diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/io/TcpConnection.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/io/TcpConnection.scala
index ff5a9cdaba..466f4d8805 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/io/TcpConnection.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/io/TcpConnection.scala
@@ -47,13 +47,13 @@ private[io] abstract class TcpConnection(val tcp: TcpExt, val channel: SocketCha
   private var registration: Option[ChannelRegistration] = None
 
   def setRegistration(registration: ChannelRegistration): Unit = this.registration = Some(registration)
-  def signDeathPact(actor: ActorRef): Unit = {
+  protected def signDeathPact(actor: ActorRef): Unit = {
     unsignDeathPact()
     watchedActor = actor
     context.watch(watchedActor)
   }
 
-  def unsignDeathPact(): Unit =
+  protected def unsignDeathPact(): Unit =
     if (watchedActor ne context.system.deadLetters) context.unwatch(watchedActor)
 
   def writePending = pendingWrite ne EmptyPendingWrite
@@ -65,10 +65,9 @@ private[io] abstract class TcpConnection(val tcp: TcpExt, val channel: SocketCha
     case Register(handler, keepOpenOnPeerClosed, useResumeWriting) =>
       // up to this point we've been watching the commander,
       // but since registration is now complete we only need to watch the handler from here on
-      if (handler != commander) {
-        context.unwatch(commander)
-        context.watch(handler)
-      }
+      if (handler != commander)
+        signDeathPact(handler) // will unsign death pact with commander automatically
+
       if (TraceLogging) log.debug("[{}] registered as connection handler", handler)
 
       val info = ConnectionInfo(registration, handler, keepOpenOnPeerClosed, useResumeWriting)
@@ -364,6 +363,7 @@ private[io] abstract class TcpConnection(val tcp: TcpExt, val channel: SocketCha
 
   def stopWith(closeInfo: CloseInformation, shouldAbort: Boolean = false): Unit = {
     closedMessage = Some(closeInfo)
+    unsignDeathPact()
 
     if (closeInfo.closedEvent == Aborted || shouldAbort)
       prepareAbort()