diff --git a/src/node_timer.cc b/src/node_timer.cc
index 5ab409b048..1c1b01ce7a 100644
--- a/src/node_timer.cc
+++ b/src/node_timer.cc
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ Timer::OnTimeout (EV_P_ ev_timer *watcher, int revents)
 
 Timer::~Timer ()
 {
-  ev_timer_stop (EV_DEFAULT_UC_ &watcher_);
+  ev_timer_stop(EV_DEFAULT_UC_ &watcher_);
 }
 
 Handle<Value>
@@ -114,14 +114,15 @@ Timer::Start (const Arguments& args)
   if (args.Length() != 2)
     return ThrowException(String::New("Bad arguments"));
 
+  bool was_active = ev_is_active(&timer->watcher_);
+
   ev_tstamp after = NODE_V8_UNIXTIME(args[0]);
   ev_tstamp repeat = NODE_V8_UNIXTIME(args[1]);
-
   ev_timer_init(&timer->watcher_, Timer::OnTimeout, after, repeat);
   timer->watcher_.data = timer;
   ev_timer_start(EV_DEFAULT_UC_ &timer->watcher_);
 
-  timer->Ref();
+  if (!was_active) timer->Ref();
 
   return Undefined();
 }
diff --git a/src/node_timer.h b/src/node_timer.h
index 56352912a6..5af5272896 100644
--- a/src/node_timer.h
+++ b/src/node_timer.h
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ class Timer : ObjectWrap {
   Timer () : ObjectWrap () {
     // dummy timeout values
     ev_timer_init(&watcher_, OnTimeout, 0., 1.);
+    watcher_.data = this;
   }
   ~Timer();
 
diff --git a/test/pummel/test-tcp-timeout.js b/test/pummel/test-tcp-timeout.js
index b06c81da69..3f7b8f3157 100644
--- a/test/pummel/test-tcp-timeout.js
+++ b/test/pummel/test-tcp-timeout.js
@@ -1,21 +1,22 @@
 require("../common");
-tcp = require("tcp");
+net = require("net");
 exchanges = 0;
 starttime = null;
 timeouttime = null;
 timeout = 1000;
 
-var echo_server = tcp.createServer(function (socket) {
+var echo_server = net.createServer(function (socket) {
   socket.setTimeout(timeout);
 
-  socket.addListener("timeout", function (d) {
+  socket.addListener("timeout", function () {
     puts("server timeout");
     timeouttime = new Date;
     p(timeouttime);
+    socket.forceClose();
   });
 
   socket.addListener("data", function (d) {
-    p(d);
+    puts(d);
     socket.write(d);
   });
 
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ var echo_server = tcp.createServer(function (socket) {
 echo_server.listen(PORT);
 puts("server listening at " + PORT);
 
-var client = tcp.createConnection(PORT);
+var client = net.createConnection(PORT);
 client.setEncoding("UTF8");
 client.setTimeout(0); // disable the timeout for client
 client.addListener("connect", function () {
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ client.addListener("data", function (chunk) {
 
 client.addListener("timeout", function () {
   puts("client timeout - this shouldn't happen");
-  assert.equal(false, true);
+  assert.ok(false);
 });
 
 client.addListener("end", function () {