diff --git a/lib/internal/streams/BufferList.js b/lib/internal/streams/BufferList.js
index c5a293b9ca0c16..b3980e007a499e 100644
--- a/lib/internal/streams/BufferList.js
+++ b/lib/internal/streams/BufferList.js
@@ -62,8 +62,6 @@ module.exports = class BufferList {
   concat(n) {
     if (this.length === 0)
       return Buffer.alloc(0);
-    if (this.length === 1)
-      return this.head.data;
     const ret = Buffer.allocUnsafe(n >>> 0);
     var p = this.head;
     var i = 0;
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-stream-buffer-list.js b/test/parallel/test-stream-buffer-list.js
index 87c9d2a2bb50ce..c151154afa3d01 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-stream-buffer-list.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-stream-buffer-list.js
@@ -15,16 +15,21 @@ assert.strictEqual(emptyList.join(','), '');
 
 assert.deepStrictEqual(emptyList.concat(0), Buffer.alloc(0));
 
+const buf = Buffer.from('foo');
+
 // Test buffer list with one element.
 const list = new BufferList();
-list.push('foo');
+list.push(buf);
+
+const copy = list.concat(3);
 
-assert.strictEqual(list.concat(1), 'foo');
+assert.notStrictEqual(copy, buf);
+assert.deepStrictEqual(copy, buf);
 
 assert.strictEqual(list.join(','), 'foo');
 
 const shifted = list.shift();
-assert.strictEqual(shifted, 'foo');
+assert.strictEqual(shifted, buf);
 assert.deepStrictEqual(list, new BufferList());
 
 const tmp = util.inspect.defaultOptions.colors;