diff --git a/tools/ocaml/xenstored/connection.ml b/tools/ocaml/xenstored/connection.ml
index d11011e164..37eb2444b9 100644
--- a/tools/ocaml/xenstored/connection.ml
+++ b/tools/ocaml/xenstored/connection.ml
@@ -148,13 +148,11 @@ let mark_as_bad con =
 let initial_next_tid = 1
 
 let do_reconnect con =
+  (* transactions and watches handled by caller *)
   Xenbus.Xb.reconnect con.xb;
   (* dom is the same *)
-  Hashtbl.clear con.transactions;
   con.next_tid <- initial_next_tid;
-  Hashtbl.clear con.watches;
   (* anonid is the same *)
-  con.nb_watches <- 0;
   con.stat_nb_ops <- 0;
   (* perm is the same *)
   ()
diff --git a/tools/ocaml/xenstored/process.ml b/tools/ocaml/xenstored/process.ml
index bc68c54c9a..fc2558ac3d 100644
--- a/tools/ocaml/xenstored/process.ml
+++ b/tools/ocaml/xenstored/process.ml
@@ -345,15 +345,18 @@ let do_isintroduced con _t domains _cons data =
   in
   if domid = Define.domid_self || Domains.exist domains domid then "T\000" else "F\000"
 
-(* only in xen >= 4.2 *)
-let do_reset_watches con _t _domains cons _data =
+let reset_watches_and_transactions cons con =
   Connections.del_watches cons con;
-  Connection.del_transactions con
+  Connection.del_transactions con;
+  History.trim ()
+
+let do_reset_watches con _t _domains cons _data =
+  reset_watches_and_transactions cons con
 
 let do_reconnect cons con =
   let domstr = Connection.get_domstr con in
   info "%s requests a reconnect" domstr;
-  History.trim ();
+  reset_watches_and_transactions cons con;
   Connection.do_reconnect con;
   info "%s reconnection complete" domstr