diff --git a/source4/librpc/rpc/dcerpc.c b/source4/librpc/rpc/dcerpc.c
index 9e893d0d898..4ede4bc72c1 100644
--- a/source4/librpc/rpc/dcerpc.c
+++ b/source4/librpc/rpc/dcerpc.c
@@ -1029,8 +1029,6 @@ static void dcerpc_connection_dead(struct dcecli_connection *conn, NTSTATUS stat
 	TALLOC_FREE(conn->io_trigger);
 	conn->io_trigger_pending = false;
 
-	conn->transport.recv_data = NULL;
-
 	dcerpc_shutdown_pipe(conn, status);
 
 	/* all pending requests get the error */
@@ -1077,6 +1075,10 @@ static void dcerpc_recv_data(struct dcecli_connection *conn, DATA_BLOB *blob, NT
 {
 	struct ncacn_packet pkt;
 
+	if (conn->dead) {
+		return;
+	}
+
 	if (NT_STATUS_IS_OK(status) && blob->length == 0) {
 		status = NT_STATUS_UNEXPECTED_NETWORK_ERROR;
 	}
@@ -1192,8 +1194,6 @@ struct tevent_req *dcerpc_bind_send(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx,
 		return tevent_req_post(req, ev);
 	}
 
-	p->conn->transport.recv_data = dcerpc_recv_data;
-
 	/*
 	 * we allocate a dcerpc_request so we can be in the same
 	 * request queue as normal requests
@@ -1531,8 +1531,6 @@ static struct rpc_request *dcerpc_request_send(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx,
 {
 	struct rpc_request *req;
 
-	p->conn->transport.recv_data = dcerpc_recv_data;
-
 	req = talloc_zero(mem_ctx, struct rpc_request);
 	if (req == NULL) {
 		return NULL;
@@ -2080,8 +2078,6 @@ struct tevent_req *dcerpc_alter_context_send(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx,
 		return tevent_req_post(req, ev);
 	}
 
-	p->conn->transport.recv_data = dcerpc_recv_data;
-
 	/*
 	 * we allocate a dcerpc_request so we can be in the same
 	 * request queue as normal requests
@@ -2271,9 +2267,7 @@ static void dcerpc_transport_dead(struct dcecli_connection *c, NTSTATUS status)
 		status = NT_STATUS_END_OF_FILE;
 	}
 
-	if (c->transport.recv_data) {
-		c->transport.recv_data(c, NULL, status);
-	}
+	dcerpc_recv_data(c, NULL, status);
 }
 
 
@@ -2412,9 +2406,7 @@ static void dcerpc_send_read_done(struct tevent_req *subreq)
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (p->transport.recv_data) {
-		p->transport.recv_data(p, &blob, NT_STATUS_OK);
-	}
+	dcerpc_recv_data(p, &blob, NT_STATUS_OK);
 }
 
 struct dcerpc_send_request_state {
diff --git a/source4/librpc/rpc/dcerpc.h b/source4/librpc/rpc/dcerpc.h
index e50933f56df..7075d8d878b 100644
--- a/source4/librpc/rpc/dcerpc.h
+++ b/source4/librpc/rpc/dcerpc.h
@@ -78,10 +78,6 @@ struct dcecli_connection {
 		enum dcerpc_transport_t transport;
 		void *private_data;
 
-		/* a callback to the dcerpc code when a full fragment
-		   has been received */
-		void (*recv_data)(struct dcecli_connection *, DATA_BLOB *, NTSTATUS status);
-
 		struct tstream_context *stream;
 		/** to serialize write events */
 		struct tevent_queue *write_queue;
diff --git a/source4/librpc/rpc/dcerpc_smb.c b/source4/librpc/rpc/dcerpc_smb.c
index f400af188a5..0224fdfb194 100644
--- a/source4/librpc/rpc/dcerpc_smb.c
+++ b/source4/librpc/rpc/dcerpc_smb.c
@@ -162,8 +162,6 @@ static void dcerpc_pipe_open_smb_done(struct tevent_req *subreq)
 	c->transport.transport       = NCACN_NP;
 	c->transport.private_data    = NULL;
 
-	c->transport.recv_data       = NULL;
-
 	/*
 	 * Windows uses 4280 for ncacn_np,
 	 * so we also use it, this is what our
diff --git a/source4/librpc/rpc/dcerpc_sock.c b/source4/librpc/rpc/dcerpc_sock.c
index 69eac171d43..9f69c7d3343 100644
--- a/source4/librpc/rpc/dcerpc_sock.c
+++ b/source4/librpc/rpc/dcerpc_sock.c
@@ -90,8 +90,6 @@ static void continue_socket_connect(struct composite_context *ctx)
 	conn->transport.transport       = s->transport;
 	conn->transport.private_data    = NULL;
 
-	conn->transport.recv_data       = NULL;
-
 	/*
 	 * Windows uses 5840 for ncacn_ip_tcp,
 	 * so we also use it (for every transport which uses bsd sockets)