diff --git a/bufferevent-internal.h b/bufferevent-internal.h
index 8c45fe9c..8d12a4e8 100644
--- a/bufferevent-internal.h
+++ b/bufferevent-internal.h
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #include "evthread-internal.h"
 #include "event2/thread.h"
 #include "ratelim-internal.h"
+#include "event2/bufferevent_struct.h"
 
 /* These flags are reasons that we might be declining to actually enable
    reading or writing on a bufferevent.
@@ -288,6 +289,20 @@ void bufferevent_unsuspend_write(struct bufferevent *bufev, bufferevent_suspend_
 #define bufferevent_wm_unsuspend_read(b) \
 	bufferevent_unsuspend_read((b), BEV_SUSPEND_WM)
 
+/*
+  Disable a bufferevent.  Equivalent to bufferevent_disable(), but
+  first resets 'connecting' flag to force EV_WRITE down for sure.
+
+  XXXX this method will go away in the future; try not to add new users.
+    See comment in evhttp_connection_reset() for discussion.
+
+  @param bufev the bufferevent to be disabled
+  @param event any combination of EV_READ | EV_WRITE.
+  @return 0 if successful, or -1 if an error occurred
+  @see bufferevent_disable()
+ */
+int bufferevent_disable_hard(struct bufferevent *bufev, short event);
+
 /** Internal: Set up locking on a bufferevent.  If lock is set, use it.
  * Otherwise, use a new lock. */
 int bufferevent_enable_locking(struct bufferevent *bufev, void *lock);
diff --git a/bufferevent.c b/bufferevent.c
index 876a83f4..e1e9e47d 100644
--- a/bufferevent.c
+++ b/bufferevent.c
@@ -474,6 +474,24 @@ bufferevent_settimeout(struct bufferevent *bufev,
 }
 
 
+int
+bufferevent_disable_hard(struct bufferevent *bufev, short event)
+{
+	int r = 0;
+	struct bufferevent_private *bufev_private =
+	    EVUTIL_UPCAST(bufev, struct bufferevent_private, bev);
+
+	BEV_LOCK(bufev);
+	bufev->enabled &= ~event;
+
+	bufev_private->connecting = 0;
+	if (bufev->be_ops->disable(bufev, event) < 0)
+		r = -1;
+
+	BEV_UNLOCK(bufev);
+	return r;
+}
+
 int
 bufferevent_disable(struct bufferevent *bufev, short event)
 {
diff --git a/http.c b/http.c
index 575623aa..e9eb3521 100644
--- a/http.c
+++ b/http.c
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@
 #include "util-internal.h"
 #include "http-internal.h"
 #include "mm-internal.h"
+#include "bufferevent-internal.h"
 
 #ifndef _EVENT_HAVE_GETNAMEINFO
 #define NI_MAXSERV 32
@@ -1157,7 +1158,18 @@ evhttp_connection_reset(struct evhttp_connection *evcon)
 {
 	struct evbuffer *tmp;
 
-	bufferevent_disable(evcon->bufev, EV_READ|EV_WRITE);
+	/* XXXX This is not actually an optimal fix.  Instead we ought to have
+	   an API for "stop connecting", or use bufferevent_setfd to turn off
+	   connecting.  But for Libevent 2.0, this seems like a minimal change
+	   least likely to disrupt the rest of the bufferevent and http code.
+
+	   Why is this here?  If the fd is set in the bufferevent, and the
+	   bufferevent is connecting, then you can't actually stop the
+	   bufferevent from trying to connect with bufferevent_disable().  The
+	   connect will never trigger, since we close the fd, but the timeout
+	   might.  That caused an assertion failure in evhttp_connection_fail.
+	*/
+	bufferevent_disable_hard(evcon->bufev, EV_READ|EV_WRITE);
 
 	if (evcon->fd != -1) {
 		/* inform interested parties about connection close */