diff --git a/src/node.cc b/src/node.cc
index e5a87e711bd84b..91e8c169741b89 100644
--- a/src/node.cc
+++ b/src/node.cc
@@ -3652,7 +3652,6 @@ void Init(int* argc,
   uv_async_init(uv_default_loop(),
                 &dispatch_debug_messages_async,
                 DispatchDebugMessagesAsyncCallback);
-  uv_unref(reinterpret_cast<uv_handle_t*>(&dispatch_debug_messages_async));
 
 #if defined(NODE_V8_OPTIONS)
   // Should come before the call to V8::SetFlagsFromCommandLine()
@@ -3959,8 +3958,11 @@ static void StartNodeInstance(void* arg) {
     env->set_trace_sync_io(trace_sync_io);
 
     // Enable debugger
-    if (instance_data->use_debug_agent())
+    if (instance_data->use_debug_agent()) {
       EnableDebug(env);
+    } else {
+      uv_unref(reinterpret_cast<uv_handle_t*>(&dispatch_debug_messages_async));
+    }
 
     {
       SealHandleScope seal(isolate);