diff --git a/lib/_stream_readable.js b/lib/_stream_readable.js
index 3534557ab4644a..1e041f2c2c0df9 100644
--- a/lib/_stream_readable.js
+++ b/lib/_stream_readable.js
@@ -563,16 +563,38 @@ function maybeReadMore(stream, state) {
 }
 
 function maybeReadMore_(stream, state) {
-  var len = state.length;
+  // Attempt to read more data if we should.
+  //
+  // The conditions for reading more data are (one of):
+  // - Not enough data buffered (state.length < state.highWaterMark). The loop
+  //   is responsible for filling the buffer with enough data if such data
+  //   is available. If highWaterMark is 0 and we are not in the flowing mode
+  //   we should _not_ attempt to buffer any extra data. We'll get more data
+  //   when the stream consumer calls read() instead.
+  // - No data in the buffer, and the stream is in flowing mode. In this mode
+  //   the loop below is responsible for ensuring read() is called. Failing to
+  //   call read here would abort the flow and there's no other mechanism for
+  //   continuing the flow if the stream consumer has just subscribed to the
+  //   'data' event.
+  //
+  // In addition to the above conditions to keep reading data, the following
+  // conditions prevent the data from being read:
+  // - The stream has ended (state.ended).
+  // - There is already a pending 'read' operation (state.reading). This is a
+  //   case where the the stream has called the implementation defined _read()
+  //   method, but they are processing the call asynchronously and have _not_
+  //   called push() with new data. In this case we skip performing more
+  //   read()s. The execution ends in this method again after the _read() ends
+  //   up calling push() with more data.
   while (!state.reading && !state.ended &&
-         state.length < state.highWaterMark) {
+         (state.length < state.highWaterMark ||
+          (state.flowing && state.length === 0))) {
+    const len = state.length;
     debug('maybeReadMore read 0');
     stream.read(0);
     if (len === state.length)
       // didn't get any data, stop spinning.
       break;
-    else
-      len = state.length;
   }
   state.readingMore = false;
 }
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-stream-readable-hwm-0-async.js b/test/parallel/test-stream-readable-hwm-0-async.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..866b524893d530
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/parallel/test-stream-readable-hwm-0-async.js
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const common = require('../common');
+
+// This test ensures that Readable stream will continue to call _read
+// for streams with highWaterMark === 0 once the stream returns data
+// by calling push() asynchronously.
+
+const { Readable } = require('stream');
+
+let count = 5;
+
+const r = new Readable({
+  // Called 6 times: First 5 return data, last one signals end of stream.
+  read: common.mustCall(() => {
+    process.nextTick(common.mustCall(() => {
+      if (count--)
+        r.push('a');
+      else
+        r.push(null);
+    }));
+  }, 6),
+  highWaterMark: 0,
+});
+
+r.on('end', common.mustCall());
+r.on('data', common.mustCall(5));
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-stream-readable-hwm-0-no-flow-data.js b/test/parallel/test-stream-readable-hwm-0-no-flow-data.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..5f0186d720dd63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/parallel/test-stream-readable-hwm-0-no-flow-data.js
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const common = require('../common');
+
+// Ensure that subscribing the 'data' event will not make the stream flow.
+// The 'data' event will require calling read() by hand.
+//
+// The test is written for the (somewhat rare) highWaterMark: 0 streams to
+// specifically catch any regressions that might occur with these streams.
+
+const assert = require('assert');
+const { Readable } = require('stream');
+
+const streamData = [ 'a', null ];
+
+// Track the calls so we can assert their order later.
+const calls = [];
+const r = new Readable({
+  read: common.mustCall(() => {
+    calls.push('_read:' + streamData[0]);
+    process.nextTick(() => {
+      calls.push('push:' + streamData[0]);
+      r.push(streamData.shift());
+    });
+  }, streamData.length),
+  highWaterMark: 0,
+
+  // Object mode is used here just for testing convenience. It really
+  // shouldn't affect the order of events. Just the data and its format.
+  objectMode: true,
+});
+
+assert.strictEqual(r.readableFlowing, null);
+r.on('readable', common.mustCall(() => {
+  calls.push('readable');
+}, 2));
+assert.strictEqual(r.readableFlowing, false);
+r.on('data', common.mustCall((data) => {
+  calls.push('data:' + data);
+}, 1));
+r.on('end', common.mustCall(() => {
+  calls.push('end');
+}));
+assert.strictEqual(r.readableFlowing, false);
+
+// The stream emits the events asynchronously but that's not guaranteed to
+// happen on the next tick (especially since the _read implementation above
+// uses process.nextTick).
+//
+// We use setImmediate here to give the stream enough time to emit all the
+// events it's about to emit.
+setImmediate(() => {
+
+  // Only the _read, push, readable calls have happened. No data must be
+  // emitted yet.
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(calls, ['_read:a', 'push:a', 'readable']);
+
+  // Calling 'r.read()' should trigger the data event.
+  assert.strictEqual(r.read(), 'a');
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(
+    calls,
+    ['_read:a', 'push:a', 'readable', 'data:a']);
+
+  // The next 'read()' will return null because hwm: 0 does not buffer any
+  // data and the _read implementation above does the push() asynchronously.
+  //
+  // Note: This 'null' signals "no data available". It isn't the end-of-stream
+  // null value as the stream doesn't know yet that it is about to reach the
+  // end.
+  //
+  // Using setImmediate again to give the stream enough time to emit all the
+  // events it wants to emit.
+  assert.strictEqual(r.read(), null);
+  setImmediate(() => {
+
+    // There's a new 'readable' event after the data has been pushed.
+    // The 'end' event will be emitted only after a 'read()'.
+    //
+    // This is somewhat special for the case where the '_read' implementation
+    // calls 'push' asynchronously. If 'push' was synchronous, the 'end' event
+    // would be emitted here _before_ we call read().
+    assert.deepStrictEqual(
+      calls,
+      ['_read:a', 'push:a', 'readable', 'data:a',
+       '_read:null', 'push:null', 'readable']);
+
+    assert.strictEqual(r.read(), null);
+
+    // While it isn't really specified whether the 'end' event should happen
+    // synchronously with read() or not, we'll assert the current behavior
+    // ('end' event happening on the next tick after read()) so any changes
+    // to it are noted and acknowledged in the future.
+    assert.deepStrictEqual(
+      calls,
+      ['_read:a', 'push:a', 'readable', 'data:a',
+       '_read:null', 'push:null', 'readable']);
+    process.nextTick(() => {
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(
+        calls,
+        ['_read:a', 'push:a', 'readable', 'data:a',
+         '_read:null', 'push:null', 'readable', 'end']);
+    });
+  });
+});