diff --git a/lib/ftp.c b/lib/ftp.c
index e9fab4f53c..5c7df2b4c6 100644
--- a/lib/ftp.c
+++ b/lib/ftp.c
@@ -182,7 +182,8 @@ const struct Curl_handler Curl_handler_ftp = {
   PORT_FTP,                        /* defport */
   CURLPROTO_FTP,                   /* protocol */
   PROTOPT_DUAL | PROTOPT_CLOSEACTION | PROTOPT_NEEDSPWD |
-  PROTOPT_NOURLQUERY | PROTOPT_PROXY_AS_HTTP /* flags */
+  PROTOPT_NOURLQUERY | PROTOPT_PROXY_AS_HTTP |
+  PROTOPT_WILDCARD /* flags */
 };
 
 
@@ -210,7 +211,7 @@ const struct Curl_handler Curl_handler_ftps = {
   PORT_FTPS,                       /* defport */
   CURLPROTO_FTPS,                  /* protocol */
   PROTOPT_SSL | PROTOPT_DUAL | PROTOPT_CLOSEACTION |
-  PROTOPT_NEEDSPWD | PROTOPT_NOURLQUERY /* flags */
+  PROTOPT_NEEDSPWD | PROTOPT_NOURLQUERY | PROTOPT_WILDCARD /* flags */
 };
 #endif
 
@@ -3177,7 +3178,7 @@ static CURLcode ftp_done(struct connectdata *conn, CURLcode status,
   /* now store a copy of the directory we are in */
   free(ftpc->prevpath);
 
-  if(data->set.wildcardmatch) {
+  if(data->state.wildcardmatch) {
     if(data->set.chunk_end && ftpc->file) {
       data->set.chunk_end(data->wildcard.customptr);
     }
@@ -3962,7 +3963,7 @@ static CURLcode ftp_do(struct connectdata *conn, bool *done)
   *done = FALSE; /* default to false */
   ftpc->wait_data_conn = FALSE; /* default to no such wait */
 
-  if(conn->data->set.wildcardmatch) {
+  if(conn->data->state.wildcardmatch) {
     result = wc_statemach(conn);
     if(conn->data->wildcard.state == CURLWC_SKIP ||
       conn->data->wildcard.state == CURLWC_DONE) {
diff --git a/lib/multi.c b/lib/multi.c
index bf0e89ae6a..658a18b15b 100644
--- a/lib/multi.c
+++ b/lib/multi.c
@@ -1663,7 +1663,7 @@ static CURLMcode multi_runsingle(struct Curl_multi *multi,
         if(!result) {
           if(!dophase_done) {
             /* some steps needed for wildcard matching */
-            if(data->set.wildcardmatch) {
+            if(data->state.wildcardmatch) {
               struct WildcardData *wc = &data->wildcard;
               if(wc->state == CURLWC_DONE || wc->state == CURLWC_SKIP) {
                 /* skip some states if it is important */
@@ -1815,7 +1815,13 @@ static CURLMcode multi_runsingle(struct Curl_multi *multi,
          (data->easy_conn->writesockfd != CURL_SOCKET_BAD))
         multistate(data, CURLM_STATE_WAITPERFORM);
       else
+      {
+        if(data->state.wildcardmatch &&
+           ((data->easy_conn->handler->flags & PROTOPT_WILDCARD) == 0)) {
+           data->wildcard.state = CURLWC_DONE;
+        }
         multistate(data, CURLM_STATE_DONE);
+      }
       rc = CURLM_CALL_MULTI_PERFORM;
       break;
 
@@ -2032,7 +2038,7 @@ static CURLMcode multi_runsingle(struct Curl_multi *multi,
           data->easy_conn = NULL;
       }
 
-      if(data->set.wildcardmatch) {
+      if(data->state.wildcardmatch) {
         if(data->wildcard.state != CURLWC_DONE) {
           /* if a wildcard is set and we are not ending -> lets start again
              with CURLM_STATE_INIT */
diff --git a/lib/transfer.c b/lib/transfer.c
index c4cc160601..75659cf443 100644
--- a/lib/transfer.c
+++ b/lib/transfer.c
@@ -1344,6 +1344,7 @@ CURLcode Curl_pretransfer(struct Curl_easy *data)
   if(result)
     return result;
 
+  data->state.wildcardmatch = data->set.wildcard_enabled;
   data->set.followlocation = 0; /* reset the location-follow counter */
   data->state.this_is_a_follow = FALSE; /* reset this */
   data->state.errorbuf = FALSE; /* no error has occurred */
@@ -1401,7 +1402,7 @@ CURLcode Curl_pretransfer(struct Curl_easy *data)
     data->state.authhost.picked &= data->state.authhost.want;
     data->state.authproxy.picked &= data->state.authproxy.want;
 
-    if(data->set.wildcardmatch) {
+    if(data->state.wildcardmatch) {
       struct WildcardData *wc = &data->wildcard;
       if(wc->state < CURLWC_INIT) {
         result = Curl_wildcard_init(wc); /* init wildcard structures */
diff --git a/lib/url.c b/lib/url.c
index 3a913dae88..f793809455 100644
--- a/lib/url.c
+++ b/lib/url.c
@@ -489,12 +489,8 @@ CURLcode Curl_close(struct Curl_easy *data)
     Curl_share_unlock(data, CURL_LOCK_DATA_SHARE);
   }
 
-  if(data->set.wildcardmatch) {
-    /* destruct wildcard structures if it is needed */
-    struct WildcardData *wc = &data->wildcard;
-    Curl_wildcard_dtor(wc);
-  }
-
+  /* destruct wildcard structures if it is needed */
+  Curl_wildcard_dtor(&data->wildcard);
   Curl_freeset(data);
   free(data);
   return CURLE_OK;
@@ -609,7 +605,7 @@ CURLcode Curl_init_userdefined(struct UserDefined *set)
     return result;
 #endif
 
-  set->wildcardmatch  = FALSE;
+  set->wildcard_enabled = FALSE;
   set->chunk_bgn      = ZERO_NULL;
   set->chunk_end      = ZERO_NULL;
 
@@ -2966,7 +2962,7 @@ CURLcode Curl_setopt(struct Curl_easy *data, CURLoption option,
     break;
 
   case CURLOPT_WILDCARDMATCH:
-    data->set.wildcardmatch = (0 != va_arg(param, long)) ? TRUE : FALSE;
+    data->set.wildcard_enabled = (0 != va_arg(param, long)) ? TRUE : FALSE;
     break;
   case CURLOPT_CHUNK_BGN_FUNCTION:
     data->set.chunk_bgn = va_arg(param, curl_chunk_bgn_callback);
@@ -7225,6 +7221,11 @@ CURLcode Curl_init_do(struct Curl_easy *data, struct connectdata *conn)
   data->state.done = FALSE; /* *_done() is not called yet */
   data->state.expect100header = FALSE;
 
+  /* if the protocol used doesn't support wildcards, switch it off */
+  if(data->state.wildcardmatch &&
+     !(conn->handler->flags & PROTOPT_WILDCARD))
+    data->state.wildcardmatch = FALSE;
+
   if(data->set.opt_no_body)
     /* in HTTP lingo, no body means using the HEAD request... */
     data->set.httpreq = HTTPREQ_HEAD;
diff --git a/lib/urldata.h b/lib/urldata.h
index 964999c1fc..30e13a4523 100644
--- a/lib/urldata.h
+++ b/lib/urldata.h
@@ -719,6 +719,7 @@ struct Curl_handler {
 #define PROTOPT_PROXY_AS_HTTP (1<<11) /* allow this non-HTTP scheme over a
                                          HTTP proxy as HTTP proxies may know
                                          this protocol and act as a gateway */
+#define PROTOPT_WILDCARD (1<<12) /* protocol supports wildcard matching */
 
 #define CONNCHECK_NONE 0                 /* No checks */
 #define CONNCHECK_ISDEAD (1<<0)          /* Check if the connection is dead. */
@@ -1308,7 +1309,7 @@ struct UrlState {
 
   /* set after initial USER failure, to prevent an authentication loop */
   bool ftp_trying_alternative;
-
+  bool wildcardmatch; /* enable wildcard matching */
   int httpversion;       /* the lowest HTTP version*10 reported by any server
                             involved in this request */
   bool expect100header;  /* TRUE if we added Expect: 100-continue */
@@ -1672,7 +1673,7 @@ struct UserDefined {
   /* Common RTSP header options */
   Curl_RtspReq rtspreq; /* RTSP request type */
   long rtspversion; /* like httpversion, for RTSP */
-  bool wildcardmatch; /* enable wildcard matching */
+  bool wildcard_enabled; /* enable wildcard matching */
   curl_chunk_bgn_callback chunk_bgn; /* called before part of transfer
                                         starts */
   curl_chunk_end_callback chunk_end; /* called after part transferring