diff --git a/gst/rtsp-server/rtsp-client.c b/gst/rtsp-server/rtsp-client.c
index e1e5338cc1..deb2ab3403 100644
--- a/gst/rtsp-server/rtsp-client.c
+++ b/gst/rtsp-server/rtsp-client.c
@@ -416,6 +416,11 @@ client_unwatch_session (GstRTSPClient * client, GstRTSPSession * session,
     priv->session_removed_id = 0;
   }
 
+  if (!priv->drop_backlog) {
+    /* unlink all media managed in this session */
+    gst_rtsp_session_filter (session, filter_session_media, client);
+  }
+
   /* remove the session */
   g_object_unref (session);
 }
@@ -425,10 +430,13 @@ cleanup_session (GstRTSPClient * client, GstRTSPSession * sess,
     gpointer user_data)
 {
   gboolean *closed = user_data;
+  GstRTSPClientPrivate *priv = client->priv;
 
-  /* unlink all media managed in this session. This needs to happen
-   * without the client lock, so we really want to do it here. */
-  gst_rtsp_session_filter (sess, filter_session_media, user_data);
+  if (priv->drop_backlog) {
+    /* unlink all media managed in this session. This needs to happen
+     * without the client lock, so we really want to do it here. */
+    gst_rtsp_session_filter (sess, filter_session_media, user_data);
+  }
 
   if (*closed)
     return GST_RTSP_FILTER_REMOVE;