diff --git a/src/hls.ts b/src/hls.ts
index db32379ae2d..643672669f6 100644
--- a/src/hls.ts
+++ b/src/hls.ts
@@ -282,16 +282,12 @@ export default class Hls implements HlsEventEmitter {
     this.removeAllListeners();
     this._autoLevelCapping = -1;
     this.url = null;
-    if (this.networkControllers) {
-      this.networkControllers.forEach((component) => component.destroy());
-      // @ts-ignore
-      this.networkControllers = null;
-    }
-    if (this.coreComponents) {
-      this.coreComponents.forEach((component) => component.destroy());
-      // @ts-ignore
-      this.coreComponents = null;
-    }
+
+    this.networkControllers.forEach((component) => component.destroy());
+    this.networkControllers.length = 0;
+
+    this.coreComponents.forEach((component) => component.destroy());
+    this.coreComponents.length = 0;
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/tests/unit/hls.js b/tests/unit/hls.js
index b6dcadbca7d..235750badc5 100644
--- a/tests/unit/hls.js
+++ b/tests/unit/hls.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import Hls from '../../src/hls';
 import { hlsDefaultConfig } from '../../src/config';
+import { expect } from 'chai';
 
 describe('Hls', function () {
   describe('bandwidthEstimate', function () {
@@ -21,4 +22,18 @@ describe('Hls', function () {
       );
     });
   });
+
+  describe('destroy', function () {
+    it('should not crash on stopLoad() after destroy()', function () {
+      const hls = new Hls();
+      hls.destroy();
+      expect(() => hls.stopLoad()).to.not.throw();
+    });
+
+    it('should not crash on startLoad() after destroy()', function () {
+      const hls = new Hls();
+      hls.destroy();
+      expect(() => hls.startLoad()).to.not.throw();
+    });
+  });
 });