diff --git a/lib/node-repo.js b/lib/node-repo.js
index c21210e6..12982f2a 100644
--- a/lib/node-repo.js
+++ b/lib/node-repo.js
@@ -117,6 +117,8 @@ function getCodeOwnersFile (url, { logger }) {
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
     https.get(url, (res) => {
       if (res.statusCode !== 200) {
+        // discard the response body so the socket is released
+        res.resume()
         logger.error(`Status code: ${res.statusCode}`, 'Error retrieving OWNERS')
         return reject(res.statusCode)
       }
@@ -127,7 +129,11 @@ function getCodeOwnersFile (url, { logger }) {
       res.on('end', () => {
         return resolve(body)
       })
-    }).on('err', (err) => {
+      res.on('error', (err) => {
+        logger.error(err, 'Error retrieving OWNERS')
+        return reject(err)
+      })
+    }).on('error', (err) => {
       logger.error(err, 'Error retrieving OWNERS')
       return reject(err)
     })
diff --git a/test/unit/node-repo-owners.test.js b/test/unit/node-repo-owners.test.js
index c62f2c08..483384e4 100644
--- a/test/unit/node-repo-owners.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/node-repo-owners.test.js
@@ -169,6 +169,28 @@ test('getCodeOwnersFile fail', async (t) => {
   scope.done()
 })
 
+test('getCodeOwnersFile network error', async (t) => {
+  const options = {
+    owner: 'nodejs',
+    repo: 'node-auto-test-6',
+    prId: 12347,
+    logger: { info: () => {}, error: () => {}, debug: () => {}, child: function () { return this } },
+    retries: 1,
+    defaultBranch: 'main',
+    retryInterval: 10
+  }
+
+  const base = 'https://localhost'
+  const filePath = '/CODEOWNERS'
+  const url = `${base}${filePath}`
+  const scope = nock(base)
+    .get(filePath)
+    .replyWithError('socket hang up')
+
+  await t.assert.rejects(getCodeOwnersFile(url, options), { message: 'socket hang up' })
+  scope.done()
+})
+
 test('pingOwners success', async (t) => {
   const options = {
     owner: 'nodejs',