diff --git a/test/parallel/test-http-client-timeout-agent.js b/test/parallel/test-http-client-timeout-agent.js
index 2779c21394ae44..bf00649edd6a25 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-http-client-timeout-agent.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-http-client-timeout-agent.js
@@ -91,6 +91,6 @@ server.listen(0, options.host, function() {
 
 process.on('exit', function() {
   console.error(`done=${requests_done} sent=${requests_sent}`);
-  assert.strictEqual(requests_done, requests_sent,
-                     'timeout on http request called too much');
+  // check that timeout on http request was not called too much
+  assert.strictEqual(requests_done, requests_sent);
 });