diff --git a/Assets/Mirror/Runtime/NetworkConnection.cs b/Assets/Mirror/Runtime/NetworkConnection.cs
index 09142dcf7..2a0178bb5 100644
--- a/Assets/Mirror/Runtime/NetworkConnection.cs
+++ b/Assets/Mirror/Runtime/NetworkConnection.cs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ public class NetworkConnection : IDisposable
         public string address;
         public float lastMessageTime;
         public NetworkIdentity playerController { get; internal set; }
-        public HashSet<uint> clientOwnedObjects;
+        public HashSet<uint> clientOwnedObjects = new HashSet<uint>();
         public bool logNetworkMessages;
 
         // this is always true for regular connections, false for local
@@ -59,17 +59,14 @@ public void Dispose()
 
         protected virtual void Dispose(bool disposing)
         {
-            if (clientOwnedObjects != null)
+            foreach (uint netId in clientOwnedObjects)
             {
-                foreach (uint netId in clientOwnedObjects)
+                if (NetworkIdentity.spawned.TryGetValue(netId, out NetworkIdentity identity))
                 {
-                    if (NetworkIdentity.spawned.TryGetValue(netId, out NetworkIdentity identity))
-                    {
-                        identity.clientAuthorityOwner = null;
-                    }
+                    identity.clientAuthorityOwner = null;
                 }
             }
-            clientOwnedObjects = null;
+            clientOwnedObjects.Clear();
         }
 
         public void Disconnect()
@@ -278,13 +275,12 @@ public virtual bool TransportSend(int channelId, byte[] bytes, out byte error)
 
         internal void AddOwnedObject(NetworkIdentity obj)
         {
-            clientOwnedObjects = clientOwnedObjects ?? new HashSet<uint>();
             clientOwnedObjects.Add(obj.netId);
         }
 
         internal void RemoveOwnedObject(NetworkIdentity obj)
         {
-            clientOwnedObjects?.Remove(obj.netId);
+            clientOwnedObjects.Remove(obj.netId);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/Assets/Mirror/Runtime/NetworkServer.cs b/Assets/Mirror/Runtime/NetworkServer.cs
index 38a0bb360..973db9c38 100644
--- a/Assets/Mirror/Runtime/NetworkServer.cs
+++ b/Assets/Mirror/Runtime/NetworkServer.cs
@@ -977,15 +977,12 @@ public static void DestroyPlayerForConnection(NetworkConnection conn)
             // so we need null checks for both of them.
             // => destroy what we can destroy.
 
-            if (conn.clientOwnedObjects != null)
+            HashSet<uint> tmp = new HashSet<uint>(conn.clientOwnedObjects);
+            foreach (uint netId in tmp)
             {
-                HashSet<uint> tmp = new HashSet<uint>(conn.clientOwnedObjects);
-                foreach (uint netId in tmp)
+                if (NetworkIdentity.spawned.TryGetValue(netId, out NetworkIdentity identity))
                 {
-                    if (NetworkIdentity.spawned.TryGetValue(netId, out NetworkIdentity identity))
-                    {
-                        Destroy(identity.gameObject);
-                    }
+                    Destroy(identity.gameObject);
                 }
             }