diff --git a/lib/internal/child_process.js b/lib/internal/child_process.js
index abd4b16d120dc3..999f7d28ffa12a 100644
--- a/lib/internal/child_process.js
+++ b/lib/internal/child_process.js
@@ -610,10 +610,12 @@ function setupChannel(target, channel) {
                                                         handle,
                                                         options);
 
-      // If handle was sent twice, or it is impossible to get native handle
-      // out of it - just send a text without the handle.
-      if (!handle)
-        message = message.msg;
+      // If it is impossible to get a handle, then something unexpected likely
+      // happened. For example, a socket may have closed while waiting in the
+      // _handleQueue.
+      if (!handle) {
+        return true;
+      }
 
       // Update simultaneous accepts on Windows
       if (obj.simultaneousAccepts) {