diff --git a/request.js b/request.js
index 0162f4455..198b76093 100644
--- a/request.js
+++ b/request.js
@@ -828,8 +828,7 @@ Request.prototype.start = function () {
       if (isConnecting) {
         var onReqSockConnect = function () {
           socket.removeListener('connect', onReqSockConnect)
-          clearTimeout(self.timeoutTimer)
-          self.timeoutTimer = null
+          self.clearTimeout()
           setReqTimeout()
         }
 
@@ -874,10 +873,7 @@ Request.prototype.onRequestError = function (error) {
     self.req.end()
     return
   }
-  if (self.timeout && self.timeoutTimer) {
-    clearTimeout(self.timeoutTimer)
-    self.timeoutTimer = null
-  }
+  self.clearTimeout()
   self.emit('error', error)
 }
 
@@ -964,10 +960,7 @@ Request.prototype.onRequestResponse = function (response) {
   if (self.setHost) {
     self.removeHeader('host')
   }
-  if (self.timeout && self.timeoutTimer) {
-    clearTimeout(self.timeoutTimer)
-    self.timeoutTimer = null
-  }
+  self.clearTimeout()
 
   var targetCookieJar = (self._jar && self._jar.setCookie) ? self._jar : globalCookieJar
   var addCookie = function (cookie) {
@@ -1172,6 +1165,7 @@ Request.prototype.abort = function () {
     self.response.destroy()
   }
 
+  self.clearTimeout()
   self.emit('abort')
 }
 
@@ -1532,6 +1526,7 @@ Request.prototype.resume = function () {
 }
 Request.prototype.destroy = function () {
   var self = this
+  this.clearTimeout()
   if (!self._ended) {
     self.end()
   } else if (self.response) {
@@ -1539,6 +1534,13 @@ Request.prototype.destroy = function () {
   }
 }
 
+Request.prototype.clearTimeout = function () {
+  if (this.timeoutTimer) {
+    clearTimeout(this.timeoutTimer)
+    this.timeoutTimer = null
+  }
+}
+
 Request.defaultProxyHeaderWhiteList =
   Tunnel.defaultProxyHeaderWhiteList.slice()
 
diff --git a/tests/test-timeout.js b/tests/test-timeout.js
index 2ab0639c4..c87775d3c 100644
--- a/tests/test-timeout.js
+++ b/tests/test-timeout.js
@@ -244,6 +244,15 @@ tape('request timeout with keep-alive connection', function (t) {
   })
 })
 
+tape('calling abort clears the timeout', function (t) {
+  const req = request({ url: s.url + '/timeout', timeout: 2500 })
+  setTimeout(function () {
+    req.abort()
+    t.equal(req.timeoutTimer, null)
+    t.end()
+  }, 5)
+})
+
 tape('cleanup', function (t) {
   s.close(function () {
     t.end()