diff --git a/tests/auto/network/access/qnetworkreply/tst_qnetworkreply.cpp b/tests/auto/network/access/qnetworkreply/tst_qnetworkreply.cpp
index c883b77ea86..c448e893754 100644
--- a/tests/auto/network/access/qnetworkreply/tst_qnetworkreply.cpp
+++ b/tests/auto/network/access/qnetworkreply/tst_qnetworkreply.cpp
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ class MiniHttpServer: public QTcpServer
 {
     Q_OBJECT
 public:
-    QTcpSocket *client; // always the last one that was received
+    QPointer<QTcpSocket> client; // always the last one that was received
     QByteArray dataToTransmit;
     QByteArray receivedData;
     QSemaphore ready;
@@ -541,7 +541,7 @@ public:
     int totalConnections;
 
     MiniHttpServer(const QByteArray &data, bool ssl = false, QThread *thread = 0, bool useipv6 = false)
-        : client(0), dataToTransmit(data), doClose(true), doSsl(ssl), ipv6(useipv6),
+        : dataToTransmit(data), doClose(true), doSsl(ssl), ipv6(useipv6),
           multiple(false), totalConnections(0)
     {
         if (useipv6) {
@@ -591,6 +591,7 @@ protected:
     }
 
     virtual void reply() {
+        Q_ASSERT(!client.isNull());
         // we need to emulate the bytesWrittenSlot call if the data is empty.
         if (dataToTransmit.size() == 0)
             QMetaObject::invokeMethod(this, "bytesWrittenSlot", Qt::QueuedConnection);
@@ -600,10 +601,11 @@ protected:
 private:
     void connectSocketSignals()
     {
+        Q_ASSERT(!client.isNull());
         //qDebug() << "connectSocketSignals" << client;
-        connect(client, SIGNAL(readyRead()), this, SLOT(readyReadSlot()));
-        connect(client, SIGNAL(bytesWritten(qint64)), this, SLOT(bytesWrittenSlot()));
-        connect(client, SIGNAL(error(QAbstractSocket::SocketError)),
+        connect(client.data(), SIGNAL(readyRead()), this, SLOT(readyReadSlot()));
+        connect(client.data(), SIGNAL(bytesWritten(qint64)), this, SLOT(bytesWrittenSlot()));
+        connect(client.data(), SIGNAL(error(QAbstractSocket::SocketError)),
                 this, SLOT(slotError(QAbstractSocket::SocketError)));
     }
 
@@ -611,17 +613,20 @@ private slots:
 #ifndef QT_NO_SSL
     void slotSslErrors(const QList<QSslError>& errors)
     {
+        Q_ASSERT(!client.isNull());
         qDebug() << "slotSslErrors" << client->errorString() << errors;
     }
 #endif
     void slotError(QAbstractSocket::SocketError err)
     {
+        Q_ASSERT(!client.isNull());
         qDebug() << "slotError" << err << client->errorString();
     }
 
 public slots:
     void readyReadSlot()
     {
+        Q_ASSERT(!client.isNull());
         receivedData += client->readAll();
         int doubleEndlPos = receivedData.indexOf("\r\n\r\n");
 
@@ -635,9 +640,11 @@ public slots:
     }
 
     void bytesWrittenSlot() {
+        Q_ASSERT(!client.isNull());
+        // Disconnect and delete in next cycle (else Windows clients will fail with RemoteHostClosedError).
         if (doClose && client->bytesToWrite() == 0) {
-            client->disconnectFromHost();
             disconnect(client, 0, this, 0);
+            client->deleteLater();
         }
     }