diff --git a/lib/internal/webstreams/readablestream.js b/lib/internal/webstreams/readablestream.js
index c7f492033ceaf8..35656216680875 100644
--- a/lib/internal/webstreams/readablestream.js
+++ b/lib/internal/webstreams/readablestream.js
@@ -596,8 +596,6 @@ class ReadableStream {
 
   [kTransferList]() {
     const { port1, port2 } = new MessageChannel();
-    port1.unref();
-    port2.unref();
     this[kState].transfer.port1 = port1;
     this[kState].transfer.port2 = port2;
     return [ port2 ];
diff --git a/lib/internal/webstreams/transfer.js b/lib/internal/webstreams/transfer.js
index c4cb4077f88403..136b0d81a99464 100644
--- a/lib/internal/webstreams/transfer.js
+++ b/lib/internal/webstreams/transfer.js
@@ -143,8 +143,6 @@ class CrossRealmTransformReadableSource {
         error);
       port.close();
     };
-
-    port.unref();
   }
 
   start(controller) {
@@ -212,7 +210,7 @@ class CrossRealmTransformWritableSink {
         error);
       port.close();
     };
-    port.unref();
+
   }
 
   start(controller) {
diff --git a/lib/internal/webstreams/writablestream.js b/lib/internal/webstreams/writablestream.js
index c6f5c22bc7a95e..954bc6c2cc93d8 100644
--- a/lib/internal/webstreams/writablestream.js
+++ b/lib/internal/webstreams/writablestream.js
@@ -266,8 +266,6 @@ class WritableStream {
 
   [kTransferList]() {
     const { port1, port2 } = new MessageChannel();
-    port1.unref();
-    port2.unref();
     this[kState].transfer.port1 = port1;
     this[kState].transfer.port2 = port2;
     return [ port2 ];
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-webstreams-clone-unref.js b/test/parallel/test-webstreams-clone-unref.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 88a9cebd9c3046..00000000000000
--- a/test/parallel/test-webstreams-clone-unref.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-'use strict';
-
-require('../common');
-const { ok } = require('node:assert');
-
-// This test verifies that cloned ReadableStream and WritableStream instances
-// do not keep the process alive. The test fails if it timesout (it should just
-// exit immediately)
-
-const rs1 = new ReadableStream();
-const ws1 = new WritableStream();
-
-const [rs2, ws2] = structuredClone([rs1, ws1], { transfer: [rs1, ws1] });
-
-ok(rs2 instanceof ReadableStream);
-ok(ws2 instanceof WritableStream);
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-whatwg-webstreams-transfer.js b/test/parallel/test-whatwg-webstreams-transfer.js
index 7be01c339652c0..01cfaa02ad075e 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-whatwg-webstreams-transfer.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-whatwg-webstreams-transfer.js
@@ -464,23 +464,12 @@ const theData = 'hello';
       tracker.verify();
     });
 
-    // We create an interval to keep the event loop alive while
-    // we wait for the stream read to complete. The reason this is needed is because there's
-    // otherwise nothing to keep the worker thread event loop alive long enough to actually
-    // complete the read from the stream. Under the covers the ReadableStream uses an
-    // unref'd MessagePort to communicate with the main thread. Because the MessagePort
-    // is unref'd, it's existence would not keep the thread alive on its own. There was previously
-    // a bug where this MessagePort was ref'd which would block the thread and main thread
-    // from terminating at all unless the stream was consumed/closed.
-    const i = setInterval(() => {}, 1000);
-
     parentPort.onmessage = tracker.calls(({ data }) => {
       assert(isReadableStream(data));
       const reader = data.getReader();
       reader.read().then(tracker.calls((result) => {
         assert(!result.done);
         assert(result.value instanceof Uint8Array);
-        clearInterval(i);
       }));
       parentPort.close();
     });