diff --git a/lib/child_process.js b/lib/child_process.js
index 0e3e04af0d6..e5ea1954291 100644
--- a/lib/child_process.js
+++ b/lib/child_process.js
@@ -824,7 +824,8 @@ function spawn(file, args, options) {
       }
     }, options.timeout);
 
-    child.once('exit', () => {
+    // 'close' always fires after 'exit', or after 'error' on a spawn failure.
+    child.once('close', () => {
       if (timeoutId) {
         clearTimeout(timeoutId);
         timeoutId = null;
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-child-process-spawn-timeout-clear-on-error.js b/test/parallel/test-child-process-spawn-timeout-clear-on-error.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f674e4ed55f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/parallel/test-child-process-spawn-timeout-clear-on-error.js
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+'use strict';
+
+// Measures the child's actual exit time, not just its 'error' event.
+// The outer spawnSync timeout catches a leaked inner timer.
+
+const common = require('../common');
+const { spawnSyncAndExitWithoutError } = require('../common/child_process');
+
+const bugStallMs = common.platformTimeout(10000);
+const outerTimeoutMs = common.platformTimeout(2000);
+
+spawnSyncAndExitWithoutError(process.execPath, ['-e', `
+  const { spawn } = require('child_process');
+  const cp = spawn(process.execPath, ['--version'], {
+    cwd: '/nonexistent/path/that/should/never/exist',
+    timeout: ${bugStallMs},
+  });
+  cp.on('error', () => {});
+`], { timeout: outerTimeoutMs });