diff --git a/lib/internal/streams/destroy.js b/lib/internal/streams/destroy.js
index 510f7a40c8ddd6..7477ec97379ff9 100644
--- a/lib/internal/streams/destroy.js
+++ b/lib/internal/streams/destroy.js
@@ -8,6 +8,20 @@ const { Symbol } = primordials;
 const kDestroy = Symbol('kDestroy');
 const kConstruct = Symbol('kConstruct');
 
+function checkError(err, w, r) {
+  if (err) {
+    // Avoid V8 leak, https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/34103#issuecomment-652002364
+    err.stack;
+
+    if (w && !w.errored) {
+      w.errored = err;
+    }
+    if (r && !r.errored) {
+      r.errored = err;
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 // Backwards compat. cb() is undocumented and unused in core but
 // unfortunately might be used by modules.
 function destroy(err, cb) {
@@ -24,20 +38,10 @@ function destroy(err, cb) {
     return this;
   }
 
-  if (err) {
-    // Avoid V8 leak, https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/34103#issuecomment-652002364
-    err.stack;
-
-    if (w && !w.errored) {
-      w.errored = err;
-    }
-    if (r && !r.errored) {
-      r.errored = err;
-    }
-  }
 
   // We set destroyed to true before firing error callbacks in order
   // to make it re-entrance safe in case destroy() is called within callbacks
+  checkError(err, w, r);
 
   if (w) {
     w.destroyed = true;
@@ -66,17 +70,7 @@ function _destroy(self, err, cb) {
 
     called = true;
 
-    if (err) {
-      // Avoid V8 leak, https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/34103#issuecomment-652002364
-      err.stack;
-
-      if (w && !w.errored) {
-        w.errored = err;
-      }
-      if (r && !r.errored) {
-        r.errored = err;
-      }
-    }
+    checkError(err, w, r);
 
     if (w) {
       w.closed = true;