diff --git a/lib/_http_client.js b/lib/_http_client.js
index 9e2ebca8ee5ca3..b15bba4252886a 100644
--- a/lib/_http_client.js
+++ b/lib/_http_client.js
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ const Agent = require('_http_agent');
 const { Buffer } = require('buffer');
 const { defaultTriggerAsyncIdScope } = require('internal/async_hooks');
 const { URL, urlToOptions, searchParamsSymbol } = require('internal/url');
-const { kOutHeaders, kNeedDrain } = require('internal/http');
+const { kOutHeaders, kNeedDrain, kClosed } = require('internal/http');
 const { connResetException, codes } = require('internal/errors');
 const {
   ERR_HTTP_HEADERS_SENT,
@@ -197,6 +197,8 @@ function ClientRequest(input, options, cb) {
   }
   this.insecureHTTPParser = insecureHTTPParser;
 
+  options.path = method === 'CONNECT' && options.path.charAt(0) === '/' ?
+    options.path.slice(1) : options.path;
   this.path = options.path || '/';
   if (cb) {
     this.once('response', cb);
@@ -387,7 +389,7 @@ function _destroy(req, socket, err) {
     if (err) {
       req.emit('error', err);
     }
-    req._closed = true;
+    req[kClosed] = true;
     req.emit('close');
   }
 }
@@ -430,7 +432,7 @@ function socketCloseListener() {
         res.emit('error', connResetException('aborted'));
       }
     }
-    req._closed = true;
+    req[kClosed] = true;
     req.emit('close');
     if (!res.aborted && res.readable) {
       res.on('end', function() {
@@ -450,7 +452,7 @@ function socketCloseListener() {
       req.socket._hadError = true;
       req.emit('error', connResetException('socket hang up'));
     }
-    req._closed = true;
+    req[kClosed] = true;
     req.emit('close');
   }
 
@@ -555,7 +557,7 @@ function socketOnData(d) {
 
       req.emit(eventName, res, socket, bodyHead);
       req.destroyed = true;
-      req._closed = true;
+      req[kClosed] = true;
       req.emit('close');
     } else {
       // Requested Upgrade or used CONNECT method, but have no handler.
@@ -727,7 +729,7 @@ function requestOnPrefinish() {
 }
 
 function emitFreeNT(req) {
-  req._closed = true;
+  req[kClosed] = true;
   req.emit('close');
   if (req.res) {
     req.res.emit('close');