diff --git a/modules/http/http_request.c b/modules/http/http_request.c
index d5de0a676f..f208936f2f 100644
--- a/modules/http/http_request.c
+++ b/modules/http/http_request.c
@@ -263,6 +263,10 @@ static void process_request_internal(request_rec *r)
         return;
     }
 
+    if (r->proto_num > HTTP_VERSION(1,0) && apr_table_get(r->subprocess_env, "downgrade-1.0")) {
+        r->proto_num = HTTP_VERSION(1,0);
+    }
+
     if (!r->proxyreq) {
 	/*
 	 * We don't want TRACE to run through the normal handler set, we
@@ -277,10 +281,6 @@ static void process_request_internal(request_rec *r)
 	}
     }
 
-    if (r->proto_num > HTTP_VERSION(1,0) && apr_table_get(r->subprocess_env, "downgrade-1.0")) {
-        r->proto_num = HTTP_VERSION(1,0);
-    }
-
     /*
      * NB: directory_walk() clears the per_dir_config, so we don't inherit
      * from location_walk() above