diff --git a/include/MySQL_PreparedStatement.h b/include/MySQL_PreparedStatement.h
index 8986f1e63..ea9e10672 100644
--- a/include/MySQL_PreparedStatement.h
+++ b/include/MySQL_PreparedStatement.h
@@ -145,14 +145,20 @@ class MySQL_STMTs_meta {
 };
 
 // class MySQL_STMTs_local associates a global statement ID with a local statement ID for a specific connection
+
 class MySQL_STMTs_local {
 	private:
 	unsigned int num_entries;
+	bool is_client;
 	std::map<uint32_t, MYSQL_STMT *> m;
 	public:
-	MySQL_STMTs_local() {
+	MySQL_STMTs_local(bool _ic) {
+		is_client=_ic;
 		num_entries=0;
 	}
+	void set_is_client() {
+		is_client=true;
+	}
 	~MySQL_STMTs_local();
 	void insert(uint32_t global_statement_id, MYSQL_STMT *stmt);
 /*
@@ -180,8 +186,9 @@ class MySQL_STMTs_local {
 		}
 		return false;	// not found
 	}
-	bool erase(uint32_t global_statement_id, bool client);
+	bool erase(uint32_t global_statement_id);
 	uint64_t compute_hash(unsigned int hostgroup, char *user, char *schema, char *query, unsigned int query_length);
+	unsigned int get_num_entries() { return num_entries; }
 };
 
 
diff --git a/include/mysql_connection.h b/include/mysql_connection.h
index 78391b844..184a9599a 100644
--- a/include/mysql_connection.h
+++ b/include/mysql_connection.h
@@ -148,5 +148,8 @@ class MySQL_Connection {
 	void ProcessQueryAndSetStatusFlags(char *query_digest_text);
 	void optimize();
 	void close_mysql();
+
+	void set_is_client(); // used for local_stmts
+
 };
 #endif /* __CLASS_MYSQL_CONNECTION_H */
diff --git a/lib/MySQL_PreparedStatement.cpp b/lib/MySQL_PreparedStatement.cpp
index 3e21c97e0..522771fa2 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_PreparedStatement.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_PreparedStatement.cpp
@@ -78,15 +78,17 @@ MySQL_STMTs_local::~MySQL_STMTs_local() {
 	m.erase(m.begin(),m.end());
 }
 
-bool MySQL_STMTs_local::erase(uint32_t global_statement_id, bool client) {
+bool MySQL_STMTs_local::erase(uint32_t global_statement_id) {
 	auto s=m.find(global_statement_id);
 	if (s!=m.end()) { // found
-		if (client) {
+		if (is_client) {
 			// we are removing it from a client, not backend
 			GloMyStmt->ref_count(global_statement_id,-1,true, true);
 			m.erase(s);
 			return true;
 		}
+		// the following seems deprecated for now. Asserting
+		assert(0);
 		if (num_entries>1000) {
 			MYSQL_STMT *stmt=s->second;
 			mysql_stmt_close(stmt);
diff --git a/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp b/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp
index 2db397b92..7ce3f104e 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp
@@ -1492,7 +1492,7 @@ __get_pkts_from_client:
 									memcpy(&stmt_global_id,(char *)pkt.ptr+5,sizeof(uint32_t));
 									// FIXME: no input validation
 									//sess_STMTs_meta->erase(stmt_global_id);
-									client_myds->myconn->local_stmts->erase(stmt_global_id, true);
+									client_myds->myconn->local_stmts->erase(stmt_global_id);
 								}
 								l_free(pkt.size,pkt.ptr);
 								// FIXME: this is not complete. Counters should be decreased
@@ -1533,7 +1533,7 @@ __get_pkts_from_client:
 //										Session_STMT_Manager = new MySQL_STMT_Manager();
 //									}
 									if (client_myds->myconn->local_stmts==NULL) {
-										client_myds->myconn->local_stmts=new MySQL_STMTs_local();
+										client_myds->myconn->local_stmts=new MySQL_STMTs_local(true);
 									}
 									uint64_t hash=client_myds->myconn->local_stmts->compute_hash(current_hostgroup,(char *)client_myds->myconn->userinfo->username,(char *)client_myds->myconn->userinfo->schemaname,(char *)CurrentQuery.QueryPointer,CurrentQuery.QueryLength);
 									MySQL_STMT_Global_info *stmt_info=NULL;
diff --git a/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp b/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp
index 69f41a4f8..124b2ab79 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp
@@ -1611,7 +1611,8 @@ MySQL_Session * MySQL_Thread::create_new_session_and_client_data_stream(int _fd)
 #endif
 	//sess->client_myds->myconn=new MySQL_Connection();
 	//MySQL_Connection *myconn=sess->client_myds->myconn;
-	MySQL_Connection *myconn=new MySQL_Connection;
+	MySQL_Connection *myconn=new MySQL_Connection();
+	myconn->set_is_client(); // this is used for prepared statements
 	sess->client_myds->attach_connection(myconn);
 	//myconn=new MySQL_Connection();  // 20141011
 //	if (mysql_thread___have_compress) {
diff --git a/lib/mysql_connection.cpp b/lib/mysql_connection.cpp
index 8365cf35f..545dda109 100644
--- a/lib/mysql_connection.cpp
+++ b/lib/mysql_connection.cpp
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ MySQL_Connection::MySQL_Connection() {
 	creation_time=0;
 	processing_multi_statement=false;
 	proxy_debug(PROXY_DEBUG_MYSQL_CONNPOOL, 4, "Creating new MySQL_Connection %p\n", this);
-	local_stmts=new MySQL_STMTs_local();
+	local_stmts=new MySQL_STMTs_local(false); // false by default, it is a backend
 };
 
 MySQL_Connection::~MySQL_Connection() {
@@ -513,6 +513,10 @@ void MySQL_Connection::store_result_cont(short event) {
 	async_exit_status = mysql_store_result_cont(&mysql_result , mysql , mysql_status(event, true));
 }
 
+void MySQL_Connection::set_is_client() {
+	local_stmts->set_is_client();
+}
+
 #define NEXT_IMMEDIATE(new_st) do { async_state_machine = new_st; goto handler_again; } while (0)
 
 MDB_ASYNC_ST MySQL_Connection::handler(short event) {