diff --git a/lib/http.js b/lib/http.js
index dacedd4477f..1f4db7a6475 100644
--- a/lib/http.js
+++ b/lib/http.js
@@ -1635,8 +1635,10 @@ function parserOnIncomingClient(res, shouldKeepAlive) {
   COUNTER_HTTP_CLIENT_RESPONSE();
   req.res = res;
   res.req = req;
-  var handled = req.emit('response', res);
+
+  // add our listener first, so that we guarantee socket cleanup
   res.on('end', responseOnEnd);
+  var handled = req.emit('response', res);
 
   // If the user did not listen for the 'response' event, then they
   // can't possibly read the data, so we ._dump() it into the void
@@ -1667,7 +1669,11 @@ function responseOnEnd() {
     }
     socket.removeListener('close', socketCloseListener);
     socket.removeListener('error', socketErrorListener);
-    socket.emit('free');
+    // Mark this socket as available, AFTER user-added end
+    // handlers have a chance to run.
+    process.nextTick(function() {
+      socket.emit('free');
+    });
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/test/simple/test-http-end-throw-socket-handling.js b/test/simple/test-http-end-throw-socket-handling.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..50aa97ff18e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/simple/test-http-end-throw-socket-handling.js
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+// 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');
+
+// Make sure that throwing in 'end' handler doesn't lock
+// up the socket forever.
+//
+// This is NOT a good way to handle errors in general, but all
+// the same, we should not be so brittle and easily broken.
+
+var http = require('http');
+
+var n = 0;
+var server = http.createServer(function(req, res) {
+  if (++n === 10) server.close();
+  res.end('ok');
+});
+
+server.listen(common.PORT, function() {
+  for (var i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
+    var options = { port: common.PORT };
+
+    var req = http.request(options, function (res) {
+      res.resume()
+      res.on('end', function() {
+        throw new Error('gleep glorp');
+      });
+    });
+    req.end();
+  }
+});
+
+setTimeout(function() {
+  process.removeListener('uncaughtException', catcher);
+  throw new Error('Taking too long!');
+}, 1000).unref();
+
+process.on('uncaughtException', catcher);
+var errors = 0;
+function catcher() {
+  errors++;
+}
+
+process.on('exit', function() {
+  assert.equal(errors, 10);
+  console.log('ok');
+});