diff --git a/tests/test_tcp.py b/tests/test_tcp.py
index 459ef307..dcf497f6 100644
--- a/tests/test_tcp.py
+++ b/tests/test_tcp.py
@@ -2651,6 +2651,73 @@ async def test():
             else:
                 self.fail('Unexpected ResourceWarning: {}'.format(cm.warning))
 
+    def test_handshake_timeout_handler_leak(self):
+        if self.implementation == 'asyncio':
+            # Okay this turns out to be an issue for asyncio.sslproto too
+            raise unittest.SkipTest()
+
+        s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET)
+        s.bind(('127.0.0.1', 0))
+        s.listen(1)
+        addr = s.getsockname()
+
+        async def test(ctx):
+            try:
+                await asyncio.wait_for(
+                    self.loop.create_connection(asyncio.Protocol, *addr,
+                                                ssl=ctx),
+                    0.1, loop=self.loop)
+            except (ConnectionRefusedError, asyncio.TimeoutError):
+                pass
+            else:
+                self.fail('TimeoutError is not raised')
+
+        with s:
+            ctx = ssl.create_default_context()
+            self.loop.run_until_complete(test(ctx))
+            ctx = weakref.ref(ctx)
+
+        # SSLProtocol should be DECREF to 0
+        self.assertIsNone(ctx())
+
+    def test_shutdown_timeout_handler_leak(self):
+        loop = self.loop
+
+        def server(sock):
+            sslctx = self._create_server_ssl_context(self.ONLYCERT,
+                                                     self.ONLYKEY)
+            sock = sslctx.wrap_socket(sock, server_side=True)
+            sock.recv(32)
+            sock.close()
+
+        class Protocol(asyncio.Protocol):
+            def __init__(self):
+                self.fut = asyncio.Future(loop=loop)
+
+            def connection_lost(self, exc):
+                self.fut.set_result(None)
+
+        async def client(addr, ctx):
+            tr, pr = await loop.create_connection(Protocol, *addr, ssl=ctx)
+            tr.close()
+            await pr.fut
+
+        with self.tcp_server(server) as srv:
+            ctx = self._create_client_ssl_context()
+            loop.run_until_complete(client(srv.addr, ctx))
+            ctx = weakref.ref(ctx)
+
+        if self.implementation == 'asyncio':
+            # asyncio has no shutdown timeout, but it ends up with a circular
+            # reference loop - not ideal (introduces gc glitches), but at least
+            # not leaking
+            gc.collect()
+            gc.collect()
+            gc.collect()
+
+        # SSLProtocol should be DECREF to 0
+        self.assertIsNone(ctx())
+
 
 class Test_UV_TCPSSL(_TestSSL, tb.UVTestCase):
     pass
diff --git a/uvloop/sslproto.pyx b/uvloop/sslproto.pyx
index c9f57ba6..3f342fa0 100644
--- a/uvloop/sslproto.pyx
+++ b/uvloop/sslproto.pyx
@@ -341,9 +341,9 @@ cdef class SSLProtocol:
         self._app_transport = None
         self._wakeup_waiter(exc)
 
-        if getattr(self, '_shutdown_timeout_handle', None):
+        if self._shutdown_timeout_handle:
             self._shutdown_timeout_handle.cancel()
-        if getattr(self, '_handshake_timeout_handle', None):
+        if self._handshake_timeout_handle:
             self._handshake_timeout_handle.cancel()
 
     def get_buffer(self, n):
@@ -453,8 +453,13 @@ cdef class SSLProtocol:
         self._set_state(DO_HANDSHAKE)
 
         # start handshake timeout count down
+        # XXX: This is a workaround to call cdef method and clear reference to
+        # self when the handle is cancelled (because uvloop currently clears
+        # only args, it'll be okay to remove the lambda x: x() after the fix to
+        # clear also the callback)
         self._handshake_timeout_handle = \
             self._loop.call_later(self._ssl_handshake_timeout,
+                                  lambda x: x(),
                                   lambda: self._check_handshake_timeout())
 
         try:
@@ -533,8 +538,13 @@ cdef class SSLProtocol:
             self._abort(None)
         else:
             self._set_state(FLUSHING)
+            # XXX: This is a workaround to call cdef method and clear reference
+            # to self when the handle is cancelled (because uvloop currently
+            # clears only args, it'll be okay to remove the lambda x: x() after
+            # the fix to clear also the callback)
             self._shutdown_timeout_handle = \
                 self._loop.call_later(self._ssl_shutdown_timeout,
+                                      lambda x: x(),
                                       lambda: self._check_shutdown_timeout())
             self._do_flush()