diff --git a/mongoose.c b/mongoose.c
index 37146b5d..6e4eb3bb 100644
--- a/mongoose.c
+++ b/mongoose.c
@@ -2589,9 +2589,7 @@ void mg_hello(const char *url) {
 
 struct mg_connection *mg_http_connect(struct mg_mgr *mgr, const char *url,
                                       mg_event_handler_t fn, void *fn_data) {
-  struct mg_connection *c = mg_connect(mgr, url, fn, fn_data);
-  if (c != NULL) c->pfn = http_cb;
-  return c;
+  return mg_connect_svc(mgr, url, fn, fn_data, http_cb, NULL);
 }
 
 struct mg_connection *mg_http_listen(struct mg_mgr *mgr, const char *url,
@@ -3858,12 +3856,11 @@ void mg_mqtt_disconnect(struct mg_connection *c,
 struct mg_connection *mg_mqtt_connect(struct mg_mgr *mgr, const char *url,
                                       const struct mg_mqtt_opts *opts,
                                       mg_event_handler_t fn, void *fn_data) {
-  struct mg_connection *c = mg_connect(mgr, url, fn, fn_data);
+  struct mg_connection *c = mg_connect_svc(mgr, url, fn, fn_data, mqtt_cb, NULL);
   if (c != NULL) {
     struct mg_mqtt_opts empty;
     memset(&empty, 0, sizeof(empty));
     mg_mqtt_login(c, opts == NULL ? &empty : opts);
-    c->pfn = mqtt_cb;
   }
   return c;
 }
@@ -4036,8 +4033,8 @@ void mg_close_conn(struct mg_connection *c) {
   mg_free(c);
 }
 
-struct mg_connection *mg_connect(struct mg_mgr *mgr, const char *url,
-                                 mg_event_handler_t fn, void *fn_data) {
+struct mg_connection *mg_connect_svc(struct mg_mgr *mgr, const char *url,
+                                 mg_event_handler_t fn, void *fn_data, mg_event_handler_t pfn, void *pfn_data) {
   struct mg_connection *c = NULL;
   if (url == NULL || url[0] == '\0') {
     MG_ERROR(("null url"));
@@ -4051,6 +4048,8 @@ struct mg_connection *mg_connect(struct mg_mgr *mgr, const char *url,
     c->is_client = true;
     c->fn_data = fn_data;
     c->is_tls = (mg_url_is_ssl(url) != 0);
+    c->pfn = pfn;
+    c->pfn_data = pfn_data;
     mg_call(c, MG_EV_OPEN, (void *) url);
     MG_DEBUG(("%lu %ld %s", c->id, c->fd, url));
     mg_resolve(c, url);
@@ -4058,6 +4057,11 @@ struct mg_connection *mg_connect(struct mg_mgr *mgr, const char *url,
   return c;
 }
 
+struct mg_connection *mg_connect(struct mg_mgr *mgr, const char *url,
+                                 mg_event_handler_t fn, void *fn_data) {
+  return mg_connect_svc(mgr, url, fn, fn_data, NULL, NULL);
+}
+
 struct mg_connection *mg_listen(struct mg_mgr *mgr, const char *url,
                                 mg_event_handler_t fn, void *fn_data) {
   struct mg_connection *c = NULL;
@@ -8596,8 +8600,10 @@ int64_t mg_sntp_parse(const unsigned char *buf, size_t len) {
 static void sntp_cb(struct mg_connection *c, int ev, void *ev_data) {
   uint64_t *expiration_time = (uint64_t *) c->data;
   if (ev == MG_EV_OPEN) {
+    MG_INFO(("%lu PFN OPEN", c->id));
     *expiration_time = mg_millis() + 3000;  // Store expiration time in 3s
   } else if (ev == MG_EV_CONNECT) {
+    MG_INFO(("%lu PFN CONNECT, sending request", c->id));
     mg_sntp_request(c);
   } else if (ev == MG_EV_READ) {
     int64_t milliseconds = mg_sntp_parse(c->recv.buf, c->recv.len);
@@ -8631,14 +8637,9 @@ void mg_sntp_request(struct mg_connection *c) {
 }
 
 struct mg_connection *mg_sntp_connect(struct mg_mgr *mgr, const char *url,
-                                      mg_event_handler_t fn, void *fnd) {
-  struct mg_connection *c = NULL;
+                                      mg_event_handler_t fn, void *fn_data) {
   if (url == NULL) url = "udp://time.google.com:123";
-  if ((c = mg_connect(mgr, url, fn, fnd)) != NULL) {
-    c->pfn = sntp_cb;
-    sntp_cb(c, MG_EV_OPEN, (void *) url);
-  }
-  return c;
+  return mg_connect_svc(mgr, url, fn, fn_data, sntp_cb, NULL);
 }
 
 #ifdef MG_ENABLE_LINES
diff --git a/mongoose.h b/mongoose.h
index d5664389..bf838f89 100644
--- a/mongoose.h
+++ b/mongoose.h
@@ -1593,6 +1593,9 @@ bool mg_wakeup(struct mg_mgr *, unsigned long id, const void *buf, size_t len);
 bool mg_wakeup_init(struct mg_mgr *);
 struct mg_timer *mg_timer_add(struct mg_mgr *mgr, uint64_t milliseconds,
                               unsigned flags, void (*fn)(void *), void *arg);
+struct mg_connection *mg_connect_svc(struct mg_mgr *mgr, const char *url,
+                                     mg_event_handler_t fn, void *fn_data,
+                                     mg_event_handler_t pfn, void *pfn_data);
 
 
 
diff --git a/src/http.c b/src/http.c
index 6f1b1604..ad441ec6 100644
--- a/src/http.c
+++ b/src/http.c
@@ -1148,9 +1148,7 @@ void mg_hello(const char *url) {
 
 struct mg_connection *mg_http_connect(struct mg_mgr *mgr, const char *url,
                                       mg_event_handler_t fn, void *fn_data) {
-  struct mg_connection *c = mg_connect(mgr, url, fn, fn_data);
-  if (c != NULL) c->pfn = http_cb;
-  return c;
+  return mg_connect_svc(mgr, url, fn, fn_data, http_cb, NULL);
 }
 
 struct mg_connection *mg_http_listen(struct mg_mgr *mgr, const char *url,
diff --git a/src/mqtt.c b/src/mqtt.c
index bd35b1ad..6d96f2c0 100644
--- a/src/mqtt.c
+++ b/src/mqtt.c
@@ -529,12 +529,11 @@ void mg_mqtt_disconnect(struct mg_connection *c,
 struct mg_connection *mg_mqtt_connect(struct mg_mgr *mgr, const char *url,
                                       const struct mg_mqtt_opts *opts,
                                       mg_event_handler_t fn, void *fn_data) {
-  struct mg_connection *c = mg_connect(mgr, url, fn, fn_data);
+  struct mg_connection *c = mg_connect_svc(mgr, url, fn, fn_data, mqtt_cb, NULL);
   if (c != NULL) {
     struct mg_mqtt_opts empty;
     memset(&empty, 0, sizeof(empty));
     mg_mqtt_login(c, opts == NULL ? &empty : opts);
-    c->pfn = mqtt_cb;
   }
   return c;
 }
diff --git a/src/net.c b/src/net.c
index d73370fc..fad2a16b 100644
--- a/src/net.c
+++ b/src/net.c
@@ -156,8 +156,8 @@ void mg_close_conn(struct mg_connection *c) {
   mg_free(c);
 }
 
-struct mg_connection *mg_connect(struct mg_mgr *mgr, const char *url,
-                                 mg_event_handler_t fn, void *fn_data) {
+struct mg_connection *mg_connect_svc(struct mg_mgr *mgr, const char *url,
+                                 mg_event_handler_t fn, void *fn_data, mg_event_handler_t pfn, void *pfn_data) {
   struct mg_connection *c = NULL;
   if (url == NULL || url[0] == '\0') {
     MG_ERROR(("null url"));
@@ -171,6 +171,8 @@ struct mg_connection *mg_connect(struct mg_mgr *mgr, const char *url,
     c->is_client = true;
     c->fn_data = fn_data;
     c->is_tls = (mg_url_is_ssl(url) != 0);
+    c->pfn = pfn;
+    c->pfn_data = pfn_data;
     mg_call(c, MG_EV_OPEN, (void *) url);
     MG_DEBUG(("%lu %ld %s", c->id, c->fd, url));
     mg_resolve(c, url);
@@ -178,6 +180,11 @@ struct mg_connection *mg_connect(struct mg_mgr *mgr, const char *url,
   return c;
 }
 
+struct mg_connection *mg_connect(struct mg_mgr *mgr, const char *url,
+                                 mg_event_handler_t fn, void *fn_data) {
+  return mg_connect_svc(mgr, url, fn, fn_data, NULL, NULL);
+}
+
 struct mg_connection *mg_listen(struct mg_mgr *mgr, const char *url,
                                 mg_event_handler_t fn, void *fn_data) {
   struct mg_connection *c = NULL;
diff --git a/src/net.h b/src/net.h
index 2fc5a059..73fe20d9 100644
--- a/src/net.h
+++ b/src/net.h
@@ -105,3 +105,6 @@ bool mg_wakeup(struct mg_mgr *, unsigned long id, const void *buf, size_t len);
 bool mg_wakeup_init(struct mg_mgr *);
 struct mg_timer *mg_timer_add(struct mg_mgr *mgr, uint64_t milliseconds,
                               unsigned flags, void (*fn)(void *), void *arg);
+struct mg_connection *mg_connect_svc(struct mg_mgr *mgr, const char *url,
+                                     mg_event_handler_t fn, void *fn_data,
+                                     mg_event_handler_t pfn, void *pfn_data);
diff --git a/src/sntp.c b/src/sntp.c
index fbbba176..2e22bbc9 100644
--- a/src/sntp.c
+++ b/src/sntp.c
@@ -82,12 +82,7 @@ void mg_sntp_request(struct mg_connection *c) {
 }
 
 struct mg_connection *mg_sntp_connect(struct mg_mgr *mgr, const char *url,
-                                      mg_event_handler_t fn, void *fnd) {
-  struct mg_connection *c = NULL;
+                                      mg_event_handler_t fn, void *fn_data) {
   if (url == NULL) url = "udp://time.google.com:123";
-  if ((c = mg_connect(mgr, url, fn, fnd)) != NULL) {
-    c->pfn = sntp_cb;
-    sntp_cb(c, MG_EV_OPEN, (void *) url);
-  }
-  return c;
+  return mg_connect_svc(mgr, url, fn, fn_data, sntp_cb, NULL);
 }
diff --git a/tutorials/udp/sntp-time-sync/main.c b/tutorials/udp/sntp-time-sync/main.c
index b38650b3..5f38f116 100644
--- a/tutorials/udp/sntp-time-sync/main.c
+++ b/tutorials/udp/sntp-time-sync/main.c
@@ -44,8 +44,11 @@ static void sfn(struct mg_connection *c, int ev, void *ev_data) {
 // Called every 5 seconds. Increase that for production case.
 static void timer_fn(void *arg) {
   struct mg_mgr *mgr = (struct mg_mgr *) arg;
-  if (s_sntp_conn == NULL) s_sntp_conn = mg_sntp_connect(mgr, NULL, sfn, NULL);
-  if (s_sntp_conn != NULL) mg_sntp_request(s_sntp_conn);
+  if (s_sntp_conn == NULL) { // connection issues a request
+    s_sntp_conn = mg_sntp_connect(mgr, NULL, sfn, NULL);
+  } else {
+    mg_sntp_request(s_sntp_conn);
+  }
 }
 
 int main(void) {