CONNECT) {
+			struct tcpcheck_connect *connect = &check->current_step->connect;
 			struct protocol *proto;
 			struct xprt_ops *xprt;
 
@@ -2967,14 +2968,14 @@
 			proto = protocol_by_family(conn->dst->ss_family);
 
 			/* port */
-			if (check->current_step->port)
-				set_host_port(conn->dst, check->current_step->port);
+			if (connect->port)
+				set_host_port(conn->dst, connect->port);
 			else if (check->port)
 				set_host_port(conn->dst, check->port);
 			else if (s->svc_port)
 				set_host_port(conn->dst, s->svc_port);
 
-			if (check->current_step->conn_opts & TCPCHK_OPT_SSL) {
+			if (connect->options & TCPCHK_OPT_SSL) {
 				xprt = xprt_get(XPRT_SSL);
 			}
 			else {
@@ -3000,7 +3001,7 @@
 				ret = proto->connect(conn, flags);
 			}
 			if (conn_ctrl_ready(conn) &&
-				check->current_step->conn_opts & TCPCHK_OPT_SEND_PROXY) {
+				connect->options & TCPCHK_OPT_SEND_PROXY) {
 				conn->send_proxy_ofs = 1;
 				conn->flags |= CO_FL_SEND_PROXY;
 				if (xprt_add_hs(conn) < 0)
@@ -3008,7 +3009,7 @@
 			}
 
 			if (conn_ctrl_ready(conn) &&
-			    check->current_step->conn_opts & TCPCHK_OPT_LINGER) {
+			    connect->options & TCPCHK_OPT_LINGER) {
 				/* Some servers don't like reset on close */
 				fdtab[cs->conn->handle.fd].linger_risk = 0;
 			}
@@ -3839,7 +3840,7 @@
 
 	/* search the first action (connect / send / expect) in the list */
 	r = get_first_tcpcheck_rule(srv->proxy->tcpcheck_rules);
-	if (!r || (r->action != TCPCHK_ACT_CONNECT) || !r->port) {
+	if (!r || (r->action != TCPCHK_ACT_CONNECT) || !r->connect.port) {
 		ha_alert("config: %s '%s': server '%s' has neither service port nor check port "
 			 "nor tcp_check rule 'connect' with port information.\n",
 			 proxy_type_str(srv->proxy), srv->proxy->id, srv->id);
@@ -3849,7 +3850,7 @@
 
 	/* scan the tcp-check ruleset to ensure a port has been configured */
 	list_for_each_entry(r, srv->proxy->tcpcheck_rules, list) {
-		if ((r->action == TCPCHK_ACT_CONNECT) && (!r->port)) {
+		if ((r->action == TCPCHK_ACT_CONNECT) && (!r->connect.port)) {
 			ha_alert("config: %s '%s': server '%s' has neither service port nor check port, "
 				 "and a tcp_check rule 'connect' with no port information.\n",
 				 proxy_type_str(srv->proxy), srv->proxy->id, srv->id);
@@ -4007,10 +4008,10 @@
 		memprintf(errmsg, "out of memory");
 		goto error;
 	}
-	chk->action    = TCPCHK_ACT_CONNECT;
-	chk->port      = port;
-	chk->conn_opts = conn_opts;
-	chk->comment   = comment;
+	chk->action  = TCPCHK_ACT_CONNECT;
+	chk->comment = comment;
+	chk->connect.port    = port;
+	chk->connect.options = conn_opts;
 	return chk;
 
   error: