diff --git a/lib/net.js b/lib/net.js
index bfafb915379fc3..ba67c3d2efaad9 100644
--- a/lib/net.js
+++ b/lib/net.js
@@ -396,13 +396,15 @@ Socket.prototype.setTimeout = function(msecs, callback) {
 
 
 Socket.prototype._onTimeout = function() {
-  // `.prevWriteQueueSize` !== `.updateWriteQueueSize()` means there is
-  // an active write in progress, so we suppress the timeout.
-  const prevWriteQueueSize = this._handle.writeQueueSize;
-  if (prevWriteQueueSize > 0 &&
-      prevWriteQueueSize !== this._handle.updateWriteQueueSize()) {
-    this._unrefTimer();
-    return;
+  if (this._handle) {
+    // `.prevWriteQueueSize` !== `.updateWriteQueueSize()` means there is
+    // an active write in progress, so we suppress the timeout.
+    const prevWriteQueueSize = this._handle.writeQueueSize;
+    if (prevWriteQueueSize > 0 &&
+        prevWriteQueueSize !== this._handle.updateWriteQueueSize()) {
+      this._unrefTimer();
+      return;
+    }
   }
   debug('_onTimeout');
   this.emit('timeout');
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-net-timeout-no-handle.js b/test/parallel/test-net-timeout-no-handle.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..539f661cae8414
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/parallel/test-net-timeout-no-handle.js
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const common = require('../common');
+const net = require('net');
+const assert = require('assert');
+
+const socket = new net.Socket();
+socket.setTimeout(common.platformTimeout(50));
+
+socket.on('timeout', common.mustCall(() => {
+  assert.strictEqual(socket._handle, null);
+}));
+
+socket.on('connect', common.mustNotCall());
+
+// since the timeout is unrefed, the code will exit without this
+setTimeout(() => {}, common.platformTimeout(200));