diff --git a/lib/http-proxy/passes/web-incoming.js b/lib/http-proxy/passes/web-incoming.js
index 7ae735514..64da74135 100644
--- a/lib/http-proxy/passes/web-incoming.js
+++ b/lib/http-proxy/passes/web-incoming.js
@@ -18,6 +18,11 @@ var nativeAgents = { http: httpNative, https: httpsNative };
  * flexible.
  */
 
+// 'aborted' event stopped working reliably on v15.5.0 and was later removed entirely
+var supportsAbortedEvent = (function () {
+  var ver = process.versions.node.split('.').map(Number);
+  return ver[0] <= 14 || ver[0] === 15 && ver[1] <= 4;
+}());
 
 module.exports = {
 
@@ -143,9 +148,18 @@ module.exports = {
     }
 
     // Ensure we abort proxy if request is aborted
-    req.on('aborted', function () {
-      proxyReq.abort();
-    });
+    if (supportsAbortedEvent) {
+      req.on('aborted', function () {
+        proxyReq.abort();
+      });
+    } else {
+      res.on('close', function () {
+        var aborted = !res.writableFinished;
+        if (aborted) {
+          proxyReq.abort();
+        }
+      });
+    }
 
     // handle errors in proxy and incoming request, just like for forward proxy
     var proxyError = createErrorHandler(proxyReq, options.target);