diff --git a/src/network/socket/qnativesocketengine_winrt.cpp b/src/network/socket/qnativesocketengine_winrt.cpp
index 7ac6297de6d..2eb2141feef 100644
--- a/src/network/socket/qnativesocketengine_winrt.cpp
+++ b/src/network/socket/qnativesocketengine_winrt.cpp
@@ -875,8 +875,14 @@ void QNativeSocketEngine::close()
     if (d->closingDown)
         return;
 
-    if (d->pendingReadNotification)
+    if (d->pendingReadNotification) {
+        // We use QPointer here to see if this QNativeSocketEngine was deleted as a result of
+        // finishing and cleaning up a network request when calling "processReadReady".
+        QPointer<QNativeSocketEngine> alive(this);
         processReadReady();
+        if (alive.isNull())
+            return;
+    }
 
     d->closingDown = true;