diff --git a/modules/caddyhttp/reverseproxy/client_disconnect_test.go b/modules/caddyhttp/reverseproxy/client_disconnect_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a56478e56
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/caddyhttp/reverseproxy/client_disconnect_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+package reverseproxy
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"sync"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/caddyserver/caddy/v2/modules/caddyhttp"
+)
+
+// TestClientDisconnectRecordsStatus verifies that when the downstream client
+// disconnects (its request context is canceled) before the upstream sends any
+// response headers, the recorded status is 499 ("client closed request")
+// rather than 0.
+func TestClientDisconnectRecordsStatus(t *testing.T) {
+	// backend that blocks until the client goes away, so it never gets
+	// the chance to send response headers
+	gotRequest := make(chan struct{})
+	backend := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		close(gotRequest)
+		<-r.Context().Done()
+	}))
+	defer backend.Close()
+
+	h := minimalHandler(0, &Upstream{
+		Host: new(Host),
+		Dial: backend.Listener.Addr().String(),
+	})
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "http://example.com/", nil).WithContext(ctx)
+	req = prepareTestRequest(req)
+
+	rec := caddyhttp.NewResponseRecorder(httptest.NewRecorder(), nil, nil)
+
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	wg.Add(1)
+	go func() {
+		defer wg.Done()
+		_ = h.ServeHTTP(rec, req, caddyhttp.HandlerFunc(func(http.ResponseWriter, *http.Request) error {
+			return nil
+		}))
+	}()
+
+	<-gotRequest
+	cancel()
+	wg.Wait()
+
+	if got := rec.Status(); got != 499 {
+		t.Errorf("expected status 499 after client disconnect, got %d", got)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/modules/caddyhttp/reverseproxy/reverseproxy.go b/modules/caddyhttp/reverseproxy/reverseproxy.go
index 4f6fdaed2..81a1ef1eb 100644
--- a/modules/caddyhttp/reverseproxy/reverseproxy.go
+++ b/modules/caddyhttp/reverseproxy/reverseproxy.go
@@ -699,9 +699,15 @@ func (h *Handler) proxyLoopIteration(r *http.Request, origReq *http.Request, w h
 
 	// proxy the request to that upstream
 	proxyErr = h.reverseProxy(w, r, origReq, repl, dialInfo, next)
-	if proxyErr == nil || errors.Is(proxyErr, context.Canceled) {
-		// context.Canceled happens when the downstream client
-		// cancels the request, which is not our failure
+	if proxyErr == nil {
+		return true, nil
+	}
+	if errors.Is(proxyErr, context.Canceled) {
+		// context.Canceled happens when the downstream client cancels the
+		// request, which is not our failure; don't retry or ding the upstream.
+		// Record a 499 (client closed request) so the access log reflects the
+		// disconnect instead of a misleading 0 status (see #7396).
+		w.WriteHeader(499)
 		return true, nil
 	}