diff --git a/src/lib-smtp/smtp-client-connection.c b/src/lib-smtp/smtp-client-connection.c
index c6e056df59..d177f962e0 100644
--- a/src/lib-smtp/smtp-client-connection.c
+++ b/src/lib-smtp/smtp-client-connection.c
@@ -1824,8 +1824,8 @@ smtp_client_connection_do_create(struct smtp_client *client, const char *name,
 	conn->cap_pool = pool_alloconly_create
 		("smtp client connection capabilities", 128);
 
-	if (set != NULL && set->event != NULL)
-		conn_event = event_create(set->event);
+	if (set != NULL && set->event_parent != NULL)
+		conn_event = event_create(set->event_parent);
 	else
 		conn_event = event_create(client->event);
 	event_set_append_log_prefix(
diff --git a/src/lib-smtp/smtp-client.c b/src/lib-smtp/smtp-client.c
index ac59075f28..41723be4a0 100644
--- a/src/lib-smtp/smtp-client.c
+++ b/src/lib-smtp/smtp-client.c
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ struct smtp_client *smtp_client_init(const struct smtp_client_settings *set)
 
 	/* There is no event log prefix added here, since the client itself does
 	   not log anything and the prefix is protocol-dependent. */
-	client->event = event_create(set->event);
+	client->event = event_create(set->event_parent);
 	event_add_category(client->event, &event_category_smtp_client);
 	event_set_forced_debug(client->event, set->debug);
 
diff --git a/src/lib-smtp/smtp-client.h b/src/lib-smtp/smtp-client.h
index 50f9faa8d7..489cdb44df 100644
--- a/src/lib-smtp/smtp-client.h
+++ b/src/lib-smtp/smtp-client.h
@@ -89,9 +89,10 @@ struct smtp_client_settings {
 	size_t socket_send_buffer_size;
 	size_t socket_recv_buffer_size;
 
-	/* Event to use for the smtp client. For specific transactions this can
-	   be overridden with smtp_client_transaction_set_event(). */
-	struct event *event;
+	/* Event to use as the parent for the smtp client/connection event. For
+	   specific transactions this can be overridden with
+	   smtp_client_transaction_set_event(). */
+	struct event *event_parent;
 
 	/* enable logging debug messages */
 	bool debug;
diff --git a/src/lib-smtp/smtp-submit.c b/src/lib-smtp/smtp-submit.c
index 85b52a2867..81c683b2db 100644
--- a/src/lib-smtp/smtp-submit.c
+++ b/src/lib-smtp/smtp-submit.c
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ smtp_submit_send_host(struct smtp_submit *subm)
 	smtp_set.command_timeout_msecs = set->submission_timeout*1000;
 	smtp_set.debug = set->mail_debug;
 	smtp_set.ssl = &subm->session->ssl_set;
-	smtp_set.event = subm->event;
+	smtp_set.event_parent = subm->event;
 
 	ssl_mode = SMTP_CLIENT_SSL_MODE_NONE;
 	if (set->submission_ssl != NULL) {