diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 19fe62fbf38..c3894c67e0f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -431,16 +431,17 @@ Options:
 
 The `handler` parameter is defined as follow:
 
-* `onConnect(resume)`, invoked when request is dispatched on socket.
-  * `resume(err): Void`, resume `onData` after returning `false` or abort by passing an `Error` through `err`.
+* `onInit(abort)`, invoked when request is enqueued.
+  * `abort(err): Void`, abort with `err`.
 * `onUpgrade(statusCode, headers, socket): Void`, invoked when request is upgraded  either due to a `Upgrade` header or `CONNECT` method.
   * `statusCode: Number`
   * `headers: Array|Null`
   * `socket: Duplex`
-* `onHeaders(statusCode, headers): Void`, invoked when statusCode and headers have been received.
+* `onHeaders(statusCode, headers, resume): Void`, invoked when statusCode and headers have been received.
   May be invoked multiple times due to 1xx informational headers.
   * `statusCode: Number`
   * `headers: Array|Null`, an array of key-value pairs. Keys are not automatically lowercased.
+  * `resume(): Void`, resume `onData` after returning `false`.
 * `onData(chunk): Boolean`, invoked when response payload data is received.
   * `chunk: Buffer`
 * `onComplete(trailers): Void`, invoked when response payload and trailers have been received and the request has completed.
diff --git a/benchmarks/index.js b/benchmarks/index.js
index 217a380d035..540950d42b7 100644
--- a/benchmarks/index.js
+++ b/benchmarks/index.js
@@ -149,11 +149,11 @@ class NoopRequest {
     this.deferred = deferred
   }
 
-  onConnect (resume) {
+  onInit (resume) {
 
   }
 
-  onHeaders (statusCode, headers) {
+  onHeaders (statusCode, headers, resume) {
 
   }
 
@@ -171,11 +171,11 @@ class SimpleRequest {
     this.dst = dst
   }
 
-  onConnect (resume) {
-    this.dst.on('drain', resume)
+  onInit (resume) {
   }
 
-  onHeaders (statusCode, headers) {
+  onHeaders (statusCode, headers, resume) {
+    this.dst.on('drain', resume)
   }
 
   onData (chunk) {
diff --git a/lib/client-connect.js b/lib/client-connect.js
index 949508c5b0b..51a0fe5e94d 100644
--- a/lib/client-connect.js
+++ b/lib/client-connect.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class ConnectHandler extends AsyncResource {
     this.callback = callback
   }
 
-  onConnect () {
+  onInit (abort) {
   }
 
   onUpgrade (statusCode, headers, socket) {
diff --git a/lib/client-pipeline.js b/lib/client-pipeline.js
index 11139cbae20..ddf5f0ef0ac 100644
--- a/lib/client-pipeline.js
+++ b/lib/client-pipeline.js
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ class PipelineHandler extends AsyncResource {
 
     this.opaque = opts.opaque || null
     this.handler = handler
-    this.resume = null
+    this.abort = null
 
     this.req = new PipelineRequest()
 
@@ -104,15 +104,14 @@ class PipelineHandler extends AsyncResource {
         }
       },
       destroy: (err, callback) => {
-        const { body, req, res, ret, resume } = this
+        const { body, req, res, ret, abort } = this
 
         if (!err && !ret._readableState.endEmitted) {
           err = new RequestAbortedError()
         }
 
-        if (resume && err) {
-          this.resume = null
-          resume(err)
+        if (err) {
+          abort(err)
         }
 
         util.destroy(body, err)
@@ -131,18 +130,18 @@ class PipelineHandler extends AsyncResource {
     this.res = null
   }
 
-  onConnect (resume) {
-    this.resume = resume
+  onInit (abort) {
+    this.abort = abort
   }
 
-  onHeaders (statusCode, headers) {
+  onHeaders (statusCode, headers, resume) {
     const { opaque, handler } = this
 
     if (statusCode < 200) {
       return
     }
 
-    this.res = new PipelineResponse(this.resume)
+    this.res = new PipelineResponse(resume)
 
     let body
     try {
diff --git a/lib/client-request.js b/lib/client-request.js
index 41854c7880a..bc2392239e1 100644
--- a/lib/client-request.js
+++ b/lib/client-request.js
@@ -8,16 +8,12 @@ const {
 const util = require('./util')
 const { AsyncResource } = require('async_hooks')
 
-const kResume = Symbol('resume')
+const kAbort = Symbol('abort')
 
 class RequestResponse extends Readable {
-  constructor (resume) {
-    super({ autoDestroy: true })
-    this[kResume] = resume
-  }
-
-  _read () {
-    this[kResume]()
+  constructor (resume, abort) {
+    super({ autoDestroy: true, read: resume })
+    this[kAbort] = abort
   }
 
   _destroy (err, callback) {
@@ -26,7 +22,7 @@ class RequestResponse extends Readable {
     }
 
     if (err) {
-      this[kResume](err)
+      this[kAbort](err)
     }
 
     callback(err)
@@ -48,22 +44,22 @@ class RequestHandler extends AsyncResource {
     this.opaque = opts.opaque || null
     this.callback = callback
     this.res = null
-    this.resume = null
+    this.abort = null
   }
 
-  onConnect (resume) {
-    this.resume = resume
+  onInit (abort) {
+    this.abort = abort
   }
 
-  onHeaders (statusCode, headers) {
-    const { callback, opaque, resume } = this
+  onHeaders (statusCode, headers, resume) {
+    const { callback, opaque } = this
 
     if (statusCode < 200) {
       return
     }
 
     this.resume = null
-    const body = new RequestResponse(resume)
+    const body = new RequestResponse(resume, this.abort)
 
     this.callback = null
     this.res = body
diff --git a/lib/client-stream.js b/lib/client-stream.js
index c1bcf48c909..e58e63ea573 100644
--- a/lib/client-stream.js
+++ b/lib/client-stream.js
@@ -28,15 +28,15 @@ class StreamHandler extends AsyncResource {
     this.factory = factory
     this.callback = callback
     this.res = null
-    this.resume = null
+    this.abort = null
     this.trailers = null
   }
 
-  onConnect (resume) {
-    this.resume = resume
+  onInit (abort) {
+    this.abort = abort
   }
 
-  onHeaders (statusCode, headers) {
+  onHeaders (statusCode, headers, resume) {
     const { factory, opaque } = this
 
     if (statusCode < 200) {
@@ -59,10 +59,10 @@ class StreamHandler extends AsyncResource {
       throw new InvalidReturnValueError('expected Writable')
     }
 
-    res.on('drain', this.resume)
+    res.on('drain', resume)
     // TODO: Avoid finished. It registers an unecessary amount of listeners.
     finished(res, { readable: false }, (err) => {
-      const { callback, res, opaque, trailers, resume } = this
+      const { callback, res, opaque, trailers, abort } = this
 
       this.res = null
       if (err || !res.readable) {
@@ -70,8 +70,8 @@ class StreamHandler extends AsyncResource {
       }
 
       if (err) {
-        this.resume = null
-        resume(err)
+        this.abort = null
+        abort(err)
       }
 
       this.callback = null
diff --git a/lib/client-upgrade.js b/lib/client-upgrade.js
index cc5df1db7c8..0867b048d70 100644
--- a/lib/client-upgrade.js
+++ b/lib/client-upgrade.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class UpgradeHandler extends AsyncResource {
     this.callback = callback
   }
 
-  onConnect () {
+  onInit (abort) {
   }
 
   onUpgrade (statusCode, headers, socket) {
diff --git a/lib/request.js b/lib/request.js
index b914eb2f3f7..fb9e5660bad 100644
--- a/lib/request.js
+++ b/lib/request.js
@@ -188,6 +188,10 @@ class Request {
       : null
 
     this[kResume] = null
+
+    this[kHandler].onInit((err) => {
+      this.onError(err)
+    })
   }
 
   get expectsPayload () {
@@ -234,17 +238,6 @@ class Request {
 
   onConnect (resume) {
     this[kResume] = resume
-    try {
-      this[kHandler].onConnect((err) => {
-        if (err) {
-          this.onError(err)
-        } else if (this[kResume]) {
-          this[kResume]()
-        }
-      })
-    } catch (err) {
-      this.onError(err)
-    }
   }
 
   onUpgrade (statusCode, headers, socket) {
@@ -278,7 +271,7 @@ class Request {
     }
 
     try {
-      this[kHandler].onHeaders(statusCode, headers)
+      this[kHandler].onHeaders(statusCode, headers, this[kResume])
     } catch (err) {
       this.onError(err)
     }
diff --git a/test/client-dispatch.js b/test/client-dispatch.js
index 564fd1d9889..a3ab01e9aa1 100644
--- a/test/client-dispatch.js
+++ b/test/client-dispatch.js
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ test('basic dispatch get', (t) => {
       method: 'GET',
       headers: reqHeaders
     }, {
-      onConnect () {
+      onInit () {
       },
       onHeaders (statusCode, headers) {
         t.strictEqual(statusCode, 200)
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ test('trailers dispatch get', (t) => {
       method: 'GET',
       headers: reqHeaders
     }, {
-      onConnect () {
+      onInit () {
       },
       onHeaders (statusCode, headers) {
         t.strictEqual(statusCode, 200)
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ test('dispatch onHeaders error', (t) => {
       path: '/',
       method: 'GET'
     }, {
-      onConnect () {
+      onInit () {
       },
       onHeaders (statusCode, headers) {
         throw _err
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ test('dispatch onComplete error', (t) => {
       path: '/',
       method: 'GET'
     }, {
-      onConnect () {
+      onInit () {
       },
       onHeaders (statusCode, headers) {
         t.pass()
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ test('dispatch onData error', (t) => {
       path: '/',
       method: 'GET'
     }, {
-      onConnect () {
+      onInit () {
       },
       onHeaders (statusCode, headers) {
         t.pass()
diff --git a/test/pool.js b/test/pool.js
index ecf3c2b7e49..86635db5ef6 100644
--- a/test/pool.js
+++ b/test/pool.js
@@ -414,8 +414,7 @@ test('pool dispatch', (t) => {
       path: '/',
       method: 'GET'
     }, {
-      onConnect () {
-
+      onInit () {
       },
       onHeaders (statusCode, headers) {
         t.strictEqual(statusCode, 200)