diff --git a/lib/net.js b/lib/net.js
index c7f932c736584c..33de735a223bc8 100644
--- a/lib/net.js
+++ b/lib/net.js
@@ -1238,7 +1238,6 @@ function afterConnect(status, handle, req, readable, writable) {
       stopPerf(self, kPerfHooksNetConnectContext);
     }
   } else {
-    self.connecting = false;
     let details;
     if (req.localAddress && req.localPort) {
       details = req.localAddress + ':' + req.localPort;
diff --git a/test/sequential/test-net-connect-handle-econnrefused.js b/test/sequential/test-net-connect-handle-econnrefused.js
index 3cb7d014b436a4..4bd1b9d2a97e34 100644
--- a/test/sequential/test-net-connect-handle-econnrefused.js
+++ b/test/sequential/test-net-connect-handle-econnrefused.js
@@ -27,5 +27,6 @@ const assert = require('assert');
 const c = net.createConnection(common.PORT);
 c.on('connect', common.mustNotCall());
 c.on('error', common.mustCall((e) => {
+  assert.strictEqual(c.connecting, false);
   assert.strictEqual(e.code, 'ECONNREFUSED');
 }));