diff --git a/lib/c-hyper.c b/lib/c-hyper.c
index 14b20be5d..7c735da71 100644
--- a/lib/c-hyper.c
+++ b/lib/c-hyper.c
@@ -541,8 +541,7 @@ static int uploadstreamed(void *userdata, hyper_context *ctx,
   size_t fillcount;
   struct Curl_easy *data = (struct Curl_easy *)userdata;
   CURLcode result =
-    Curl_fillreadbuffer(data->conn, data->set.upload_buffer_size,
-                        &fillcount);
+    Curl_fillreadbuffer(data, data->set.upload_buffer_size, &fillcount);
   (void)ctx;
   if(result)
     return HYPER_POLL_ERROR;
diff --git a/lib/file.c b/lib/file.c
index 509e4836f..a90dc4b8e 100644
--- a/lib/file.c
+++ b/lib/file.c
@@ -301,8 +301,7 @@ static CURLcode file_upload(struct Curl_easy *data)
     size_t nread;
     size_t nwrite;
     size_t readcount;
-    result = Curl_fillreadbuffer(data->conn, data->set.buffer_size,
-                                 &readcount);
+    result = Curl_fillreadbuffer(data, data->set.buffer_size, &readcount);
     if(result)
       break;
 
diff --git a/lib/http.c b/lib/http.c
index 520ac1070..83484d3af 100644
--- a/lib/http.c
+++ b/lib/http.c
@@ -555,7 +555,7 @@ static CURLcode http_perhapsrewind(struct Curl_easy *data,
 
   if(bytessent)
     /* we rewind now at once since if we already sent something */
-    return Curl_readrewind(conn);
+    return Curl_readrewind(data);
 
   return CURLE_OK;
 }
diff --git a/lib/multi.c b/lib/multi.c
index 5d4d45073..57c2ae8c0 100644
--- a/lib/multi.c
+++ b/lib/multi.c
@@ -1947,7 +1947,7 @@ static CURLMcode multi_runsingle(struct Curl_multi *multi,
           followtype follow = FOLLOW_NONE;
           CURLcode drc;
 
-          drc = Curl_retry_request(data->conn, &newurl);
+          drc = Curl_retry_request(data, &newurl);
           if(drc) {
             /* a failure here pretty much implies an out of memory */
             result = drc;
@@ -2154,7 +2154,7 @@ static CURLMcode multi_runsingle(struct Curl_multi *multi,
          * condition and the server closed the re-used connection exactly when
          * we wanted to use it, so figure out if that is indeed the case.
          */
-        CURLcode ret = Curl_retry_request(data->conn, &newurl);
+        CURLcode ret = Curl_retry_request(data, &newurl);
         if(!ret)
           retry = (newurl)?TRUE:FALSE;
         else if(!result)
@@ -2169,7 +2169,7 @@ static CURLMcode multi_runsingle(struct Curl_multi *multi,
       }
       else if((CURLE_HTTP2_STREAM == result) &&
               Curl_h2_http_1_1_error(data->conn)) {
-        CURLcode ret = Curl_retry_request(data->conn, &newurl);
+        CURLcode ret = Curl_retry_request(data, &newurl);
 
         if(!ret) {
           infof(data, "Downgrades to HTTP/1.1!\n");
diff --git a/lib/smb.c b/lib/smb.c
index 6af9b3ac2..dd4e4fdbf 100644
--- a/lib/smb.c
+++ b/lib/smb.c
@@ -631,7 +631,7 @@ static CURLcode smb_send_and_recv(struct Curl_easy *data, void **msg)
       data->set.upload_buffer_size :
       smbc->upload_size;
     data->req.upload_fromhere = data->state.ulbuf;
-    result = Curl_fillreadbuffer(conn, nread, &nread);
+    result = Curl_fillreadbuffer(data, nread, &nread);
     if(result && result != CURLE_AGAIN)
       return result;
     if(!nread)
diff --git a/lib/tftp.c b/lib/tftp.c
index 0eee4ef88..b4bf129dd 100644
--- a/lib/tftp.c
+++ b/lib/tftp.c
@@ -799,8 +799,7 @@ static CURLcode tftp_tx(struct tftp_state_data *state, tftp_event_t event)
     state->sbytes = 0;
     state->data->req.upload_fromhere = (char *)state->spacket.data + 4;
     do {
-      result = Curl_fillreadbuffer(data->conn, state->blksize - state->sbytes,
-                                   &cb);
+      result = Curl_fillreadbuffer(data, state->blksize - state->sbytes, &cb);
       if(result)
         return result;
       state->sbytes += (int)cb;
diff --git a/lib/transfer.c b/lib/transfer.c
index ce5acfbc9..a8aa02c02 100644
--- a/lib/transfer.c
+++ b/lib/transfer.c
@@ -153,10 +153,9 @@ static size_t trailers_left(void *raw)
  * This function will call the read callback to fill our buffer with data
  * to upload.
  */
-CURLcode Curl_fillreadbuffer(struct connectdata *conn, size_t bytes,
+CURLcode Curl_fillreadbuffer(struct Curl_easy *data, size_t bytes,
                              size_t *nreadp)
 {
-  struct Curl_easy *data = conn->data;
   size_t buffersize = bytes;
   size_t nread;
 
@@ -253,7 +252,7 @@ CURLcode Curl_fillreadbuffer(struct connectdata *conn, size_t bytes,
   if(nread == CURL_READFUNC_PAUSE) {
     struct SingleRequest *k = &data->req;
 
-    if(conn->handler->flags & PROTOPT_NONETWORK) {
+    if(data->conn->handler->flags & PROTOPT_NONETWORK) {
       /* protocols that work without network cannot be paused. This is
          actually only FILE:// just now, and it can't pause since the transfer
          isn't done using the "normal" procedure. */
@@ -409,9 +408,9 @@ CURLcode Curl_fillreadbuffer(struct connectdata *conn, size_t bytes,
  * POST/PUT with multi-pass authentication when a sending was denied and a
  * resend is necessary.
  */
-CURLcode Curl_readrewind(struct connectdata *conn)
+CURLcode Curl_readrewind(struct Curl_easy *data)
 {
-  struct Curl_easy *data = conn->data;
+  struct connectdata *conn = data->conn;
   curl_mimepart *mimepart = &data->set.mimepost;
 
   conn->bits.rewindaftersend = FALSE; /* we rewind now */
@@ -762,8 +761,7 @@ static CURLcode readwrite_data(struct Curl_easy *data,
 
           dataleft = conn->chunk.dataleft;
           if(dataleft != 0) {
-            infof(conn->data, "Leftovers after chunking: %zu bytes\n",
-                  dataleft);
+            infof(data, "Leftovers after chunking: %zu bytes\n", dataleft);
           }
         }
         /* If it returned OK, we just keep going */
@@ -830,7 +828,7 @@ static CURLcode readwrite_data(struct Curl_easy *data,
              in http_chunks.c.
              Make sure that ALL_CONTENT_ENCODINGS contains all the
              encodings handled here. */
-          if(conn->data->set.http_ce_skip || !k->writer_stack) {
+          if(data->set.http_ce_skip || !k->writer_stack) {
             if(!k->ignorebody) {
 #ifndef CURL_DISABLE_POP3
               if(conn->handler->protocol & PROTO_FAMILY_POP3)
@@ -914,7 +912,7 @@ CURLcode Curl_done_sending(struct Curl_easy *data,
   Curl_quic_done_sending(data);
 
   if(conn->bits.rewindaftersend) {
-    CURLcode result = Curl_readrewind(conn);
+    CURLcode result = Curl_readrewind(data);
     if(result)
       return result;
   }
@@ -1002,7 +1000,7 @@ static CURLcode readwrite_upload(struct Curl_easy *data,
             sending_http_headers = FALSE;
         }
 
-        result = Curl_fillreadbuffer(conn, data->set.upload_buffer_size,
+        result = Curl_fillreadbuffer(data, data->set.upload_buffer_size,
                                      &fillcount);
         if(result)
           return result;
@@ -1195,7 +1193,7 @@ CURLcode Curl_readwrite(struct connectdata *conn,
   else
     fd_write = CURL_SOCKET_BAD;
 
-  if(conn->data->state.drain) {
+  if(data->state.drain) {
     select_res |= CURL_CSELECT_IN;
     DEBUGF(infof(data, "Curl_readwrite: forcibly told to drain data\n"));
   }
@@ -1748,10 +1746,9 @@ CURLcode Curl_follow(struct Curl_easy *data,
 /* Returns CURLE_OK *and* sets '*url' if a request retry is wanted.
 
    NOTE: that the *url is malloc()ed. */
-CURLcode Curl_retry_request(struct connectdata *conn,
-                            char **url)
+CURLcode Curl_retry_request(struct Curl_easy *data, char **url)
 {
-  struct Curl_easy *data = conn->data;
+  struct connectdata *conn = data->conn;
   bool retry = FALSE;
   *url = NULL;
 
@@ -1781,7 +1778,7 @@ CURLcode Curl_retry_request(struct connectdata *conn,
        to issue again, but the nghttp2 API can deliver the message to other
        streams as well, which is why this adds the check the data counters
        too. */
-    infof(conn->data, "REFUSED_STREAM, retrying a fresh connect\n");
+    infof(data, "REFUSED_STREAM, retrying a fresh connect\n");
     data->state.refused_stream = FALSE; /* clear again */
     retry = TRUE;
   }
@@ -1793,9 +1790,9 @@ CURLcode Curl_retry_request(struct connectdata *conn,
       data->state.retrycount = 0;
       return CURLE_SEND_ERROR;
     }
-    infof(conn->data, "Connection died, retrying a fresh connect\
+    infof(data, "Connection died, retrying a fresh connect\
 (retry count: %d)\n", data->state.retrycount);
-    *url = strdup(conn->data->change.url);
+    *url = strdup(data->change.url);
     if(!*url)
       return CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
 
@@ -1809,7 +1806,7 @@ CURLcode Curl_retry_request(struct connectdata *conn,
 
     if(conn->handler->protocol&PROTO_FAMILY_HTTP) {
       if(data->req.writebytecount) {
-        CURLcode result = Curl_readrewind(conn);
+        CURLcode result = Curl_readrewind(data);
         if(result) {
           Curl_safefree(*url);
           return result;
diff --git a/lib/transfer.h b/lib/transfer.h
index fbcdcb9d0..0fa3d55e8 100644
--- a/lib/transfer.h
+++ b/lib/transfer.h
@@ -47,10 +47,10 @@ CURLcode Curl_readwrite(struct connectdata *conn,
                         bool *comeback);
 int Curl_single_getsock(struct Curl_easy *data,
                         struct connectdata *conn, curl_socket_t *socks);
-CURLcode Curl_readrewind(struct connectdata *conn);
-CURLcode Curl_fillreadbuffer(struct connectdata *conn, size_t bytes,
+CURLcode Curl_readrewind(struct Curl_easy *data);
+CURLcode Curl_fillreadbuffer(struct Curl_easy *data, size_t bytes,
                              size_t *nreadp);
-CURLcode Curl_retry_request(struct connectdata *conn, char **url);
+CURLcode Curl_retry_request(struct Curl_easy *data, char **url);
 bool Curl_meets_timecondition(struct Curl_easy *data, time_t timeofdoc);
 CURLcode Curl_get_upload_buffer(struct Curl_easy *data);