diff --git a/lib/_http_client.js b/lib/_http_client.js
index 9cf59c60577cc5..8f18b8181eb6cc 100644
--- a/lib/_http_client.js
+++ b/lib/_http_client.js
@@ -431,8 +431,12 @@ function socketErrorListener(err) {
 
   const parser = socket.parser;
   if (parser) {
-    parser.finish();
-    freeParser(parser, req, socket);
+    // Use process.nextTick() on v12.x since 'error' events might be
+    // emitted synchronously from e.g. a failed write() call on the socket.
+    process.nextTick(() => {
+      parser.finish();
+      freeParser(parser, req, socket);
+    });
   }
 
   // Ensure that no further data will come out of the socket