diff --git a/lib/dispatcher/client-h1.js b/lib/dispatcher/client-h1.js
index 2f1c96724d3..1b0995a74c9 100644
--- a/lib/dispatcher/client-h1.js
+++ b/lib/dispatcher/client-h1.js
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ class Parser {
     if (value !== this.timeoutValue) {
       timers.clearTimeout(this.timeout)
       if (value) {
-        this.timeout = timers.setTimeout(onParserTimeout, value, this)
+        this.timeout = timers.setTimeout(onParserTimeout, value, new WeakRef(this))
         // istanbul ignore else: only for jest
         if (this.timeout.unref) {
           this.timeout.unref()
@@ -613,16 +613,16 @@ class Parser {
 }
 
 function onParserTimeout (parser) {
-  const { socket, timeoutType, client } = parser
+  const { socket, timeoutType, client, paused } = parser.deref()
 
   /* istanbul ignore else */
   if (timeoutType === TIMEOUT_HEADERS) {
     if (!socket[kWriting] || socket.writableNeedDrain || client[kRunning] > 1) {
-      assert(!parser.paused, 'cannot be paused while waiting for headers')
+      assert(!paused, 'cannot be paused while waiting for headers')
       util.destroy(socket, new HeadersTimeoutError())
     }
   } else if (timeoutType === TIMEOUT_BODY) {
-    if (!parser.paused) {
+    if (!paused) {
       util.destroy(socket, new BodyTimeoutError())
     }
   } else if (timeoutType === TIMEOUT_IDLE) {