diff --git a/lib/api/readable.js b/lib/api/readable.js
index 5269dfae50c..473e3ac38e0 100644
--- a/lib/api/readable.js
+++ b/lib/api/readable.js
@@ -62,6 +62,18 @@ module.exports = class BodyReadable extends Readable {
     return super.destroy(err)
   }
 
+  _destroy (err, callback) {
+    // Workaround for Node "bug". If the stream is destroyed in same
+    // tick as it is created, then a user who is waiting for a
+    // promise (i.e micro tick) for installing a 'error' listener will
+    // never get a chance and will always encounter an unhandled exception.
+    // - tick => process.nextTick(fn)
+    // - micro tick => queueMicrotask(fn)
+    queueMicrotask(() => {
+      callback(err)
+    })
+  }
+
   emit (ev, ...args) {
     if (ev === 'data') {
       // Node < 16.7
@@ -166,7 +178,7 @@ module.exports = class BodyReadable extends Readable {
       }
     }
 
-    if (this.closed) {
+    if (this._readableState.closeEmitted) {
       return Promise.resolve(null)
     }
 
@@ -210,10 +222,6 @@ function isUnusable (self) {
 }
 
 async function consume (stream, type) {
-  if (isUnusable(stream)) {
-    throw new TypeError('unusable')
-  }
-
   assert(!stream[kConsume])
 
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
@@ -226,17 +234,32 @@ async function consume (stream, type) {
       body: []
     }
 
-    stream
-      .on('error', function (err) {
-        consumeFinish(this[kConsume], err)
-      })
-      .on('close', function () {
-        if (this[kConsume].body !== null) {
-          consumeFinish(this[kConsume], new RequestAbortedError())
-        }
-      })
+    if (isUnusable(stream)) {
+      const rState = stream._readableState
+      if (rState.destroyed && rState.closeEmitted === false) {
+        stream
+          .on('error', err => {
+            reject(err)
+          })
+          .on('close', () => {
+            reject(new TypeError('unusable'))
+          })
+      } else {
+        reject(new TypeError('unusable'))
+      }
+    } else {
+      stream
+        .on('error', function (err) {
+          consumeFinish(this[kConsume], err)
+        })
+        .on('close', function () {
+          if (this[kConsume].body !== null) {
+            consumeFinish(this[kConsume], new RequestAbortedError())
+          }
+        })
 
-    process.nextTick(consumeStart, stream[kConsume])
+      queueMicrotask(() => consumeStart(stream[kConsume]))
+    }
   })
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/client.js b/lib/client.js
index af16fd16d3e..2fec533faf1 100644
--- a/lib/client.js
+++ b/lib/client.js
@@ -1963,12 +1963,19 @@ function writeStream ({ h2stream, body, client, request, socket, contentLength,
       body.resume()
     }
   }
-  const onAbort = function () {
-    if (finished) {
-      return
+  const onClose = function () {
+    // 'close' might be emitted *before* 'error' for
+    // broken streams. Wait a tick to avoid this case.
+    queueMicrotask(() => {
+      // It's only safe to remove 'error' listener after
+      // 'close'.
+      body.removeListener('error', onFinished)
+    })
+
+    if (!finished) {
+      const err = new RequestAbortedError()
+      queueMicrotask(() => onFinished(err))
     }
-    const err = new RequestAbortedError()
-    queueMicrotask(() => onFinished(err))
   }
   const onFinished = function (err) {
     if (finished) {
@@ -1986,8 +1993,7 @@ function writeStream ({ h2stream, body, client, request, socket, contentLength,
     body
       .removeListener('data', onData)
       .removeListener('end', onFinished)
-      .removeListener('error', onFinished)
-      .removeListener('close', onAbort)
+      .removeListener('close', onClose)
 
     if (!err) {
       try {
@@ -2010,7 +2016,7 @@ function writeStream ({ h2stream, body, client, request, socket, contentLength,
     .on('data', onData)
     .on('end', onFinished)
     .on('error', onFinished)
-    .on('close', onAbort)
+    .on('close', onClose)
 
   if (body.resume) {
     body.resume()
diff --git a/test/readable.test.js b/test/readable.test.js
index 3f4f7939f94..535ecb66baa 100644
--- a/test/readable.test.js
+++ b/test/readable.test.js
@@ -21,3 +21,40 @@ test('avoid body reordering', async function (t) {
 
   t.equal(text, 'helloworld')
 })
+
+test('destroy timing text', async function (t) {
+  t.plan(1)
+
+  function resume () {
+  }
+  function abort () {
+  }
+  const _err = new Error('kaboom')
+  const r = new Readable({ resume, abort })
+  r.destroy(_err)
+  try {
+    await r.text()
+  } catch (err) {
+    t.same(err, _err)
+  }
+})
+
+test('destroy timing promise', async function (t) {
+  t.plan(1)
+
+  function resume () {
+  }
+  function abort () {
+  }
+  const r = await new Promise(resolve => {
+    const r = new Readable({ resume, abort })
+    r.destroy(new Error('kaboom'))
+    resolve(r)
+  })
+  await new Promise(resolve => {
+    r.on('error', err => {
+      t.ok(err)
+      resolve(null)
+    })
+  })
+})