diff --git a/src/hci.c b/src/hci.c
index abe2068ba..b12f07e6a 100644
--- a/src/hci.c
+++ b/src/hci.c
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ static void hci_connection_timestamp(hci_connection_t *connection);
 static int  hci_power_control_on(void);
 static void hci_power_control_off(void);
 static void hci_state_reset(void);
-static void hci_emit_connection_complete(hci_connection_t *conn, uint8_t status);
+static void hci_emit_connection_complete(bd_addr_t address, hci_con_handle_t con_handle, uint8_t status);
 static void hci_emit_l2cap_check_timeout(hci_connection_t *conn);
 static void hci_emit_disconnection_complete(hci_con_handle_t con_handle, uint8_t reason);
 static void hci_emit_nr_connections_changed(void);
@@ -2807,7 +2807,7 @@ int hci_send_cmd_packet(uint8_t *packet, int size){
             conn = create_connection_for_bd_addr_and_type(addr, BD_ADDR_TYPE_CLASSIC);
             if (!conn){
                 // notify client that alloc failed
-                hci_emit_connection_complete(conn, BTSTACK_MEMORY_ALLOC_FAILED);
+                hci_emit_connection_complete(addr, 0, BTSTACK_MEMORY_ALLOC_FAILED);
                 return 0; // don't sent packet to controller
             }
             conn->state = SEND_CREATE_CONNECTION;
@@ -2817,7 +2817,7 @@ int hci_send_cmd_packet(uint8_t *packet, int size){
             // if connection active exists
             case OPEN:
                 // and OPEN, emit connection complete command, don't send to controller
-                hci_emit_connection_complete(conn, 0);
+                hci_emit_connection_complete(addr, 0, 0);
                 return 0;
             case SEND_CREATE_CONNECTION:
                 // connection created by hci, e.g. dedicated bonding
@@ -3010,13 +3010,13 @@ void hci_emit_state(void){
     hci_emit_event(event, sizeof(event), 1);
 }
 
-static void hci_emit_connection_complete(hci_connection_t *conn, uint8_t status){
+static void hci_emit_connection_complete(bd_addr_t address, hci_con_handle_t con_handle, uint8_t status){
     uint8_t event[13];
     event[0] = HCI_EVENT_CONNECTION_COMPLETE;
     event[1] = sizeof(event) - 2;
     event[2] = status;
-    little_endian_store_16(event, 3, conn->con_handle);
-    reverse_bd_addr(conn->address, &event[5]);
+    little_endian_store_16(event, 3, con_handle);
+    reverse_bd_addr(address, &event[5]);
     event[11] = 1; // ACL connection
     event[12] = 0; // encryption disabled
     hci_emit_event(event, sizeof(event), 1);