diff --git a/buffer.c b/buffer.c
index c5f1b8a5..6786f902 100644
--- a/buffer.c
+++ b/buffer.c
@@ -885,9 +885,13 @@ APPEND_CHAIN(struct evbuffer *dst, struct evbuffer *src)
 {
 	ASSERT_EVBUFFER_LOCKED(dst);
 	ASSERT_EVBUFFER_LOCKED(src);
-	dst->last->next = src->first;
+
+	struct evbuffer_chain **chp;
+	chp = evbuffer_free_trailing_empty_chains(dst);
+	*chp = src->first;
+
 	if (src->last_with_datap == &src->first)
-		dst->last_with_datap = &dst->last->next;
+		dst->last_with_datap = chp;
 	else
 		dst->last_with_datap = src->last_with_datap;
 	dst->last = src->last;