diff --git a/src/main/java/io/vertx/httpproxy/impl/ProxiedRequest.java b/src/main/java/io/vertx/httpproxy/impl/ProxiedRequest.java
index 47aafd1..414fe83 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/vertx/httpproxy/impl/ProxiedRequest.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/vertx/httpproxy/impl/ProxiedRequest.java
@@ -137,9 +137,11 @@ 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/httpproxy/ProxyRequestTest.java b/src/test/java/io/vertx/httpproxy/ProxyRequestTest.java
index 8269905..b8ca951 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/vertx/httpproxy/ProxyRequestTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/vertx/httpproxy/ProxyRequestTest.java
@@ -10,22 +10,9 @@
  */
 package io.vertx.httpproxy;
 
-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.HttpClientRequest;
-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;
@@ -579,6 +566,30 @@ public void testReleaseProxyRequest(TestContext ctx) {
     }));
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testReleaseProxyRequestAndFail(TestContext ctx) {
+    SocketAddress backend = startHttpBackend(ctx, 8081, req -> {
+      ctx.fail("Shouldn't be called");
+    });
+    HttpClient 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 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 -> {