diff --git a/http/http_connection.hpp b/http/http_connection.hpp
index b5d0d2e..ba4af3f 100644
--- a/http/http_connection.hpp
+++ b/http/http_connection.hpp
@@ -94,6 +94,10 @@
         // don't require auth
         if (preverified)
         {
+            if (!req)
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
             mtlsSession = verifyMtlsUser(req->ipAddress, ctx);
             if (mtlsSession)
             {
@@ -202,6 +206,10 @@
     void handle()
     {
         std::error_code reqEc;
+        if (!parser)
+        {
+            return;
+        }
         crow::Request& thisReq = req.emplace(parser->release(), reqEc);
         if (reqEc)
         {
@@ -363,6 +371,10 @@
         {
             return;
         }
+        if (!req)
+        {
+            return;
+        }
         req->ipAddress = ip;
     }
 
@@ -389,7 +401,10 @@
     void doReadHeaders()
     {
         BMCWEB_LOG_DEBUG("{} doReadHeaders", logPtr(this));
-
+        if (!parser)
+        {
+            return;
+        }
         // Clean up any previous Connection.
         boost::beast::http::async_read_header(
             adaptor, buffer, *parser,
@@ -475,6 +490,10 @@
     void doRead()
     {
         BMCWEB_LOG_DEBUG("{} doRead", logPtr(this));
+        if (!parser)
+        {
+            return;
+        }
         startDeadline();
         boost::beast::http::async_read_some(
             adaptor, buffer, *parser,
@@ -515,7 +534,7 @@
     {
         BMCWEB_LOG_DEBUG("{} doWrite", logPtr(this));
         thisRes.preparePayload();
-        serializer.emplace(*thisRes.stringResponse);
+        serializer.emplace(thisRes.stringResponse);
         startDeadline();
         boost::beast::http::async_write(adaptor, *serializer,
                                         [this, self(shared_from_this())](