diff --git a/lib/child_process.js b/lib/child_process.js
index 1b6b8b21d6..f7312215cd 100644
--- a/lib/child_process.js
+++ b/lib/child_process.js
@@ -336,8 +336,13 @@ function setupChannel(target, channel) {
         var json = jsonBuffer.slice(start, i);
         var message = JSON.parse(json);
 
-        handleMessage(target, message, recvHandle);
-        recvHandle = undefined;
+        // There will be at most one NODE_HANDLE message in every chunk we
+        // read because SCM_RIGHTS messages don't get coalesced. Make sure
+        // that we deliver the handle with the right message however.
+        if (message && message.cmd === 'NODE_HANDLE')
+          handleMessage(target, message, recvHandle);
+        else
+          handleMessage(target, message, undefined);
 
         start = i + 1;
       }
diff --git a/test/simple/test-child-process-recv-handle.js b/test/simple/test-child-process-recv-handle.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dce5bdcbaf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/simple/test-child-process-recv-handle.js
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+// Copyright Joyent, Inc. and other Node contributors.
+//
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
+// copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
+// "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including
+// without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish,
+// distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit
+// persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the
+// following conditions:
+//
+// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included
+// in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+//
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS
+// OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
+// MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN
+// NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM,
+// DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR
+// OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE
+// USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
+
+// Test that a Linux specific quirk in the handle passing protocol is handled
+// correctly. See https://github.com/joyent/node/issues/5330 for details.
+
+var common = require('../common');
+var assert = require('assert');
+var net = require('net');
+var spawn = require('child_process').spawn;
+
+if (process.argv[2] === 'worker')
+  worker();
+else
+  master();
+
+function master() {
+  // spawn() can only create one IPC channel so we use stdin/stdout as an
+  // ad-hoc command channel.
+  var proc = spawn(process.execPath, [__filename, 'worker'], {
+    stdio: ['pipe', 'pipe', 'pipe', 'ipc']
+  });
+  var handle = null;
+  proc.on('exit', function() {
+    handle.close();
+  });
+  proc.stdout.on('data', function(data) {
+    assert.equal(data, 'ok\r\n');
+    net.createServer(assert.fail).listen(common.PORT, function() {
+      handle = this._handle;
+      proc.send('one');
+      proc.send('two', handle);
+      proc.send('three');
+      proc.stdin.write('ok\r\n');
+    });
+  });
+  proc.stderr.pipe(process.stderr);
+}
+
+function worker() {
+  process._channel.readStop();  // Make messages batch up.
+  process.stdout.ref();
+  process.stdout.write('ok\r\n');
+  process.stdin.once('data', function(data) {
+    assert.equal(data, 'ok\r\n');
+    process._channel.readStart();
+  });
+  var n = 0;
+  process.on('message', function(msg, handle) {
+    n += 1;
+    if (n === 1) {
+      assert.equal(msg, 'one');
+      assert.equal(handle, undefined);
+    }
+    else if (n === 2) {
+      assert.equal(msg, 'two');
+      assert.equal(typeof handle, 'object');  // Also matches null, therefore...
+      assert.ok(handle);                      // also check that it's truthy.
+      handle.close();
+    }
+    else if (n === 3) {
+      assert.equal(msg, 'three');
+      assert.equal(handle, undefined);
+      process.exit();
+    }
+  });
+}