diff --git a/src/openvpn/dco.h b/src/openvpn/dco.h
index 35ceace..ed194cc 100644
--- a/src/openvpn/dco.h
+++ b/src/openvpn/dco.h
@@ -231,17 +231,20 @@
 /**
  * Update traffic statistics for all peers
  *
- * @param dco   DCO device context
- * @param m     the server context
+ * @param dco                   DCO device context
+ * @param m                     the server context
+ * @param raise_sigusr1_on_err  whether to raise SIGUSR1 on error
  **/
-int dco_get_peer_stats_multi(dco_context_t *dco, struct multi_context *m);
+int dco_get_peer_stats_multi(dco_context_t *dco, struct multi_context *m,
+                             const bool raise_sigusr1_on_err);
 
 /**
  * Update traffic statistics for single peer
  *
- * @param c   instance context of the peer
+ * @param c                     instance context of the peer
+ * @param raise_sigusr1_on_err  whether to raise SIGUSR1 on error
  **/
-int dco_get_peer_stats(struct context *c);
+int dco_get_peer_stats(struct context *c, const bool raise_sigusr1_on_err);
 
 /**
  * Retrieve the list of ciphers supported by the current platform
@@ -373,13 +376,14 @@
 }
 
 static inline int
-dco_get_peer_stats_multi(dco_context_t *dco, struct multi_context *m)
+dco_get_peer_stats_multi(dco_context_t *dco, struct multi_context *m,
+                         const bool raise_sigusr1_on_err)
 {
     return 0;
 }
 
 static inline int
-dco_get_peer_stats(struct context *c)
+dco_get_peer_stats(struct context *c, const bool raise_sigusr1_on_err)
 {
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/openvpn/dco_freebsd.c b/src/openvpn/dco_freebsd.c
index 0e536de..b8816c6 100644
--- a/src/openvpn/dco_freebsd.c
+++ b/src/openvpn/dco_freebsd.c
@@ -713,7 +713,8 @@
 }
 
 int
-dco_get_peer_stats_multi(dco_context_t *dco, struct multi_context *m)
+dco_get_peer_stats_multi(dco_context_t *dco, struct multi_context *m,
+                         const bool raise_sigusr1_on_err)
 {
 
     struct ifdrv drv;
@@ -781,7 +782,7 @@
 }
 
 int
-dco_get_peer_stats(struct context *c)
+dco_get_peer_stats(struct context *c, const bool raise_sigusr1_on_err)
 {
     /* Not implemented. */
     return 0;
diff --git a/src/openvpn/dco_linux.c b/src/openvpn/dco_linux.c
index 68c1a8d..b0a85fd 100644
--- a/src/openvpn/dco_linux.c
+++ b/src/openvpn/dco_linux.c
@@ -952,7 +952,8 @@
 }
 
 int
-dco_get_peer_stats_multi(dco_context_t *dco, struct multi_context *m)
+dco_get_peer_stats_multi(dco_context_t *dco, struct multi_context *m,
+                         const bool raise_sigusr1_on_err)
 {
     msg(D_DCO_DEBUG, "%s", __func__);
 
@@ -963,6 +964,14 @@
     int ret = ovpn_nl_msg_send(dco, nl_msg, dco_parse_peer_multi, m, __func__);
 
     nlmsg_free(nl_msg);
+
+    if (raise_sigusr1_on_err && ret < 0)
+    {
+        msg(M_WARN, "Error retrieving DCO peer stats: the underlying DCO peer"
+            "may have been deleted from the kernel without notifying "
+            "userspace. Restarting the session");
+        register_signal(m->top.sig, SIGUSR1, "dco peer stats error");
+    }
     return ret;
 }
 
@@ -1008,9 +1017,14 @@
 }
 
 int
-dco_get_peer_stats(struct context *c)
+dco_get_peer_stats(struct context *c, const bool raise_sigusr1_on_err)
 {
-    uint32_t peer_id = c->c2.tls_multi->dco_peer_id;
+    int peer_id = c->c2.tls_multi->dco_peer_id;
+    if (peer_id == -1)
+    {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
     msg(D_DCO_DEBUG, "%s: peer-id %d", __func__, peer_id);
 
     if (!c->c1.tuntap)
@@ -1030,6 +1044,14 @@
 
 nla_put_failure:
     nlmsg_free(nl_msg);
+
+    if (raise_sigusr1_on_err && ret < 0)
+    {
+        msg(M_WARN, "Error retrieving DCO peer stats: the underlying DCO peer"
+            "may have been deleted from the kernel without notifying "
+            "userspace. Restarting the session");
+        register_signal(c->sig, SIGUSR1, "dco peer stats error");
+    }
     return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/openvpn/dco_win.c b/src/openvpn/dco_win.c
index 45cb919..8b47124 100644
--- a/src/openvpn/dco_win.c
+++ b/src/openvpn/dco_win.c
@@ -712,14 +712,15 @@
 }
 
 int
-dco_get_peer_stats_multi(dco_context_t *dco, struct multi_context *m)
+dco_get_peer_stats_multi(dco_context_t *dco, struct multi_context *m,
+                         const bool raise_sigusr1_on_err)
 {
     /* Not implemented. */
     return 0;
 }
 
 int
-dco_get_peer_stats(struct context *c)
+dco_get_peer_stats(struct context *c, const bool raise_sigusr1_on_err)
 {
     struct tuntap *tt = c->c1.tuntap;
 
diff --git a/src/openvpn/forward.c b/src/openvpn/forward.c
index 8b94469..d5c5f87 100644
--- a/src/openvpn/forward.c
+++ b/src/openvpn/forward.c
@@ -488,16 +488,14 @@
 static void
 check_inactivity_timeout(struct context *c)
 {
-    if (dco_enabled(&c->options) && dco_get_peer_stats(c) == 0)
+    if (dco_enabled(&c->options) && dco_get_peer_stats(c, true) == 0)
     {
         int64_t tot_bytes = c->c2.tun_read_bytes + c->c2.tun_write_bytes;
         int64_t new_bytes = tot_bytes - c->c2.inactivity_bytes;
-
         if (new_bytes > c->options.inactivity_minimum_bytes)
         {
             c->c2.inactivity_bytes = tot_bytes;
             event_timeout_reset(&c->c2.inactivity_interval);
-
             return;
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/openvpn/manage.c b/src/openvpn/manage.c
index 484042a..0e73942 100644
--- a/src/openvpn/manage.c
+++ b/src/openvpn/manage.c
@@ -4146,8 +4146,13 @@
         counter_type dco_read_bytes = 0;
         counter_type dco_write_bytes = 0;
 
-        if (dco_enabled(&c->options) && (dco_get_peer_stats(c) == 0))
+        if (dco_enabled(&c->options))
         {
+            if (dco_get_peer_stats(c, true) < 0)
+            {
+                return;
+            }
+
             dco_read_bytes = c->c2.dco_read_bytes;
             dco_write_bytes = c->c2.dco_write_bytes;
         }
@@ -4166,7 +4171,8 @@
 void
 man_persist_client_stats(struct management *man, struct context *c)
 {
-    if (dco_enabled(&c->options) && (dco_get_peer_stats(c) == 0))
+    /* no need to raise SIGUSR1 since we are already closing the instance */
+    if (dco_enabled(&c->options) && (dco_get_peer_stats(c, false) == 0))
     {
         management_bytes_client(man, c->c2.dco_read_bytes, c->c2.dco_write_bytes);
     }
diff --git a/src/openvpn/multi.c b/src/openvpn/multi.c
index 7ab9289..65d7ce9 100644
--- a/src/openvpn/multi.c
+++ b/src/openvpn/multi.c
@@ -549,7 +549,10 @@
 {
     if (dco_enabled(&m->top.options))
     {
-        dco_get_peer_stats_multi(&m->top.c1.tuntap->dco, m);
+        if (dco_get_peer_stats_multi(&m->top.c1.tuntap->dco, m, false) < 0)
+        {
+            return;
+        }
     }
 
     setenv_counter(c->c2.es, "bytes_received", c->c2.link_read_bytes + c->c2.dco_read_bytes);
@@ -856,7 +859,10 @@
 
         if (dco_enabled(&m->top.options))
         {
-            dco_get_peer_stats_multi(&m->top.c1.tuntap->dco, m);
+            if (dco_get_peer_stats_multi(&m->top.c1.tuntap->dco, m, true) < 0)
+            {
+                return;
+            }
         }
 
         if (version == 1)
diff --git a/src/openvpn/sig.c b/src/openvpn/sig.c
index 8323f0d..b0f8935 100644
--- a/src/openvpn/sig.c
+++ b/src/openvpn/sig.c
@@ -489,7 +489,10 @@
 
     if (dco_enabled(&c->options))
     {
-        dco_get_peer_stats(c);
+        if (dco_get_peer_stats(c, true) < 0)
+        {
+            return;
+        }
     }
 
     status_printf(so, "OpenVPN STATISTICS");