diff --git a/lib/net_legacy.js b/lib/net_legacy.js
index 4221aa11461..3e451b7a3a3 100644
--- a/lib/net_legacy.js
+++ b/lib/net_legacy.js
@@ -728,7 +728,13 @@ Socket.prototype.connect = function() {
     // TCP
     require('dns').lookup(host, function(err, ip, addressType) {
       if (err) {
-        self.emit('error', err);
+        // net.createConnection() creates a net.Socket object and
+        // immediately calls net.Socket.connect() on it (that's us).
+        // There are no event listeners registered yet so defer the
+        // error event to the next tick.
+        process.nextTick(function() {
+          self.emit('error', err);
+        });
       } else {
         timers.active(self);
         self.type = addressType == 4 ? 'tcp4' : 'tcp6';
diff --git a/lib/net_uv.js b/lib/net_uv.js
index 80d709fa4dc..1da43bce5da 100644
--- a/lib/net_uv.js
+++ b/lib/net_uv.js
@@ -449,7 +449,13 @@ Socket.prototype.connect = function(port /* [host], [cb] */) {
     debug("connect: find host " + host);
     require('dns').lookup(host, function(err, ip, addressType) {
       if (err) {
-        self.emit('error', err);
+        // net.createConnection() creates a net.Socket object and
+        // immediately calls net.Socket.connect() on it (that's us).
+        // There are no event listeners registered yet so defer the
+        // error event to the next tick.
+        process.nextTick(function() {
+          self.emit('error', err);
+        });
       } else {
         timers.active(self);