diff --git a/include/proto/proto_tcp.h b/include/proto/proto_tcp.h
index cdc1d37..5b6bf44 100644
--- a/include/proto/proto_tcp.h
+++ b/include/proto/proto_tcp.h
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 int tcp_bind_socket(int fd, int flags, struct sockaddr_storage *local, struct sockaddr_storage *remote);
 void tcpv4_add_listener(struct listener *listener);
 void tcpv6_add_listener(struct listener *listener);
-int tcp_connect_server(struct stream_interface *si);
+int tcp_connect_server(struct connection *conn, int data);
 int tcp_connect_probe(struct connection *conn);
 int tcp_get_src(int fd, struct sockaddr *sa, socklen_t salen, int dir);
 int tcp_get_dst(int fd, struct sockaddr *sa, socklen_t salen, int dir);
diff --git a/include/proto/stream_interface.h b/include/proto/stream_interface.h
index 8cd4a31..05a3210 100644
--- a/include/proto/stream_interface.h
+++ b/include/proto/stream_interface.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include <common/config.h>
 #include <types/session.h>
 #include <types/stream_interface.h>
+#include <proto/channel.h>
 #include <proto/connection.h>
 
 
@@ -128,9 +129,30 @@
 /* Calls chk_snd on the connection using the ctrl layer */
 static inline int si_connect(struct stream_interface *si)
 {
+	int ret;
+
 	if (unlikely(!si_ctrl(si) || !si_ctrl(si)->connect))
 		return SN_ERR_INTERNAL;
-	return si_ctrl(si)->connect(si);
+
+	ret = si_ctrl(si)->connect(&si->conn, !channel_is_empty(si->ob));
+	if (ret != SN_ERR_NONE)
+		return ret;
+
+	/* needs src ip/port for logging */
+	if (si->flags & SI_FL_SRC_ADDR)
+		conn_get_from_addr(&si->conn);
+
+	/* Prepare to send a few handshakes related to the on-wire protocol. */
+	if (si->send_proxy_ofs)
+		si->conn.flags |= CO_FL_SI_SEND_PROXY;
+
+	/* we need to be notified about connection establishment */
+	si->conn.flags |= CO_FL_NOTIFY_SI;
+
+	/* we're in the process of establishing a connection */
+	si->state = SI_ST_CON;
+
+	return ret;
 }
 
 #endif /* _PROTO_STREAM_INTERFACE_H */
diff --git a/include/types/connection.h b/include/types/connection.h
index 2612eaf..2fbd779 100644
--- a/include/types/connection.h
+++ b/include/types/connection.h
@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@
 	 */
 	CO_FL_POLL_SOCK     = CO_FL_HANDSHAKE | CO_FL_WAIT_L4_CONN | CO_FL_WAIT_L6_CONN,
 
+	/* This flag is set if lingering has already been disabled on the connection */
+
 	/* These flags are used to report whether the from/to addresses are set or not */
 	CO_FL_ADDR_FROM_SET = 0x00001000,  /* addr.from is set */
 	CO_FL_ADDR_TO_SET   = 0x00002000,  /* addr.to is set */
diff --git a/include/types/protocols.h b/include/types/protocols.h
index 6869644..275122f 100644
--- a/include/types/protocols.h
+++ b/include/types/protocols.h
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@
 	} conf;				/* config information */
 };
 
-struct stream_interface;
+struct connection;
 
 /* This structure contains all information needed to easily handle a protocol.
  * Its primary goal is to ease listeners maintenance. Specifically, the
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@
 	int (*unbind_all)(struct protocol *proto);	/* unbind all bound listeners */
 	int (*enable_all)(struct protocol *proto);	/* enable all bound listeners */
 	int (*disable_all)(struct protocol *proto);	/* disable all bound listeners */
-	int (*connect)(struct stream_interface *);      /* connect function if any */
+	int (*connect)(struct connection *, int data);  /* connect function if any */
 	int (*get_src)(int fd, struct sockaddr *, socklen_t, int dir); /* syscall used to retrieve src addr */
 	int (*get_dst)(int fd, struct sockaddr *, socklen_t, int dir); /* syscall used to retrieve dst addr */
 
diff --git a/src/backend.c b/src/backend.c
index 3cb10fe..c2ecda8 100644
--- a/src/backend.c
+++ b/src/backend.c
@@ -1009,11 +1009,18 @@
 	if (s->fe->options2 & PR_O2_SRC_ADDR)
 		s->req->cons->flags |= SI_FL_SRC_ADDR;
 
+	/* disable lingering */
+	if (s->be->options & PR_O_TCP_NOLING)
+		s->req->cons->flags |= SI_FL_NOLINGER;
+
 	err = si_connect(s->req->cons);
 
 	if (err != SN_ERR_NONE)
 		return err;
 
+	/* set connect timeout */
+	s->req->cons->exp = tick_add_ifset(now_ms, s->be->timeout.connect);
+
 	srv = target_srv(&s->target);
 	if (srv) {
 		s->flags |= SN_CURR_SESS;
diff --git a/src/proto_tcp.c b/src/proto_tcp.c
index 7998f40..b61d87e 100644
--- a/src/proto_tcp.c
+++ b/src/proto_tcp.c
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@
 #include <proto/sample.h>
 #include <proto/session.h>
 #include <proto/stick_table.h>
-#include <proto/stream_interface.h>
 #include <proto/task.h>
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_HAP_CTTPROXY
@@ -210,12 +209,15 @@
 
 
 /*
- * This function initiates a connection to the target assigned to this session
- * (si->{target,addr.to}). A source address may be pointed to by si->addr.from
- * in case of transparent proxying. Normal source bind addresses are still
- * determined locally (due to the possible need of a source port).
- * si->target may point either to a valid server or to a backend, depending
- * on si->target.type. Only TARG_TYPE_PROXY and TARG_TYPE_SERVER are supported.
+ * This function initiates a TCP connection establishment to the target assigned
+ * to connection <conn> using (si->{target,addr.to}). A source address may be
+ * pointed to by conn->addr.from in case of transparent proxying. Normal source
+ * bind addresses are still determined locally (due to the possible need of a
+ * source port). conn->target may point either to a valid server or to a backend,
+ * depending on conn->target.type. Only TARG_TYPE_PROXY and TARG_TYPE_SERVER are
+ * supported. The <data> parameter is a boolean indicating whether there are data
+ * waiting for being sent or not, in order to adjust data write polling and on
+ * some platforms, the ability to avoid an empty initial ACK.
  *
  * It can return one of :
  *  - SN_ERR_NONE if everything's OK
@@ -227,12 +229,11 @@
  * Additionnally, in the case of SN_ERR_RESOURCE, an emergency log will be emitted.
  */
 
-int tcp_connect_server(struct stream_interface *si)
+int tcp_connect_server(struct connection *conn, int data)
 {
 	int fd;
 	struct server *srv;
 	struct proxy *be;
-	struct connection *conn = &si->conn;
 
 	switch (conn->target.type) {
 	case TARG_TYPE_PROXY:
@@ -285,9 +286,6 @@
 	if (be->options & PR_O_TCP_SRV_KA)
 		setsockopt(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_KEEPALIVE, &one, sizeof(one));
 
-	if (be->options & PR_O_TCP_NOLING)
-		si->flags |= SI_FL_NOLINGER;
-
 	/* allow specific binding :
 	 * - server-specific at first
 	 * - proxy-specific next
@@ -409,7 +407,7 @@
 	 * machine with the first ACK. We only do this if there are pending
 	 * data in the buffer.
 	 */
-	if ((be->options2 & PR_O2_SMARTCON) && si->ob->buf.o)
+	if ((be->options2 & PR_O2_SMARTCON) && data)
                 setsockopt(fd, IPPROTO_TCP, TCP_QUICKACK, &zero, sizeof(zero));
 #endif
 
@@ -453,28 +451,16 @@
 		}
 	}
 
-	/* needs src ip/port for logging */
-	if (si->flags & SI_FL_SRC_ADDR)
-		conn_get_from_addr(conn);
-
 	fdtab[fd].owner = conn;
 	fdtab[fd].flags = FD_FL_TCP | FD_FL_TCP_NODELAY;
 	conn->flags  = CO_FL_WAIT_L4_CONN; /* connection in progress */
-	conn->flags |= CO_FL_NOTIFY_SI; /* we're on a stream_interface */
-
-	/* Prepare to send a few handshakes related to the on-wire protocol. */
-	if (si->send_proxy_ofs)
-		conn->flags |= CO_FL_SI_SEND_PROXY;
 
 	fdtab[fd].iocb = conn_fd_handler;
 	fd_insert(fd);
 	conn_sock_want_send(conn);  /* for connect status */
-	if (!channel_is_empty(si->ob))
+	if (data)
 		conn_data_want_send(conn);  /* prepare to send data if any */
 
-	si->state = SI_ST_CON;
-	si->exp = tick_add_ifset(now_ms, be->timeout.connect);
-
 	return SN_ERR_NONE;  /* connection is OK */
 }