diff --git a/src/http/ngx_http_upstream.c b/src/http/ngx_http_upstream.c
index 925824366..ffb09a91f 100644
--- a/src/http/ngx_http_upstream.c
+++ b/src/http/ngx_http_upstream.c
@@ -597,10 +597,6 @@ ngx_http_upstream_init_request(ngx_http_request_t *r)
                 u->cache_status = NGX_HTTP_CACHE_MISS;
                 u->request_sent = 1;
             }
-
-            if (ngx_http_upstream_cache_background_update(r, u) != NGX_OK) {
-                rc = NGX_ERROR;
-            }
         }
 
         if (rc != NGX_DECLINED) {
@@ -902,9 +898,14 @@ ngx_http_upstream_cache(ngx_http_request_t *r, ngx_http_upstream_t *u)
              || c->stale_updating) && !r->background
             && u->conf->cache_background_update)
         {
-            r->cache->background = 1;
-            u->cache_status = rc;
-            rc = NGX_OK;
+            if (ngx_http_upstream_cache_background_update(r, u) == NGX_OK) {
+                r->cache->background = 1;
+                u->cache_status = rc;
+                rc = NGX_OK;
+
+            } else {
+                rc = NGX_ERROR;
+            }
         }
 
         break;
@@ -1106,10 +1107,6 @@ ngx_http_upstream_cache_background_update(ngx_http_request_t *r,
 {
     ngx_http_request_t  *sr;
 
-    if (!r->cached || !r->cache->background) {
-        return NGX_OK;
-    }
-
     if (r == r->main) {
         r->preserve_body = 1;
     }