diff --git a/lib/net.js b/lib/net.js
index ee2d82280f..e81d82753c 100644
--- a/lib/net.js
+++ b/lib/net.js
@@ -651,7 +651,6 @@ function doConnect (socket, port, host) {
 
   // Don't start the read watcher until connection is established
   socket._readWatcher.set(socket.fd, true, false);
-  socket._readWatcher.socket = socket;
 
   // How to connect on POSIX: Wait for fd to become writable, then call
   // socketError() if there isn't an error, we're connected. AFAIK this a
@@ -660,8 +659,6 @@ function doConnect (socket, port, host) {
   // Manual Page connect(2) under the error code EINPROGRESS.
   socket._writeWatcher.set(socket.fd, false, true);
   socket._writeWatcher.start();
-  socket._writeWatcher.socket = socket;
-  socket._writeWatcher.callback = onWritable; 
 }