diff --git a/src/mainconf.c b/src/mainconf.c
index b4dbf74..be25534 100644
--- a/src/mainconf.c
+++ b/src/mainconf.c
@@ -152,6 +152,11 @@ static void srvstrings(struct srvstart *s){
 
 /* Releases what the preparation and the run took, s itself excepted. */
 static void srvdiscard(struct srvstart *s){
+ /* a slot taken for a service which never ran: srvfree() waits for all */
+ if(s->haveslot){
+	_3proxy_sem_unlock(s->srv.childslots);
+	s->haveslot = 0;
+ }
  srvfree(&s->srv);
  srvstrings(s);
 }
@@ -245,6 +250,7 @@ static int srvprepare(struct srvstart *s, int argc, char **argv){
 
  s->cbc_string = s->cbl_string = NULL;
  s->iscbc = s->iscbl = 0;
+ s->haveslot = 0;
 #ifdef STDMAIN
 #ifndef _WIN32
  s->inetd = 0;
diff --git a/src/mainlisten.c b/src/mainlisten.c
index fd682ab..f9f6085 100644
--- a/src/mainlisten.c
+++ b/src/mainlisten.c
@@ -374,6 +374,11 @@ void mainclaim(void *service){
  struct srvparam *srv = &s->srv;
  struct listener *l, *found = NULL, *newl;
 
+ /* The slot it keeps for its next client taken first: once on the
+    listener, it is where the clients of older services move after a reload
+    (reattach()), which must find that slot taken, as it is once the service
+    accepts, and not take more than the others of its maxconn. */
+ if(!s->isudp && !s->haveslot && !_3proxy_sem_timedlock(srv->childslots, 0)) s->haveslot = 1;
  /* made beforehand, as the mutex is held from finding a listener to
     joining it, lest its last service let go of it meanwhile */
  if((newl = malloc(sizeof(*newl)))){
diff --git a/src/proxymain.c b/src/proxymain.c
index b38afe3..f0a8158 100644
--- a/src/proxymain.c
+++ b/src/proxymain.c
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ struct srvstart {
 	struct clientparam defparam;
 	unsigned char *cbc_string, *cbl_string;
 	int isudp, iscbc, iscbl;
+	/* the slot a TCP service keeps for its next client, taken before it can
+	   be found on its listener: srvrun() takes it over */
+	int haveslot;
 	const struct udpservice *udp;
 #ifndef _WIN32
 	pthread_attr_t pa;
@@ -121,9 +124,11 @@ static int srvrun(struct srvstart *s);
 static int srvrun(struct srvstart *s){
  struct srvparam *srv = &s->srv;
  struct clientparam *defparam = &s->defparam;
- int res = 0, haveslot = 0;
+ int res = 0, haveslot = s->haveslot;
  /* -r: a TCP service connects out for each client instead of listening */
  int connectback = !s->isudp && s->iscbc;
+
+ s->haveslot = 0;
 #ifndef _WIN32
  pthread_attr_init(&s->pa);
  pthread_attr_setstacksize(&s->pa,threadstacksize(srv->stacksize));