diff --git a/lib/client-handshake.c b/lib/client-handshake.c
index a95eb52d..b805cd15 100644
--- a/lib/client-handshake.c
+++ b/lib/client-handshake.c
@@ -534,7 +534,7 @@ check_accept:
 	this->fds[this->fds_count++].events = POLLIN;
 
 	wsi->state = WSI_STATE_ESTABLISHED;
-	wsi->client_mode = 1;
+	wsi->mode = LWS_CONNMODE_WS_CLIENT;
 
 	fprintf(stderr, "handshake OK for protocol %s\n", wsi->protocol->name);
 
diff --git a/lib/handshake.c b/lib/handshake.c
index d126809f..ab2f09e6 100644
--- a/lib/handshake.c
+++ b/lib/handshake.c
@@ -463,12 +463,17 @@ libwebsocket_read(struct libwebsocket *wsi, unsigned char * buf, size_t len)
 		fwrite(buf, 1, len, stderr);
 #endif
 
-		if (wsi->client_mode) {
+		switch (wsi->mode) {
+		case LWS_CONNMODE_WS_CLIENT:
 			for (n = 0; n < len; n++)
 				libwebsocket_client_rx_sm(wsi, *buf++);
 
 			return 0;
+		default:
+			break;
 		}
+		
+		/* LWS_CONNMODE_WS_SERVING */
 
 		for (n = 0; n < len; n++)
 			libwebsocket_parse(wsi, *buf++);
@@ -557,13 +562,18 @@ libwebsocket_read(struct libwebsocket *wsi, unsigned char * buf, size_t len)
 		break;
 
 	case WSI_STATE_ESTABLISHED:
-		if (wsi->client_mode) {
+		switch (wsi->mode) {
+		case LWS_CONNMODE_WS_CLIENT:
 			for (n = 0; n < len; n++)
 				libwebsocket_client_rx_sm(wsi, *buf++);
 
 			return 0;
+		default:
+			break;
 		}
 
+		/* LWS_CONNMODE_WS_SERVING */
+
 		if (libwebsocket_interpret_incoming_packet(wsi, buf, len) < 0)
 			goto bail;
 
diff --git a/lib/libwebsockets.c b/lib/libwebsockets.c
index 7f111644..6a74a77f 100644
--- a/lib/libwebsockets.c
+++ b/lib/libwebsockets.c
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ libwebsocket_poll_connections(struct libwebsocket_context *this)
 
 				/* only to clients connected to us */
 
-				if (wsi->client_mode)
+				if (wsi->mode != LWS_CONNMODE_WS_SERVING)
 					continue;
 
 				/*
@@ -223,10 +223,14 @@ libwebsocket_context_destroy(struct libwebsocket_context *this)
 
 	/* close listening skt and per-protocol broadcast sockets */
 	for (client = this->count_protocols + 1; client < this->fds_count; client++)
-		if (this->wsi[client]->client_mode)
-			libwebsocket_client_close(this->wsi[client]);
-		else
+		switch (this->wsi[client]->mode) {
+		case LWS_CONNMODE_WS_SERVING:
 			libwebsocket_close_and_free_session(this->wsi[client]);
+			break;
+		case LWS_CONNMODE_WS_CLIENT:
+			libwebsocket_client_close(this->wsi[client]);
+			break;
+		}
 
 #ifdef LWS_OPENSSL_SUPPORT
 	if (this->ssl_ctx)
@@ -397,7 +401,7 @@ libwebsocket_service(struct libwebsocket_context *this, int timeout_ms)
 		this->wsi[this->fds_count]->sock = fd;
 		this->wsi[this->fds_count]->state = WSI_STATE_HTTP;
 		this->wsi[this->fds_count]->name_buffer_pos = 0;
-		this->wsi[this->fds_count]->client_mode = 0;
+		this->wsi[this->fds_count]->mode = LWS_CONNMODE_WS_SERVING;
 
 		for (n = 0; n < WSI_TOKEN_COUNT; n++) {
 			this->wsi[this->fds_count]->
diff --git a/lib/parsers.c b/lib/parsers.c
index b1c45a0b..304c5743 100644
--- a/lib/parsers.c
+++ b/lib/parsers.c
@@ -1138,7 +1138,8 @@ int libwebsocket_write(struct libwebsocket *wsi, unsigned char *buf,
 	 * Deal with masking if appropriate
 	 */
 
-	if (wsi->client_mode && wsi->ietf_spec_revision == 4) {
+	if (wsi->mode == LWS_CONNMODE_WS_CLIENT &&
+						 wsi->ietf_spec_revision == 4) {
 
 		/*
 		 * this is only useful for security tests where it's required
diff --git a/lib/private-libwebsockets.h b/lib/private-libwebsockets.h
index c2010f94..8028b948 100644
--- a/lib/private-libwebsockets.h
+++ b/lib/private-libwebsockets.h
@@ -182,6 +182,11 @@ struct libwebsocket_context {
 	int count_protocols;
 };
 
+enum connection_mode {
+	LWS_CONNMODE_WS_SERVING,
+	LWS_CONNMODE_WS_CLIENT,
+};
+
 
 /*
  * This is totally opaque to code using the library.  It's exported as a
@@ -222,7 +227,7 @@ struct libwebsocket {
 
 	/* client support */
 	char initial_handshake_hash_base64[30];
-	int client_mode;
+	enum connection_mode mode;
 
 #ifdef LWS_OPENSSL_SUPPORT
 	SSL *ssl;