diff --git a/lib/connect.c b/lib/connect.c
index f86c31d4d5..284726ae31 100644
--- a/lib/connect.c
+++ b/lib/connect.c
@@ -1247,24 +1247,6 @@ curl_socket_t Curl_getconnectinfo(struct Curl_easy *data,
       /* only store this if the caller cares for it */
       *connp = c;
     sockfd = c->sock[FIRSTSOCKET];
-    /* we have a socket connected, let's determine if the server shut down */
-    /* determine if ssl */
-    if(c->ssl[FIRSTSOCKET].use) {
-      /* use the SSL context */
-      if(!Curl_ssl_check_cxn(c))
-        return CURL_SOCKET_BAD;   /* FIN received */
-    }
-/* Minix 3.1 doesn't support any flags on recv; just assume socket is OK */
-#ifdef MSG_PEEK
-    else if(sockfd != CURL_SOCKET_BAD) {
-      /* use the socket */
-      char buf;
-      if(recv((RECV_TYPE_ARG1)sockfd, (RECV_TYPE_ARG2)&buf,
-              (RECV_TYPE_ARG3)1, (RECV_TYPE_ARG4)MSG_PEEK) == 0) {
-        return CURL_SOCKET_BAD;   /* FIN received */
-      }
-    }
-#endif
   }
   else
     return CURL_SOCKET_BAD;
@@ -1272,6 +1254,33 @@ curl_socket_t Curl_getconnectinfo(struct Curl_easy *data,
   return sockfd;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Check if a connection seems to be alive.
+ */
+bool Curl_connalive(struct connectdata *conn)
+{
+  /* First determine if ssl */
+  if(conn->ssl[FIRSTSOCKET].use) {
+    /* use the SSL context */
+    if(!Curl_ssl_check_cxn(conn))
+      return false;   /* FIN received */
+  }
+/* Minix 3.1 doesn't support any flags on recv; just assume socket is OK */
+#ifdef MSG_PEEK
+  else if(conn->sock[FIRSTSOCKET] == CURL_SOCKET_BAD)
+    return false;
+  else {
+    /* use the socket */
+    char buf;
+    if(recv((RECV_TYPE_ARG1)conn->sock[FIRSTSOCKET], (RECV_TYPE_ARG2)&buf,
+            (RECV_TYPE_ARG3)1, (RECV_TYPE_ARG4)MSG_PEEK) == 0) {
+      return false;   /* FIN received */
+    }
+  }
+#endif
+  return true;
+}
+
 /*
  * Close a socket.
  *
diff --git a/lib/connect.h b/lib/connect.h
index 5e48eb6446..e01d1b35ee 100644
--- a/lib/connect.h
+++ b/lib/connect.h
@@ -52,6 +52,11 @@ time_t Curl_timeleft(struct Curl_easy *data,
 curl_socket_t Curl_getconnectinfo(struct Curl_easy *data,
                                   struct connectdata **connp);
 
+/*
+ * Check if a connection seems to be alive.
+ */
+bool Curl_connalive(struct connectdata *conn);
+
 #ifdef USE_WINSOCK
 /* When you run a program that uses the Windows Sockets API, you may
    experience slow performance when you copy data to a TCP server.
diff --git a/lib/rtsp.c b/lib/rtsp.c
index c8484c44b2..65c6c3b05d 100644
--- a/lib/rtsp.c
+++ b/lib/rtsp.c
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ static CURLcode rtsp_setup_connection(struct connectdata *conn)
  * want to block the application forever while receiving a stream. Therefore,
  * we cannot assume that an RTSP socket is dead just because it is readable.
  *
- * Instead, if it is readable, run Curl_getconnectinfo() to peek at the socket
+ * Instead, if it is readable, run Curl_connalive() to peek at the socket
  * and distinguish between closed and data.
  */
 bool Curl_rtsp_connisdead(struct connectdata *check)
@@ -157,12 +157,9 @@ bool Curl_rtsp_connisdead(struct connectdata *check)
     /* socket is in an error state */
     ret_val = TRUE;
   }
-  else if((sval & CURL_CSELECT_IN) && check->data) {
-    /* readable with no error. could be closed or could be alive but we can
-       only check if we have a proper Curl_easy for the connection */
-    curl_socket_t connectinfo = Curl_getconnectinfo(check->data, &check);
-    if(connectinfo != CURL_SOCKET_BAD)
-      ret_val = FALSE;
+  else if(sval & CURL_CSELECT_IN) {
+    /* readable with no error. could still be closed */
+    ret_val = !Curl_connalive(check);
   }
 
   return ret_val;