diff --git a/plugins/in_forward/fw.c b/plugins/in_forward/fw.c
index 20c3946b5ff..1b4b3436e9d 100644
--- a/plugins/in_forward/fw.c
+++ b/plugins/in_forward/fw.c
@@ -383,8 +383,25 @@ static void in_fw_pause(void *data, struct flb_config *config)
 }
 
 static void in_fw_resume(void *data, struct flb_config *config) {
+    struct flb_connection   *connection;
+    struct fw_conn          *conn;
     struct flb_in_fw_config *ctx = data;
     if (config->is_running == FLB_TRUE) {
+        connection = flb_downstream_conn_get(ctx->downstream);
+
+        if (connection == NULL) {
+            flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "could not accept new connection");
+
+            return;
+        }
+        conn = fw_conn_add(connection, ctx);
+
+        if (!conn) {
+            flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "could not add connection");
+
+            return;
+        }
+
         ctx->is_paused = FLB_FALSE;
         flb_input_collector_resume(ctx->coll_fd, ctx->ins);
     }