diff --git a/src/xpra/client/client_base.py b/src/xpra/client/client_base.py
index b23cc5ec84..4b984ea669 100644
--- a/src/xpra/client/client_base.py
+++ b/src/xpra/client/client_base.py
@@ -196,7 +196,6 @@ def setup_connection(self, conn):
     def init_packet_handlers(self):
         self._packet_handlers = {
             "hello"             : self._process_hello,
-            "query-printers"    : self._process_query_printers,
             "send-file"         : self._process_send_file,
             }
         self._ui_packet_handlers = {
@@ -522,11 +521,43 @@ def server_connection_established(self):
         if not self.parse_encryption_capabilities():
             log("server_connection_established() failed encryption capabilities")
             return False
+        self.parse_printing_capabilities()
         log("server_connection_established() adding authenticated packet handlers")
         self.init_authenticated_packet_handlers()
         return True
 
 
+    def parse_printing_capabilities(self):
+        if self.printing:
+            if self.server_capabilities.boolget("printing"):
+                try:
+                    self.send_printers()
+                except Exception:
+                    log.warn("failed to send printers", exc_info=True)
+
+    def send_printers(self):
+        from xpra.platform.printing import get_printers
+        printers = get_printers()
+        printlog("send_printers() found printers=%s", printers)
+        #remove xpra forwarded ones to avoid loops and multi-forwards:
+        exported_printers = {}
+        for k,v in printers.items():
+            device_uri = v.get("device-uri", "")
+            if device_uri:
+                printlog("send_printers: device-uri(%s)=%s", k, device_uri)
+                if device_uri.startswith("xpraforwarder"):
+                    printlog("process_query_printers skipping xpra forwarded printer=%s", k)
+                    continue
+            state = v.get("printer-state")
+            if state==5:
+                printlog("send_printers skipping stopped printer=%s", k)
+                continue
+            #"3" if the destination is idle, "4" if the destination is printing a job, and "5" if the destination is stopped.
+            exported_printers[k.encode("utf8")] = v
+        printlog("send_printers() exported printers=%s", ", ".join(str(x) for x in exported_printers.keys()))
+        self.send("printers", exported_printers)
+                
+
     def parse_version_capabilities(self):
         c = self.server_capabilities
         self._remote_machine_id = c.strget("machine_id")
@@ -578,29 +609,6 @@ def _process_set_deflate(self, packet):
         pass
 
 
-    def _process_query_printers(self, packet):
-        from xpra.platform.printing import get_printers
-        printers = get_printers()
-        printlog("process_query_printers(%s) found printers=%s", packet, printers)
-        #remove xpra forwarded ones to avoid loops and multi-forwards:
-        exported_printers = {}
-        for k,v in printers.items():
-            device_uri = v.get("device-uri", "")
-            if device_uri:
-                printlog("process_query_printers: device-uri(%s)=%s", k, device_uri)
-                if device_uri.startswith("xpraforwarder"):
-                    printlog("process_query_printers skipping xpra forwarded printer=%s", k)
-                    continue
-            state = v.get("printer-state")
-            if state==5:
-                printlog("process_query_printers skipping stopped printer=%s", k)
-                continue
-            #"3" if the destination is idle, "4" if the destination is printing a job, and "5" if the destination is stopped.
-            exported_printers[k.encode("utf8")] = v
-        printlog("process_query_printers(%s) exported printers=%s", packet, ", ".join(str(x) for x in exported_printers.keys()))
-        self.send("printers", exported_printers)
-
-
     def _process_send_file(self, packet):
         #send-file basefilename, printit, openit, filesize, 0, data)
         from xpra.platform.features import DOWNLOAD_PATH
diff --git a/src/xpra/server/server_base.py b/src/xpra/server/server_base.py
index 7a1f92f59b..88690f34b3 100644
--- a/src/xpra/server/server_base.py
+++ b/src/xpra/server/server_base.py
@@ -836,9 +836,6 @@ def do_parse_hello_ui(self, ss, c, auth_caps, send_ui, share_count):
             # now we can set the modifiers to match the client
             self.send_windows_and_cursors(ss, share_count>0)
 
-            if self.printing and ss.printing:
-                ss.query_printers()
-
         ss.startup_complete()
         self.server_event("startup-complete", ss.uuid)
 
diff --git a/src/xpra/server/source.py b/src/xpra/server/source.py
index 281cf7e160..88709c5b3d 100644
--- a/src/xpra/server/source.py
+++ b/src/xpra/server/source.py
@@ -753,12 +753,6 @@ def parse_proxy_video(self):
                     self.video_helper.add_encoder_spec(encoding, colorspace, spec)
 
 
-    def query_printers(self):
-        assert self.printing
-        if self.machine_id!=get_machine_id() or ADD_LOCAL_PRINTERS:
-            self.send("query-printers")
-
-
     def startup_complete(self):
         log("startup_complete()")
         if self.notify_startup_complete: