diff --git a/lib/net.js b/lib/net.js
index aa6e043ea43..19858e80dfb 100644
--- a/lib/net.js
+++ b/lib/net.js
@@ -196,6 +196,11 @@ Object.defineProperty(Socket.prototype, 'bufferSize', {
 Socket.prototype.pause = function() {
   if (this._handle) {
     this._handle.readStop();
+
+    // this adds an undesireable boundary crossing for pipe streams.
+    // the .unref() method is omitted on TCP streams, because it is
+    // unnecessary.
+    if (this._handle.unref) this._handle.unref();
   }
 };
 
@@ -203,6 +208,11 @@ Socket.prototype.pause = function() {
 Socket.prototype.resume = function() {
   if (this._handle) {
     this._handle.readStart();
+
+    // this adds an undesireable boundary crossing for pipe streams.
+    // the .ref() method is omitted on TCP streams, because it is
+    // unnecessary.
+    if (this._handle.ref) this._handle.ref();
   }
 };
 
diff --git a/test/simple/test-stdin-child-proc.js b/test/simple/test-stdin-child-proc.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6c499995d2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/simple/test-stdin-child-proc.js
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+// 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.
+
+// This tests that pausing and resuming stdin does not hang and timeout
+// when done in a child process.  See test/simple/test-stdin-pause-resume.js
+var child_process = require('child_process');
+var path = require('path');
+child_process.spawn(process.execPath,
+                    [ path.resolve(__dirname, 'test-stdin-pause-resume.js') ]);