diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetclient.c b/src/rpc/virnetclient.c
index 469c6a5a4a..ffe067c76d 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetclient.c
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetclient.c
@@ -1703,8 +1703,6 @@ static int virNetClientSendInternal(virNetClientPtr client,
         return -1;
     }
 
-    virNetClientLock(client);
-
     if (!client->sock || client->wantClose) {
         virNetError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
                     _("client socket is closed"));
@@ -1739,7 +1737,6 @@ static int virNetClientSendInternal(virNetClientPtr client,
 cleanup:
     if (ret != 1)
         VIR_FREE(call);
-    virNetClientUnlock(client);
     return ret;
 }
 
@@ -1757,7 +1754,10 @@ cleanup:
 int virNetClientSendWithReply(virNetClientPtr client,
                               virNetMessagePtr msg)
 {
-    int ret = virNetClientSendInternal(client, msg, true, false);
+    int ret;
+    virNetClientLock(client);
+    ret = virNetClientSendInternal(client, msg, true, false);
+    virNetClientUnlock(client);
     if (ret < 0)
         return -1;
     return 0;
@@ -1777,7 +1777,10 @@ int virNetClientSendWithReply(virNetClientPtr client,
 int virNetClientSendNoReply(virNetClientPtr client,
                             virNetMessagePtr msg)
 {
-    int ret = virNetClientSendInternal(client, msg, false, false);
+    int ret;
+    virNetClientLock(client);
+    ret = virNetClientSendInternal(client, msg, false, false);
+    virNetClientUnlock(client);
     if (ret < 0)
         return -1;
     return 0;
@@ -1796,5 +1799,41 @@ int virNetClientSendNoReply(virNetClientPtr client,
 int virNetClientSendNonBlock(virNetClientPtr client,
                              virNetMessagePtr msg)
 {
-    return virNetClientSendInternal(client, msg, false, true);
+    int ret;
+    virNetClientLock(client);
+    ret = virNetClientSendInternal(client, msg, false, true);
+    virNetClientUnlock(client);
+    return ret;
+}
+
+/*
+ * @msg: a message allocated on heap or stack
+ *
+ * Send a message synchronously, and wait for the reply synchronously
+ *
+ * The caller is responsible for free'ing @msg if it was allocated
+ * on the heap
+ *
+ * Returns 0 on success, -1 on failure
+ */
+int virNetClientSendWithReplyStream(virNetClientPtr client,
+                                    virNetMessagePtr msg,
+                                    virNetClientStreamPtr st)
+{
+    int ret;
+    virNetClientLock(client);
+    /* Other thread might have already received
+     * stream EOF so we don't want sent anything.
+     * Server won't respond anyway.
+     */
+    if (virNetClientStreamEOF(st)) {
+        virNetClientUnlock(client);
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    ret = virNetClientSendInternal(client, msg, true, false);
+    virNetClientUnlock(client);
+    if (ret < 0)
+        return -1;
+    return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetclient.h b/src/rpc/virnetclient.h
index 61d51e16d6..7c30d2bac3 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetclient.h
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetclient.h
@@ -76,6 +76,9 @@ int virNetClientSendNoReply(virNetClientPtr client,
 int virNetClientSendNonBlock(virNetClientPtr client,
                              virNetMessagePtr msg);
 
+int virNetClientSendWithReplyStream(virNetClientPtr client,
+                                    virNetMessagePtr msg,
+                                    virNetClientStreamPtr st);
 
 # ifdef HAVE_SASL
 void virNetClientSetSASLSession(virNetClientPtr client,
diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetclientstream.c b/src/rpc/virnetclientstream.c
index a4292e77a4..be06c66b48 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetclientstream.c
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetclientstream.c
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@ int virNetClientStreamRecvPacket(virNetClientStreamPtr st,
 
         VIR_DEBUG("Dummy packet to wait for stream data");
         virMutexUnlock(&st->lock);
-        ret = virNetClientSendWithReply(client, msg);
+        ret = virNetClientSendWithReplyStream(client, msg, st);
         virMutexLock(&st->lock);
         virNetMessageFree(msg);
 
@@ -530,3 +530,8 @@ cleanup:
     virMutexUnlock(&st->lock);
     return ret;
 }
+
+bool virNetClientStreamEOF(virNetClientStreamPtr st)
+{
+    return st->incomingEOF;
+}
diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetclientstream.h b/src/rpc/virnetclientstream.h
index 6c8d538099..fd7a2ee1f7 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetclientstream.h
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetclientstream.h
@@ -72,5 +72,7 @@ int virNetClientStreamEventUpdateCallback(virNetClientStreamPtr st,
                                           int events);
 int virNetClientStreamEventRemoveCallback(virNetClientStreamPtr st);
 
+bool virNetClientStreamEOF(virNetClientStreamPtr st)
+    ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1);
 
 #endif /* __VIR_NET_CLIENT_STREAM_H__ */