diff --git a/zuul-core/src/main/java/com/netflix/zuul/netty/connectionpool/DefaultClientChannelManager.java b/zuul-core/src/main/java/com/netflix/zuul/netty/connectionpool/DefaultClientChannelManager.java
index eade417573..199bf6046c 100644
--- a/zuul-core/src/main/java/com/netflix/zuul/netty/connectionpool/DefaultClientChannelManager.java
+++ b/zuul-core/src/main/java/com/netflix/zuul/netty/connectionpool/DefaultClientChannelManager.java
@@ -250,11 +250,7 @@ else if (!conn.isActive()) {
             conn.setInPool(false);
         }
         else {
-            final ChannelPipeline pipeline = conn.getChannel().pipeline();
-            removeHandlerFromPipeline(OriginResponseReceiver.CHANNEL_HANDLER_NAME, pipeline);
-            pipeline.addAfter(PassportStateHttpClientHandler.PASSPORT_STATE_HTTP_CLIENT_HANDLER_NAME, IDLE_STATE_HANDLER_NAME,
-                new IdleStateHandler(0, 0, connPoolConfig.getIdleTimeout(), TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS));
-
+            releaseHandlers(conn);
 
             // Attempt to return connection to the pool.
             IConnectionPool pool = perServerPools.get(conn.getServer());
@@ -275,6 +271,13 @@ else if (!conn.isActive()) {
         return released;
     }
 
+    protected void releaseHandlers(PooledConnection conn) {
+        final ChannelPipeline pipeline = conn.getChannel().pipeline();
+        removeHandlerFromPipeline(OriginResponseReceiver.CHANNEL_HANDLER_NAME, pipeline);
+        pipeline.addAfter(PassportStateHttpClientHandler.PASSPORT_STATE_HTTP_CLIENT_HANDLER_NAME, IDLE_STATE_HANDLER_NAME,
+            new IdleStateHandler(0, 0, connPoolConfig.getIdleTimeout(), TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS));
+    }
+
     public static void removeHandlerFromPipeline(final String handlerName, final ChannelPipeline pipeline) {
         if (pipeline.get(handlerName) != null) {
             pipeline.remove(handlerName);
diff --git a/zuul-core/src/main/java/com/netflix/zuul/netty/connectionpool/PerServerConnectionPool.java b/zuul-core/src/main/java/com/netflix/zuul/netty/connectionpool/PerServerConnectionPool.java
index ea85645e17..3f30c032a7 100644
--- a/zuul-core/src/main/java/com/netflix/zuul/netty/connectionpool/PerServerConnectionPool.java
+++ b/zuul-core/src/main/java/com/netflix/zuul/netty/connectionpool/PerServerConnectionPool.java
@@ -143,12 +143,16 @@ private void onAcquire(final PooledConnection conn, String httpMethod, String ur
                            int attemptNum, CurrentPassport passport)
     {
         passport.setOnChannel(conn.getChannel());
-        DefaultClientChannelManager.removeHandlerFromPipeline(DefaultClientChannelManager.IDLE_STATE_HANDLER_NAME, conn.getChannel().pipeline());
+        removeIdleStateHandler(conn);
 
         conn.setInUse();
         if (LOG.isDebugEnabled()) LOG.debug("PooledConnection acquired: " + conn.toString());
     }
 
+    protected void removeIdleStateHandler(PooledConnection conn) {
+        DefaultClientChannelManager.removeHandlerFromPipeline(DefaultClientChannelManager.IDLE_STATE_HANDLER_NAME, conn.getChannel().pipeline());
+    }
+
     @Override
     public Promise<PooledConnection> acquire(EventLoop eventLoop, Object key, String httpMethod, String uri,
                                              int attemptNum, CurrentPassport passport,
@@ -186,8 +190,10 @@ public PooledConnection tryGettingFromConnectionPool(EventLoop eventLoop)
 
             conn.setInPool(false);
 
+            initConnection(conn);
+
             /* Check that the connection is still open. */
-            if ((conn.isActive() && conn.getChannel().isOpen())) {
+            if (isValidFromPool(conn)) {
                 reuseConnCounter.increment();
                 connsInUse.incrementAndGet();
                 connsInPool.decrementAndGet();
@@ -202,6 +208,14 @@ public PooledConnection tryGettingFromConnectionPool(EventLoop eventLoop)
         return null;
     }
 
+    protected boolean isValidFromPool(PooledConnection conn) {
+        return conn.isActive() && conn.getChannel().isOpen();
+    }
+
+    protected void initConnection(PooledConnection conn) {
+        // custom init code
+    }
+
     protected Deque<PooledConnection> getPoolForEventLoop(EventLoop eventLoop)
     {
         // We don't want to block under any circumstances, so can't use CHM.computeIfAbsent().
diff --git a/zuul-core/src/main/java/com/netflix/zuul/netty/connectionpool/PooledConnection.java b/zuul-core/src/main/java/com/netflix/zuul/netty/connectionpool/PooledConnection.java
index a5363e1b1c..0256813743 100644
--- a/zuul-core/src/main/java/com/netflix/zuul/netty/connectionpool/PooledConnection.java
+++ b/zuul-core/src/main/java/com/netflix/zuul/netty/connectionpool/PooledConnection.java
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
  */
 public class PooledConnection {
 
-    private static final AttributeKey<PooledConnection> CHANNEL_ATTR = AttributeKey.newInstance("_pooled_connection");
+    protected static final AttributeKey<PooledConnection> CHANNEL_ATTR = AttributeKey.newInstance("_pooled_connection");
     public static final String READ_TIMEOUT_HANDLER_NAME = "readTimeoutHandler";
 
     private final Server server;