diff --git a/lib/cluster.js b/lib/cluster.js
index d60366aaf179c8..175645f713f701 100644
--- a/lib/cluster.js
+++ b/lib/cluster.js
@@ -719,7 +719,11 @@ function workerInit() {
       const handle = handles[key];
       delete handles[key];
       waitingCount++;
-      handle.owner.close(checkWaitingCount);
+
+      if (handle.owner)
+        handle.owner.close(checkWaitingCount);
+      else
+        handle.close(checkWaitingCount);
     }
 
     checkWaitingCount();
diff --git a/lib/internal/child_process.js b/lib/internal/child_process.js
index 73c641c116d24e..789c29ef777042 100644
--- a/lib/internal/child_process.js
+++ b/lib/internal/child_process.js
@@ -715,7 +715,9 @@ function handleMessage(target, message, handle) {
       message.cmd.slice(0, INTERNAL_PREFIX.length) === INTERNAL_PREFIX) {
     eventName = 'internalMessage';
   }
-  target.emit(eventName, message, handle);
+  process.nextTick(() => {
+    target.emit(eventName, message, handle);
+  });
 }
 
 function nop() { }
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-cluster-ipc-throw.js b/test/parallel/test-cluster-ipc-throw.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..f2e7f2822c7315
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/parallel/test-cluster-ipc-throw.js
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+'use strict';
+const common = require('../common');
+const http = require('http');
+const cluster = require('cluster');
+
+cluster.schedulingPolicy = cluster.SCHED_RR;
+
+const server = http.createServer();
+
+if (cluster.isMaster) {
+  server.listen(common.PORT);
+  const worker = cluster.fork();
+  worker.on('exit', common.mustCall(() => {
+    server.close();
+  }));
+} else {
+  process.on('uncaughtException', common.mustCall((e) => {}));
+  server.listen(common.PORT);
+  server.on('error', common.mustCall((e) => {
+    cluster.worker.disconnect();
+    throw e;
+  }));
+}
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-cluster-worker-disconnect-on-error.js b/test/parallel/test-cluster-worker-disconnect-on-error.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..e52f7ddee60993
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/parallel/test-cluster-worker-disconnect-on-error.js
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+'use strict';
+const common = require('../common');
+const http = require('http');
+const cluster = require('cluster');
+
+cluster.schedulingPolicy = cluster.SCHED_NONE;
+
+const server = http.createServer();
+if (cluster.isMaster) {
+  server.listen(common.PORT);
+  const worker = cluster.fork();
+  worker.on('exit', common.mustCall(() => {
+    server.close();
+  }));
+} else {
+  server.listen(common.PORT);
+  server.on('error', common.mustCall((e) => {
+    cluster.worker.disconnect();
+  }));
+}