diff --git a/lib/_http_client.js b/lib/_http_client.js
index 956dd8da7ab00f..d6e194963dd854 100644
--- a/lib/_http_client.js
+++ b/lib/_http_client.js
@@ -399,9 +399,6 @@ function socketErrorListener(err) {
     req.emit('error', err);
   }
 
-  // Handle any pending data
-  socket.read();
-
   const parser = socket.parser;
   if (parser) {
     parser.finish();
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-http-client-read-in-error.js b/test/parallel/test-http-client-read-in-error.js
index 73b86b0d7edd62..5e38e49c1f6fde 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-http-client-read-in-error.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-http-client-read-in-error.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 'use strict';
-require('../common');
+const common = require('../common');
 const net = require('net');
 const http = require('http');
 
@@ -37,4 +37,5 @@ http.request({
   agent
 }).once('error', function() {
   console.log('ignore');
+  this.on('data', common.mustNotCall());
 });