diff --git a/test/gc/test-http-client-connaborted.js b/test/gc/test-http-client-connaborted.js
index 80ac055109..4fbb429298 100644
--- a/test/gc/test-http-client-connaborted.js
+++ b/test/gc/test-http-client-connaborted.js
@@ -22,25 +22,31 @@ var server = http.createServer(serverHandler);
 server.listen(PORT, getall);
 
 function getall() {
-  for (var i = 0; i < todo; i++) {
-    (function(){
-      function cb(res) {
-        done+=1;
-        statusLater();
-      }
+  if (count >= todo)
+    return;
 
-      var req = http.get({
-        hostname: 'localhost',
-        pathname: '/',
-        port: PORT
-      }, cb).on('error', cb);
+  (function(){
+    function cb(res) {
+      done+=1;
+      statusLater();
+    }
 
-      count++;
-      weak(req, afterGC);
-    })()
-  }
+    var req = http.get({
+      hostname: 'localhost',
+      pathname: '/',
+      port: PORT
+    }, cb).on('error', cb);
+
+    count++;
+    weak(req, afterGC);
+  })()
+
+  setImmediate(getall);
 }
 
+for (var i = 0; i < 10; i++)
+  getall();
+
 function afterGC(){
   countGC ++;
 }
diff --git a/test/gc/test-http-client-onerror.js b/test/gc/test-http-client-onerror.js
index 6bea7c000d..80a3fcf5b6 100644
--- a/test/gc/test-http-client-onerror.js
+++ b/test/gc/test-http-client-onerror.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 // but with an on('error') handler that does nothing.
 
 function serverHandler(req, res) {
+  req.resume();
   res.writeHead(200, {'Content-Type': 'text/plain'});
   res.end('Hello World\n');
 }
@@ -23,28 +24,35 @@ var server = http.createServer(serverHandler);
 server.listen(PORT, getall);
 
 function getall() {
-  for (var i = 0; i < todo; i++) {
-    (function(){
-      function cb(res) {
-        done+=1;
-        statusLater();
-      }
-      function onerror(er) {
-        throw er;
-      }
+  if (count >= todo)
+    return;
 
-      var req = http.get({
-        hostname: 'localhost',
-        pathname: '/',
-        port: PORT
-      }, cb).on('error', onerror);
+  (function(){
+    function cb(res) {
+      res.resume();
+      done+=1;
+      statusLater();
+    }
+    function onerror(er) {
+      throw er;
+    }
 
-      count++;
-      weak(req, afterGC);
-    })()
-  }
+    var req = http.get({
+      hostname: 'localhost',
+      pathname: '/',
+      port: PORT
+    }, cb).on('error', onerror);
+
+    count++;
+    weak(req, afterGC);
+  })()
+
+  setImmediate(getall);
 }
 
+for (var i = 0; i < 10; i++)
+  getall();
+
 function afterGC(){
   countGC ++;
 }
@@ -62,7 +70,7 @@ function status() {
   console.log('Collected: %d/%d', countGC, count);
   if (done === todo) {
     console.log('All should be collected now.');
-    assert(count === countGC);
+    assert.strictEqual(count, countGC);
     process.exit(0);
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/gc/test-http-client-timeout.js b/test/gc/test-http-client-timeout.js
index 6d705b47eb..99a97d73b7 100644
--- a/test/gc/test-http-client-timeout.js
+++ b/test/gc/test-http-client-timeout.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 function serverHandler(req, res) {
   setTimeout(function () {
+    req.resume();
     res.writeHead(200)
     res.end('hello\n');
   }, 100);
@@ -25,29 +26,36 @@ var server = http.createServer(serverHandler);
 server.listen(PORT, getall);
 
 function getall() {
-  for (var i = 0; i < todo; i++) {
-    (function(){
-      function cb() {
-        done+=1;
-        statusLater();
-      }
+  if (count >= todo)
+    return;
 
-      var req = http.get({
-        hostname: 'localhost',
-        pathname: '/',
-        port: PORT
-      }, cb);
-      req.on('error', cb);
-      req.setTimeout(10, function(){
-        console.log('timeout (expected)')
-      });
+  (function(){
+    function cb(res) {
+      res.resume();
+      done+=1;
+      statusLater();
+    }
 
-      count++;
-      weak(req, afterGC);
-    })()
-  }
+    var req = http.get({
+      hostname: 'localhost',
+      pathname: '/',
+      port: PORT
+    }, cb);
+    req.on('error', cb);
+    req.setTimeout(10, function(){
+      console.log('timeout (expected)')
+    });
+
+    count++;
+    weak(req, afterGC);
+  })()
+
+  setImmediate(getall);
 }
 
+for(var i = 0; i < 10; i++)
+  getall();
+
 function afterGC(){
   countGC ++;
 }
diff --git a/test/gc/test-http-client.js b/test/gc/test-http-client.js
index 33be9ea15c..4c64bbadbb 100644
--- a/test/gc/test-http-client.js
+++ b/test/gc/test-http-client.js
@@ -23,36 +23,38 @@ server.listen(PORT, getall);
 
 
 function getall() {
-  for (var i = 0; i < todo; i++) {
-    (function(){
-      function cb(res) {
-        console.error('in cb')
-        done+=1;
-        res.on('end', statusLater);
-      }
+  if (count >= todo)
+    return;
 
-      var req = http.get({
-        hostname: 'localhost',
-        pathname: '/',
-        port: PORT
-      }, cb)
+  (function(){
+    function cb(res) {
+      res.resume();
+      console.error('in cb')
+      done+=1;
+      res.on('end', gc);
+    }
 
-      count++;
-      weak(req, afterGC);
-    })()
-  }
+    var req = http.get({
+      hostname: 'localhost',
+      pathname: '/',
+      port: PORT
+    }, cb)
+
+    count++;
+    weak(req, afterGC);
+  })()
+
+  setImmediate(getall);
 }
 
+for (var i = 0; i < 10; i++)
+  getall();
+
 function afterGC(){
   countGC ++;
 }
 
-var timer;
-function statusLater() {
-  gc();
-  if (timer) clearTimeout(timer);
-  timer = setTimeout(status, 1);
-}
+setInterval(status, 1000).unref();
 
 function status() {
   gc();
diff --git a/test/gc/test-net-timeout.js b/test/gc/test-net-timeout.js
index 91d314b03d..5d2387dc74 100644
--- a/test/gc/test-net-timeout.js
+++ b/test/gc/test-net-timeout.js
@@ -3,7 +3,15 @@
 
 function serverHandler(sock) {
   sock.setTimeout(120000);
-  setTimeout(function () {
+  sock.resume();
+  var timer;
+  sock.on('close', function() {
+    clearTimeout(timer);
+  });
+  sock.on('error', function(err) {
+    assert.strictEqual(err.code, 'ECONNRESET');
+  });
+  timer = setTimeout(function () {
     sock.end('hello\n');
   }, 100);
 }
@@ -24,32 +32,34 @@ var server = net.createServer(serverHandler);
 server.listen(PORT, getall);
 
 function getall() {
-  for (var i = 0; i < todo; i++) {
-    (function(){
-      var req = net.connect(PORT, '127.0.0.1');
-      req.setTimeout(10, function() {
-        console.log('timeout (expected)')
-        req.destroy();
-        done++;
-        statusLater();
-      });
+  if (count >= todo)
+    return;
 
-      count++;
-      weak(req, afterGC);
-    })();
-  }
+  (function(){
+    var req = net.connect(PORT, '127.0.0.1');
+    req.resume();
+    req.setTimeout(10, function() {
+      //console.log('timeout (expected)')
+      req.destroy();
+      done++;
+      gc();
+    });
+
+    count++;
+    weak(req, afterGC);
+  })();
+
+  setImmediate(getall);
 }
 
+for (var i = 0; i < 10; i++)
+  getall();
+
 function afterGC(){
   countGC ++;
 }
 
-var timer;
-function statusLater() {
-  gc();
-  if (timer) clearTimeout(timer);
-  timer = setTimeout(status, 1);
-}
+setInterval(status, 100).unref();
 
 function status() {
   gc();