diff --git a/http.c b/http.c
index a30b25dd..99308b39 100644
--- a/http.c
+++ b/http.c
@@ -681,11 +681,21 @@ evhttp_connection_incoming_fail(struct evhttp_request *req,
 	return (0);
 }
 
+/* Free connection ownership of which can be acquired by user using
+ * evhttp_request_own(). */
+static inline void
+evhttp_request_free_auto(struct evhttp_request *req)
+{
+	if (!(req->flags & EVHTTP_USER_OWNED)) {
+		evhttp_request_free(req);
+	}
+}
+
 static void
 evhttp_request_free_(struct evhttp_connection *evcon, struct evhttp_request *req)
 {
 	TAILQ_REMOVE(&evcon->requests, req, next);
-	evhttp_request_free(req);
+	evhttp_request_free_auto(req);
 }
 
 /* Called when evcon has experienced a (non-recoverable? -NM) error, as
@@ -829,11 +839,9 @@ evhttp_connection_done(struct evhttp_connection *evcon)
 	/* notify the user of the request */
 	(*req->cb)(req, req->cb_arg);
 
-	/* if this was an outgoing request, we own and it's done. so free it.
-	 * unless the callback specifically requested to own the request.
-	 */
-	if (con_outgoing && ((req->flags & EVHTTP_USER_OWNED) == 0)) {
-		evhttp_request_free(req);
+	/* if this was an outgoing request, we own and it's done. so free it. */
+	if (con_outgoing) {
+		evhttp_request_free_auto(req);
 	}
 
 	/* If this was the last request of an outgoing connection and we're
@@ -993,7 +1001,7 @@ evhttp_read_body(struct evhttp_connection *evcon, struct evhttp_request *req)
 			return;
 		case REQUEST_CANCELED:
 			/* request canceled */
-			evhttp_request_free(req);
+			evhttp_request_free_auto(req);
 			return;
 		case MORE_DATA_EXPECTED:
 		default:
@@ -1039,7 +1047,7 @@ evhttp_read_body(struct evhttp_connection *evcon, struct evhttp_request *req)
 		evbuffer_drain(req->input_buffer,
 		    evbuffer_get_length(req->input_buffer));
 		if ((req->flags & EVHTTP_REQ_NEEDS_FREE) != 0) {
-			evhttp_request_free(req);
+			evhttp_request_free_auto(req);
 			return;
 		}
 	}
@@ -1356,7 +1364,7 @@ evhttp_connection_cb_cleanup(struct evhttp_connection *evcon)
 
 		/* we might want to set an error here */
 		request->cb(request, request->cb_arg);
-		evhttp_request_free(request);
+		evhttp_request_free_auto(request);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -2514,7 +2522,7 @@ evhttp_make_request(struct evhttp_connection *evcon,
 		mm_free(req->uri);
 	if ((req->uri = mm_strdup(uri)) == NULL) {
 		event_warn("%s: strdup", __func__);
-		evhttp_request_free(req);
+		evhttp_request_free_auto(req);
 		return (-1);
 	}
 
@@ -2577,7 +2585,7 @@ evhttp_cancel_request(struct evhttp_request *req)
 		}
 	}
 
-	evhttp_request_free(req);
+	evhttp_request_free_auto(req);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/test/regress_http.c b/test/regress_http.c
index c86ec95f..9f56f503 100644
--- a/test/regress_http.c
+++ b/test/regress_http.c
@@ -971,6 +971,7 @@ http_allowed_methods_test(void *arg)
 		evutil_closesocket(fd3);
 }
 
+static void http_request_no_action_done(struct evhttp_request *, void *);
 static void http_request_done(struct evhttp_request *, void *);
 static void http_request_empty_done(struct evhttp_request *, void *);
 
@@ -1334,6 +1335,13 @@ http_cancel_test(void *arg)
 		evhttp_free(http);
 }
 
+static void
+http_request_no_action_done(struct evhttp_request *req, void *arg)
+{
+	EVUTIL_ASSERT(exit_base);
+	event_base_loopexit(exit_base, NULL);
+}
+
 static void
 http_request_done(struct evhttp_request *req, void *arg)
 {
@@ -4055,6 +4063,41 @@ http_write_during_read_test(void *arg)
 		evhttp_free(http);
 }
 
+static void
+http_request_own_test(void *arg)
+{
+	struct basic_test_data *data = arg;
+	ev_uint16_t port = 0;
+	struct evhttp_connection *evcon = NULL;
+	struct evhttp_request *req = NULL;
+
+	test_ok = 0;
+	exit_base = data->base;
+
+	http = http_setup(&port, data->base, 0);
+	evhttp_free(http);
+
+	evcon = evhttp_connection_base_new(data->base, NULL, "127.0.0.1", port);
+	tt_assert(evcon);
+
+	req = evhttp_request_new(http_request_no_action_done, NULL);
+
+	if (evhttp_make_request(evcon, req, EVHTTP_REQ_GET, "/test") == -1) {
+		tt_abort_msg("Couldn't make request");
+	}
+	evhttp_request_own(req);
+
+	event_base_dispatch(data->base);
+
+ end:
+	if (evcon)
+		evhttp_connection_free(evcon);
+	if (req)
+		evhttp_request_free(req);
+
+	test_ok = 1;
+}
+
 #define HTTP_LEGACY(name)						\
 	{ #name, run_legacy_test_fn, TT_ISOLATED|TT_LEGACY, &legacy_setup, \
 		    http_##name##_test }
@@ -4116,6 +4159,7 @@ struct testcase_t http_testcases[] = {
 	HTTP(set_family_ipv6),
 
 	HTTP(write_during_read),
+	HTTP(request_own),
 
 	END_OF_TESTCASES
 };