diff --git a/lib/http.js b/lib/http.js
index 2019514645e..d286fa8e848 100644
--- a/lib/http.js
+++ b/lib/http.js
@@ -1296,12 +1296,14 @@ ClientRequest.prototype.onSocket = function(socket) {
     // Setup 'drain' propogation.
     httpSocketSetup(socket);
 
-    var errorListener = function(err) {
+    function errorListener(err) {
       debug('HTTP SOCKET ERROR: ' + err.message + '\n' + err.stack);
-      req.emit('error', err);
-      // For Safety. Some additional errors might fire later on
-      // and we need to make sure we don't double-fire the error event.
-      req._hadError = true;
+      if (req) {
+        req.emit('error', err);
+        // For Safety. Some additional errors might fire later on
+        // and we need to make sure we don't double-fire the error event.
+        req._hadError = true;
+      }
       if (parser) {
         parser.finish();
         freeParser(parser, req);
@@ -1515,7 +1517,6 @@ ClientRequest.prototype.setTimeout = function(msecs, callback) {
   var self = this;
   function emitTimeout() {
     self.emit('timeout');
-    self.destroy(new Error('timeout'));
   }
 
   if (this.socket && this.socket.writable) {
diff --git a/lib/module.js b/lib/module.js
index f6f6285fb61..bbab6b9e669 100644
--- a/lib/module.js
+++ b/lib/module.js
@@ -305,11 +305,16 @@ Module._load = function(request, parent, isMain) {
   }
 
   Module._cache[filename] = module;
+
+  var hadException = true;
+
   try {
     module.load(filename);
-  } catch (err) {
-    delete Module._cache[filename];
-    throw err;
+    hadException = false;
+  } finally {
+    if (hadException) {
+      delete Module._cache[filename];
+    }
   }
 
   return module.exports;
diff --git a/src/node.cc b/src/node.cc
index 5afeb55fafd..556fd0d8e3a 100644
--- a/src/node.cc
+++ b/src/node.cc
@@ -90,7 +90,6 @@ extern char **environ;
 
 namespace node {
 
-
 static Persistent<Object> process;
 
 static Persistent<String> errno_symbol;
@@ -256,9 +255,7 @@ static void Spin(uv_idle_t* handle, int status) {
   Tick();
 }
 
-
-static Handle<Value> NeedTickCallback(const Arguments& args) {
-  HandleScope scope;
+static void StartTickSpinner() {
   need_tick_cb = true;
   // TODO: this tick_spinner shouldn't be necessary. An ev_prepare should be
   // sufficent, the problem is only in the case of the very last "tick" -
@@ -269,9 +266,12 @@ static Handle<Value> NeedTickCallback(const Arguments& args) {
     uv_idle_start(&tick_spinner, Spin);
     uv_ref(uv_default_loop());
   }
-  return Undefined();
 }
 
+static Handle<Value> NeedTickCallback(const Arguments& args) {
+  StartTickSpinner();
+  return Undefined();
+}
 
 static void PrepareTick(uv_prepare_t* handle, int status) {
   assert(handle == &prepare_tick_watcher);
@@ -1834,11 +1834,15 @@ void FatalException(TryCatch &try_catch) {
 
   TryCatch event_try_catch;
   emit->Call(process, 2, event_argv);
+
   if (event_try_catch.HasCaught()) {
     // the uncaught exception event threw, so we must exit.
     ReportException(event_try_catch, true);
     exit(1);
   }
+
+  // This makes sure uncaught exceptions don't interfere with process.nextTick
+  StartTickSpinner();
 }
 
 
@@ -2288,7 +2292,6 @@ void Load(Handle<Object> process_l) {
   // source code.)
 
   // The node.js file returns a function 'f'
-
   atexit(AtExit);
 
   TryCatch try_catch;
diff --git a/src/node.js b/src/node.js
index bbda8c80cc6..5f2dd87bda2 100644
--- a/src/node.js
+++ b/src/node.js
@@ -219,35 +219,27 @@
 
   startup.processNextTick = function() {
     var nextTickQueue = [];
+    var nextTickIndex = 0;
 
     process._tickCallback = function() {
-      var l = nextTickQueue.length;
-      if (l === 0) return;
+      var nextTickLength = nextTickQueue.length;
+      if (nextTickLength === 0) return;
 
-      var q = nextTickQueue;
-      nextTickQueue = [];
-
-      try {
-        for (var i = 0; i < l; i++) {
-          var tock = q[i];
-          var callback = tock.callback;
-          if (tock.domain) {
-            if (tock.domain._disposed) continue;
-            tock.domain.enter();
-          }
-          callback();
-          if (tock.domain) tock.domain.exit();
+      while (nextTickIndex < nextTickLength) {
+        var tock = nextTickQueue[nextTickIndex++];
+        var callback = tock.callback;
+        if (tock.domain) {
+          if (tock.domain._disposed) continue;
+          tock.domain.enter();
+        }
+        callback();
+        if (tock.domain) {
+          tock.domain.exit();
         }
       }
-      catch (e) {
-        if (i + 1 < l) {
-          nextTickQueue = q.slice(i + 1).concat(nextTickQueue);
-        }
-        if (nextTickQueue.length) {
-          process._needTickCallback();
-        }
-        throw e; // process.nextTick error, or 'error' event on first tick
-      }
+
+      nextTickQueue.splice(0, nextTickIndex);
+      nextTickIndex = 0;
     };
 
     process.nextTick = function(callback) {
diff --git a/test/message/stack_overflow.out b/test/message/stack_overflow.out
index f09f10bb5ac..72dc019ff1a 100644
--- a/test/message/stack_overflow.out
+++ b/test/message/stack_overflow.out
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 before
 
-node.js:*
-        throw e; // process.nextTick error, or 'error' event on first tick
-              ^
+*test*message*stack_overflow.js:31
+function stackOverflow() {
+                      ^
 RangeError: Maximum call stack size exceeded
diff --git a/test/message/throw_custom_error.out b/test/message/throw_custom_error.out
index 357afdb76b6..e8c9903a3ab 100644
--- a/test/message/throw_custom_error.out
+++ b/test/message/throw_custom_error.out
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 before
 
-node.js:*
-        throw e; // process.nextTick error, or 'error' event on first tick
-              ^
+*test*message*throw_custom_error.js:31
+throw ({ name: 'MyCustomError', message: 'This is a custom message' });
+^
 MyCustomError: This is a custom message
diff --git a/test/message/throw_non_error.out b/test/message/throw_non_error.out
index 477b13cd8aa..23e3d928e83 100644
--- a/test/message/throw_non_error.out
+++ b/test/message/throw_non_error.out
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 before
 
-node.js:*
-        throw e; // process.nextTick error, or 'error' event on first tick
-              ^
+*/test/message/throw_non_error.js:31
+throw ({ foo: 'bar' });
+^
 [object Object]
diff --git a/test/message/undefined_reference_in_new_context.out b/test/message/undefined_reference_in_new_context.out
index a32a4d3a2b8..fc8c13eb59f 100644
--- a/test/message/undefined_reference_in_new_context.out
+++ b/test/message/undefined_reference_in_new_context.out
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 before
 
-node.js:*
-        throw e; // process.nextTick error, or 'error' event on first tick
-              ^
+*test*message*undefined_reference_in_new_context.js:34
+script.runInNewContext();
+       ^
 ReferenceError: foo is not defined
     at evalmachine.<anonymous>:*
     at Object.<anonymous> (*test*message*undefined_reference_in_new_context.js:*)
diff --git a/test/simple/test-http-client-timeout.js b/test/simple/test-http-client-timeout.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..98eb5539ebf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/simple/test-http-client-timeout.js
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+// Copyright Joyent, Inc. and other Node contributors.
+//
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
+// copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
+// "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including
+// without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish,
+// distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit
+// persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the
+// following conditions:
+//
+// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included
+// in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+//
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS
+// OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
+// MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN
+// NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM,
+// DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR
+// OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE
+// USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
+
+var common = require('../common');
+var assert = require('assert');
+var http = require('http');
+
+var options = {
+  method: 'GET',
+  port: common.PORT,
+  host: '127.0.0.1',
+  path: '/'
+};
+
+var server = http.createServer(function(req, res) {
+  // this space intentionally left blank
+});
+
+server.listen(options.port, options.host, function() {
+  var req = http.request(options, function(res) {
+    // this space intentionally left blank
+  });
+  req.on('close', function() {
+    server.close();
+  });
+  function destroy() {
+    req.destroy();
+  }
+  req.setTimeout(1, destroy);
+  req.on('error', destroy);
+  req.end();
+});