diff --git a/src/libstore/remote-store.cc b/src/libstore/remote-store.cc
index 2373bbdc7..2ce047acd 100644
--- a/src/libstore/remote-store.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/remote-store.cc
@@ -39,9 +39,7 @@ RemoteStore::RemoteStore(const Params & params)
             },
             [this](const ref<Connection> & r) {
                 return
-                    r->to.good()
-                    && r->from.good()
-                    && std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::seconds>(
+                    std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::seconds>(
                         std::chrono::steady_clock::now() - r->startTime).count() < maxConnectionAge;
             }
             ))
@@ -180,6 +178,10 @@ void RemoteStore::ConnectionHandle::processStderr(Sink * sink, Source * source,
                     m.find("Derive([") != std::string::npos)
                     throw Error("%s, this might be because the daemon is too old to understand dependencies on dynamic derivations. Check to see if the raw derivation is in the form '%s'", std::move(m), "DrvWithVersion(..)");
             }
+            // the daemon can still handle more requests, so the connection itself
+            // is still valid. the current *handle* however should be considered a
+            // lost cause and abandoned entirely.
+            handle.release();
             throw;
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/libutil/serialise.cc b/src/libutil/serialise.cc
index 692144b75..6450a9651 100644
--- a/src/libutil/serialise.cc
+++ b/src/libutil/serialise.cc
@@ -52,18 +52,7 @@ FdSink::~FdSink()
 void FdSink::writeUnbuffered(std::string_view data)
 {
     written += data.size();
-    try {
-        writeFull(fd, data);
-    } catch (SysError & e) {
-        _good = false;
-        throw;
-    }
-}
-
-
-bool FdSink::good()
-{
-    return _good;
+    writeFull(fd, data);
 }
 
 
@@ -128,19 +117,13 @@ size_t FdSource::readUnbuffered(char * data, size_t len)
         checkInterrupt();
         n = ::read(fd, data, len);
     } while (n == -1 && errno == EINTR);
-    if (n == -1) { _good = false; throw SysError("reading from file"); }
-    if (n == 0) { _good = false; throw EndOfFile(std::string(*endOfFileError)); }
+    if (n == -1) { throw SysError("reading from file"); }
+    if (n == 0) { throw EndOfFile(std::string(*endOfFileError)); }
     read += n;
     return n;
 }
 
 
-bool FdSource::good()
-{
-    return _good;
-}
-
-
 size_t StringSource::read(char * data, size_t len)
 {
     if (pos == s.size()) throw EndOfFile("end of string reached");
diff --git a/src/libutil/serialise.hh b/src/libutil/serialise.hh
index d1c791823..e6290a652 100644
--- a/src/libutil/serialise.hh
+++ b/src/libutil/serialise.hh
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ struct Sink
 {
     virtual ~Sink() { }
     virtual void operator () (std::string_view data) = 0;
-    virtual bool good() { return true; }
 };
 
 /**
@@ -80,8 +79,6 @@ struct Source
      */
     virtual size_t read(char * data, size_t len) = 0;
 
-    virtual bool good() { return true; }
-
     void drainInto(Sink & sink);
 
     std::string drain();
@@ -136,11 +133,6 @@ struct FdSink : BufferedSink
     ~FdSink();
 
     void writeUnbuffered(std::string_view data) override;
-
-    bool good() override;
-
-private:
-    bool _good = true;
 };
 
 
@@ -165,11 +157,8 @@ struct FdSource : BufferedSource
         return *this;
     }
 
-    bool good() override;
 protected:
     size_t readUnbuffered(char * data, size_t len) override;
-private:
-    bool _good = true;
 };