diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index c24c59b5d..e5d9bde26 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -1,15 +1,19 @@
 language: node_js
+
 node_js:
   - node
-  - io.js
   - 0.12
   - 0.10
-sudo: false
 
-after_script: "npm run test-cov && cat ./coverage/lcov.info | codecov && cat ./coverage/lcov.info | coveralls"
+after_script:
+  - npm run test-cov
+  - cat ./coverage/lcov.info | codecov
+  - cat ./coverage/lcov.info | coveralls
 
 webhooks:
   urls: https://webhooks.gitter.im/e/237280ed4796c19cc626
   on_success: change  # options: [always|never|change] default: always
   on_failure: always  # options: [always|never|change] default: always
   on_start: false     # default: false
+
+sudo: false
diff --git a/request.js b/request.js
index 6310e0a6b..809611d55 100644
--- a/request.js
+++ b/request.js
@@ -749,7 +749,12 @@ Request.prototype.start = function () {
 
   debug('make request', self.uri.href)
 
-  self.req = self.httpModule.request(reqOptions)
+  try {
+    self.req = self.httpModule.request(reqOptions)
+  } catch (err) {
+    self.emit('error', err)
+    return
+  }
 
   if (self.timing) {
     self.startTime = new Date().getTime()
@@ -1389,7 +1394,9 @@ Request.prototype.end = function (chunk) {
   if (!self._started) {
     self.start()
   }
-  self.req.end()
+  if (self.req) {
+    self.req.end()
+  }
 }
 Request.prototype.pause = function () {
   var self = this
diff --git a/tests/test-headers.js b/tests/test-headers.js
index 6ec9dba04..dbd3c4d57 100644
--- a/tests/test-headers.js
+++ b/tests/test-headers.js
@@ -162,6 +162,21 @@ tape('undefined headers', function(t) {
   })
 })
 
+tape('catch invalid characters error', function(t) {
+  request({
+    url: s.url + '/headers.json',
+    headers: {
+      'test': 'אבגד'
+    }
+  }, function(err, res, body) {
+    t.equal(err.message, 'The header content contains invalid characters')
+  })
+  .on('error', function (err) {
+    t.equal(err.message, 'The header content contains invalid characters')
+    t.end()
+  })
+})
+
 tape('cleanup', function(t) {
   s.close(function() {
     t.end()