diff --git a/src/main/java/io/vertx/httpproxy/impl/ProxiedRequest.java b/src/main/java/io/vertx/httpproxy/impl/ProxiedRequest.java
index 29926f5..83882f6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/vertx/httpproxy/impl/ProxiedRequest.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/vertx/httpproxy/impl/ProxiedRequest.java
@@ -13,30 +13,19 @@
 import io.vertx.core.Future;
 import io.vertx.core.MultiMap;
 import io.vertx.core.buffer.Buffer;
-import io.vertx.core.http.HttpClientRequest;
-import io.vertx.core.http.HttpHeaders;
-import io.vertx.core.http.HttpMethod;
-import io.vertx.core.http.HttpServerRequest;
-import io.vertx.core.http.HttpVersion;
+import io.vertx.core.http.*;
 import io.vertx.core.internal.ContextInternal;
 import io.vertx.core.internal.http.HttpServerRequestInternal;
 import io.vertx.core.net.HostAndPort;
 import io.vertx.core.streams.Pipe;
 import io.vertx.httpproxy.Body;
-import io.vertx.httpproxy.MediaType;
 import io.vertx.httpproxy.ProxyRequest;
 import io.vertx.httpproxy.ProxyResponse;
 
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Objects;
 
-import static io.vertx.core.http.HttpHeaders.CONNECTION;
-import static io.vertx.core.http.HttpHeaders.CONTENT_LENGTH;
-import static io.vertx.core.http.HttpHeaders.KEEP_ALIVE;
-import static io.vertx.core.http.HttpHeaders.PROXY_AUTHENTICATE;
-import static io.vertx.core.http.HttpHeaders.PROXY_AUTHORIZATION;
-import static io.vertx.core.http.HttpHeaders.TRANSFER_ENCODING;
-import static io.vertx.core.http.HttpHeaders.UPGRADE;
+import static io.vertx.core.http.HttpHeaders.*;
 
 public class ProxiedRequest implements ProxyRequest {
 
@@ -152,9 +141,11 @@ public HttpServerRequest proxiedRequest() {
 
   @Override
   public ProxyRequest release() {
-    body.stream().resume();
-    headers.clear();
-    body = null;
+    if (body != null) {
+      body.stream().resume();
+      headers.clear();
+      body = null;
+    }
     return this;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/vertx/tests/ProxyRequestTest.java b/src/test/java/io/vertx/tests/ProxyRequestTest.java
index d341f35..7482411 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/vertx/tests/ProxyRequestTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/vertx/tests/ProxyRequestTest.java
@@ -10,21 +10,9 @@
  */
 package io.vertx.tests;
 
-import io.vertx.core.AsyncResult;
-import io.vertx.core.Future;
-import io.vertx.core.Handler;
-import io.vertx.core.MultiMap;
-import io.vertx.core.Promise;
+import io.vertx.core.*;
 import io.vertx.core.buffer.Buffer;
-import io.vertx.core.http.HttpClient;
-import io.vertx.core.http.HttpClientOptions;
-import io.vertx.core.http.HttpClientResponse;
-import io.vertx.core.http.HttpHeaders;
-import io.vertx.core.http.HttpMethod;
-import io.vertx.core.http.HttpServerRequest;
-import io.vertx.core.http.HttpServerResponse;
-import io.vertx.core.http.HttpVersion;
-import io.vertx.core.http.RequestOptions;
+import io.vertx.core.http.*;
 import io.vertx.core.net.NetClient;
 import io.vertx.core.net.NetSocket;
 import io.vertx.core.net.SocketAddress;
@@ -40,7 +28,6 @@
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
 
 /**
  * @author <a href="mailto:julien@julienviet.com">Julien Viet</a>
@@ -585,6 +572,30 @@ public void testReleaseProxyRequest(TestContext ctx) {
     }));
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testReleaseProxyRequestAndFail(TestContext ctx) {
+    SocketAddress backend = startHttpBackend(ctx, 8081, req -> {
+      ctx.fail("Shouldn't be called");
+    });
+    backendClient = vertx.createHttpClient(new HttpClientOptions(clientOptions));
+    HttpProxy proxy = HttpProxy.reverseProxy(backendClient);
+    proxy.origin(backend);
+    proxy.addInterceptor(new ProxyInterceptor() {
+      @Override
+      public Future<ProxyResponse> handleProxyRequest(ProxyContext context) {
+        context.request().release();
+        return Future.failedFuture("boom");
+      }
+    });
+    startHttpServer(ctx, serverOptions, proxy);
+    httpClient = vertx.createHttpClient();
+    httpClient.request(HttpMethod.GET, 8080, "localhost", "/somepath").onComplete(ctx.asyncAssertSuccess(req -> {
+      req.send().onComplete(ctx.asyncAssertSuccess(resp -> {
+        ctx.assertEquals(502, resp.statusCode());
+      }));
+    }));
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testSendDefaultProxyResponse(TestContext ctx) {
     startHttpServer(ctx, serverOptions, req -> {