diff --git a/lib/child_process.js b/lib/child_process.js
index a07f2d1a42..e19f4ff89d 100644
--- a/lib/child_process.js
+++ b/lib/child_process.js
@@ -466,6 +466,7 @@ function setupChannel(target, channel) {
                               'write',
                               'cannot write to IPC channel.');
       this.emit('error', er);
+      return;
     } else if (handle && !this._handleQueue) {
       this._handleQueue = [];
     }