diff --git a/ctdb/client/ctdb_client.c b/ctdb/client/ctdb_client.c
index 0d0f2fea448..1b4143985fe 100644
--- a/ctdb/client/ctdb_client.c
+++ b/ctdb/client/ctdb_client.c
@@ -4123,7 +4123,9 @@ int switch_from_server_to_client(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, const char *fmt, ...
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	 return 0;
+	ctdb->can_send_controls = true;
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/ctdb/common/ctdb_util.c b/ctdb/common/ctdb_util.c
index 1ff4c1f9aa2..061c16d2c4c 100644
--- a/ctdb/common/ctdb_util.c
+++ b/ctdb/common/ctdb_util.c
@@ -346,6 +346,7 @@ pid_t ctdb_fork(struct ctdb_context *ctdb)
 		if (ctdb->do_setsched) {
 			ctdb_restore_scheduler(ctdb);
 		}
+		ctdb->can_send_controls = false;
 	}
 	return pid;
 }
diff --git a/ctdb/include/ctdb_private.h b/ctdb/include/ctdb_private.h
index f420e6c3417..272b94aa86d 100644
--- a/ctdb/include/ctdb_private.h
+++ b/ctdb/include/ctdb_private.h
@@ -483,6 +483,9 @@ struct ctdb_context {
 
 	/* Used to defer db attach requests while in recovery mode */
 	struct ctdb_deferred_attach_context *deferred_attach;
+
+	/* if we are a child process, do we have a domain socket to send controls on */
+	bool can_send_controls;
 };
 
 struct ctdb_db_context {
diff --git a/ctdb/server/ctdb_vacuum.c b/ctdb/server/ctdb_vacuum.c
index ff373564f82..e0e1e3b5089 100644
--- a/ctdb/server/ctdb_vacuum.c
+++ b/ctdb/server/ctdb_vacuum.c
@@ -1560,8 +1560,16 @@ int32_t ctdb_local_schedule_for_deletion(struct ctdb_db_context *ctdb_db,
 		return ret;
 	}
 
-	/* child process: send the main daemon a control */
+	/* if we dont have a connection to the daemon we can not send
+	   a control. For example sometimes from update_record control child
+	   process.
+	*/
+	if (!ctdb_db->ctdb->can_send_controls) {
+		return -1;
+	}
 
+
+	/* child process: send the main daemon a control */
 	indata.dsize = offsetof(struct ctdb_control_schedule_for_deletion, key) + key.dsize;
 	indata.dptr = talloc_zero_array(ctdb_db, uint8_t, indata.dsize);
 	if (indata.dptr == NULL) {