diff --git a/include/haproxy/proto_tcp.h b/include/haproxy/proto_tcp.h
index 8e57acf..63bbb57 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/proto_tcp.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/proto_tcp.h
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
 #include <haproxy/sample-t.h>
 
 int tcp_bind_socket(int fd, int flags, struct sockaddr_storage *local, struct sockaddr_storage *remote);
-int tcp_pause_listener(struct listener *l);
 int tcp_connect_server(struct connection *conn, int flags);
 int tcp_is_foreign(int fd, sa_family_t family);
 
diff --git a/include/haproxy/proto_udp.h b/include/haproxy/proto_udp.h
index f9069d1..25c1423 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/proto_udp.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/proto_udp.h
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 #define _PROTO_PROTO_UDP_H
 
 int udp_bind_socket(int fd, int flags, struct sockaddr_storage *local, struct sockaddr_storage *remote);
-int udp_pause_listener(struct listener *l);
 
 #endif /* _PROTO_PROTO_UDP_H */
 
diff --git a/include/haproxy/protocol-t.h b/include/haproxy/protocol-t.h
index 138dbbb..75da65b 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/protocol-t.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/protocol-t.h
@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@
 
 /* This structure contains all information needed to easily handle a protocol.
  * Its primary goal is to ease listeners maintenance. Specifically, the
- * bind() primitive must be used before any fork().
+ * bind() primitive must be used before any fork(). rx_* may be null if the
+ * protocol doesn't provide direct access to the receiver.
  */
 struct protocol {
 	char name[PROTO_NAME_LEN];			/* protocol name, zero-terminated */
@@ -83,12 +84,18 @@
 	int sock_domain;				/* socket domain, as passed to socket()   */
 	int sock_type;					/* socket type, as passed to socket()     */
 	int sock_prot;					/* socket protocol, as passed to socket() */
-	void (*accept)(int fd);				/* generic accept function */
+
+	/* functions acting on the listener */
+	void (*add)(struct listener *l, int port);      /* add a listener for this protocol and port */
 	int (*listen)(struct listener *l, char *errmsg, int errlen); /* start a listener */
+
+	/* functions acting on the receiver */
+	int (*rx_suspend)(struct receiver *rx);         /* temporarily suspend this receiver for a soft restart */
+
+	/* functions acting on connections */
+	void (*accept)(int fd);				/* generic accept function */
 	int (*connect)(struct connection *, int flags); /* connect function if any, see below for flags values */
 	int (*drain)(int fd);                           /* indicates whether we can safely close the fd */
-	int (*pause)(struct listener *l);               /* temporarily pause this listener for a soft restart */
-	void (*add)(struct listener *l, int port);      /* add a listener for this protocol and port */
 
 	struct list receivers;				/* list of receivers using this protocol (under proto_lock) */
 	int nb_receivers;				/* number of receivers (under proto_lock) */
diff --git a/src/listener.c b/src/listener.c
index b24ee56..fae46c7 100644
--- a/src/listener.c
+++ b/src/listener.c
@@ -330,11 +330,11 @@
 	if (l->state <= LI_PAUSED)
 		goto end;
 
-	if (l->rx.proto->pause) {
+	if (l->rx.proto->rx_suspend) {
 		/* Returns < 0 in case of failure, 0 if the listener
 		 * was totally stopped, or > 0 if correctly paused.
 		 */
-		ret = l->rx.proto->pause(l);
+		ret = l->rx.proto->rx_suspend(&l->rx);
 
 		if (ret < 0) {
 			ret = 0;
diff --git a/src/proto_sockpair.c b/src/proto_sockpair.c
index d46fa27..b787f95 100644
--- a/src/proto_sockpair.c
+++ b/src/proto_sockpair.c
@@ -65,11 +65,10 @@
 	.sock_domain = AF_CUST_SOCKPAIR,
 	.sock_type = SOCK_STREAM,
 	.sock_prot = 0,
+	.add = sockpair_add_listener,
+	.listen = sockpair_bind_listener,
 	.accept = &listener_accept,
 	.connect = &sockpair_connect_server,
-	.listen = sockpair_bind_listener,
-	.pause = NULL,
-	.add = sockpair_add_listener,
 	.receivers = LIST_HEAD_INIT(proto_sockpair.receivers),
 	.nb_receivers = 0,
 };
diff --git a/src/proto_tcp.c b/src/proto_tcp.c
index 93daa5a..b3dbdd4 100644
--- a/src/proto_tcp.c
+++ b/src/proto_tcp.c
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 
 
 static int tcp_bind_listener(struct listener *listener, char *errmsg, int errlen);
+static int tcp_suspend_receiver(struct receiver *rx);
 static void tcpv4_add_listener(struct listener *listener, int port);
 static void tcpv6_add_listener(struct listener *listener, int port);
 
@@ -56,11 +57,11 @@
 	.sock_domain = AF_INET,
 	.sock_type = SOCK_STREAM,
 	.sock_prot = IPPROTO_TCP,
+	.add = tcpv4_add_listener,
+	.listen = tcp_bind_listener,
+	.rx_suspend = tcp_suspend_receiver,
 	.accept = &listener_accept,
 	.connect = tcp_connect_server,
-	.listen = tcp_bind_listener,
-	.pause = tcp_pause_listener,
-	.add = tcpv4_add_listener,
 	.receivers = LIST_HEAD_INIT(proto_tcpv4.receivers),
 	.nb_receivers = 0,
 };
@@ -75,11 +76,11 @@
 	.sock_domain = AF_INET6,
 	.sock_type = SOCK_STREAM,
 	.sock_prot = IPPROTO_TCP,
+	.add = tcpv6_add_listener,
+	.listen = tcp_bind_listener,
+	.rx_suspend = tcp_suspend_receiver,
 	.accept = &listener_accept,
 	.connect = tcp_connect_server,
-	.listen = tcp_bind_listener,
-	.pause = tcp_pause_listener,
-	.add = tcpv6_add_listener,
 	.receivers = LIST_HEAD_INIT(proto_tcpv6.receivers),
 	.nb_receivers = 0,
 };
@@ -725,23 +726,24 @@
 	proto_tcpv6.nb_receivers++;
 }
 
-/* Pause a listener. Returns < 0 in case of failure, 0 if the listener
- * was totally stopped, or > 0 if correctly paused.
+/* Suspend a receiver. Returns < 0 in case of failure, 0 if the receiver
+ * was totally stopped, or > 0 if correctly suspended.
  */
-int tcp_pause_listener(struct listener *l)
+static int tcp_suspend_receiver(struct receiver *rx)
 {
+	struct listener *l = LIST_ELEM(rx, struct listener *, rx);
 	socklen_t opt_val, opt_len;
 
-	if (shutdown(l->rx.fd, SHUT_WR) != 0)
+	if (shutdown(rx->fd, SHUT_WR) != 0)
 		goto check_already_done; /* usually Solaris fails here */
 
-	if (listen(l->rx.fd, listener_backlog(l)) != 0)
+	if (listen(rx->fd, listener_backlog(l)) != 0)
 		goto check_already_done; /* Usually OpenBSD fails here */
 
-	if (shutdown(l->rx.fd, SHUT_RD) != 0)
+	if (shutdown(rx->fd, SHUT_RD) != 0)
 		goto check_already_done; /* show always be OK */
 
-	fd_stop_recv(l->rx.fd);
+	fd_stop_recv(rx->fd);
 	return 1;
 
  check_already_done:
@@ -751,13 +753,13 @@
 	 */
 	opt_val = 0;
 	opt_len = sizeof(opt_val);
-	if (getsockopt(l->rx.fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_ACCEPTCONN, &opt_val, &opt_len) == -1) {
-		fd_stop_recv(l->rx.fd);
+	if (getsockopt(rx->fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_ACCEPTCONN, &opt_val, &opt_len) == -1) {
+		fd_stop_recv(rx->fd);
 		return 0; /* the socket is really unrecoverable */
 	}
 
 	if (!opt_val) {
-		fd_stop_recv(l->rx.fd);
+		fd_stop_recv(rx->fd);
 		return 1; /* already paused by another process */
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/proto_udp.c b/src/proto_udp.c
index 44593b9..1181d1a 100644
--- a/src/proto_udp.c
+++ b/src/proto_udp.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 #include <haproxy/task.h>
 
 static int udp_bind_listener(struct listener *listener, char *errmsg, int errlen);
+static int udp_suspend_receiver(struct receiver *rx);
 static void udp4_add_listener(struct listener *listener, int port);
 static void udp6_add_listener(struct listener *listener, int port);
 
@@ -52,11 +53,9 @@
 	.sock_domain = AF_INET,
 	.sock_type = SOCK_DGRAM,
 	.sock_prot = IPPROTO_UDP,
-	.accept = NULL,
-	.connect = NULL,
-	.listen = udp_bind_listener,
-	.pause = udp_pause_listener,
 	.add = udp4_add_listener,
+	.listen = udp_bind_listener,
+	.rx_suspend = udp_suspend_receiver,
 	.receivers = LIST_HEAD_INIT(proto_udp4.receivers),
 	.nb_receivers = 0,
 };
@@ -71,11 +70,9 @@
 	.sock_domain = AF_INET6,
 	.sock_type = SOCK_DGRAM,
 	.sock_prot = IPPROTO_UDP,
-	.accept = NULL,
-	.connect = NULL,
-	.listen = udp_bind_listener,
-	.pause = udp_pause_listener,
 	.add = udp6_add_listener,
+	.listen = udp_bind_listener,
+	.rx_suspend = udp_suspend_receiver,
 	.receivers = LIST_HEAD_INIT(proto_udp6.receivers),
 	.nb_receivers = 0,
 };
@@ -154,12 +151,12 @@
 	proto_udp6.nb_receivers++;
 }
 
-/* Pause a listener. Returns < 0 in case of failure, 0 if the listener
- * was totally stopped, or > 0 if correctly paused.
+/* Suspend a receiver. Returns < 0 in case of failure, 0 if the receiver
+ * was totally stopped, or > 0 if correctly suspended.
  */
-int udp_pause_listener(struct listener *l)
+static int udp_suspend_receiver(struct receiver *rx)
 {
-	/* we don't support pausing on UDP */
+	/* we don't support suspend on UDP */
 	return -1;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/proto_uxst.c b/src/proto_uxst.c
index 2610927..7278d51 100644
--- a/src/proto_uxst.c
+++ b/src/proto_uxst.c
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
 static int uxst_bind_listener(struct listener *listener, char *errmsg, int errlen);
 static int uxst_connect_server(struct connection *conn, int flags);
 static void uxst_add_listener(struct listener *listener, int port);
-static int uxst_pause_listener(struct listener *l);
+static int uxst_suspend_receiver(struct receiver *rx);
 
 /* Note: must not be declared <const> as its list will be overwritten */
 static struct protocol proto_unix = {
@@ -53,11 +53,11 @@
 	.sock_domain = PF_UNIX,
 	.sock_type = SOCK_STREAM,
 	.sock_prot = 0,
+	.add = uxst_add_listener,
+	.listen = uxst_bind_listener,
+	.rx_suspend = uxst_suspend_receiver,
 	.accept = &listener_accept,
 	.connect = &uxst_connect_server,
-	.listen = uxst_bind_listener,
-	.pause = uxst_pause_listener,
-	.add = uxst_add_listener,
 	.receivers = LIST_HEAD_INIT(proto_unix.receivers),
 	.nb_receivers = 0,
 };
@@ -146,15 +146,17 @@
 	proto_unix.nb_receivers++;
 }
 
-/* Pause a listener. Returns < 0 in case of failure, 0 if the listener
- * was totally stopped, or > 0 if correctly paused. Nothing is done for
+/* Suspend a receiver. Returns < 0 in case of failure, 0 if the receiver
+ * was totally stopped, or > 0 if correctly suspended. Nothing is done for
  * plain unix sockets since currently it's the new process which handles
  * the renaming. Abstract sockets are completely unbound and closed so
  * there's no need to stop the poller.
  */
-static int uxst_pause_listener(struct listener *l)
+static int uxst_suspend_receiver(struct receiver *rx)
 {
-	if (((struct sockaddr_un *)&l->rx.addr)->sun_path[0])
+	struct listener *l = LIST_ELEM(rx, struct listener *, rx);
+
+	if (((struct sockaddr_un *)&rx->addr)->sun_path[0])
 		return 1;
 
 	/* Listener's lock already held. Call lockless version of