diff --git a/packages/bun-usockets/src/socket.c b/packages/bun-usockets/src/socket.c
index eaa152005b..76713eb77b 100644
--- a/packages/bun-usockets/src/socket.c
+++ b/packages/bun-usockets/src/socket.c
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <errno.h>
-
 #ifndef WIN32
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #endif
@@ -175,6 +174,9 @@ struct us_socket_t *us_socket_close(int ssl, struct us_socket_t *s, int code, vo
         return (struct us_socket_t *)us_internal_ssl_socket_close((struct us_internal_ssl_socket_t *) s, code, reason);
     }
     if (!us_socket_is_closed(0, s)) {
+        /* make sure the context is alive until the callback ends */
+        us_socket_context_ref(ssl, s->context);
+
         if (s->low_prio_state == 1) {
             /* Unlink this socket from the low-priority queue */
             if (!s->prev) s->context->loop->data.low_prio_head = s->next;
@@ -186,7 +188,6 @@ struct us_socket_t *us_socket_close(int ssl, struct us_socket_t *s, int code, vo
             s->next = 0;
             s->low_prio_state = 0;
             us_socket_context_unref(ssl, s->context);
-
         } else {
             us_internal_socket_context_unlink_socket(ssl, s->context, s);
         }
@@ -207,16 +208,25 @@ struct us_socket_t *us_socket_close(int ssl, struct us_socket_t *s, int code, vo
 
         bsd_close_socket(us_poll_fd((struct us_poll_t *) s));
 
-        /* Link this socket to the close-list and let it be deleted after this iteration */
-        s->next = s->context->loop->data.closed_head;
-        s->context->loop->data.closed_head = s;
 
         /* Any socket with prev = context is marked as closed */
         s->prev = (struct us_socket_t *) s->context;
 
+        /* mark it as closed and call the callback */
+        struct us_socket_t *res = s;
         if (!(us_internal_poll_type(&s->p) & POLL_TYPE_SEMI_SOCKET)) {
-            return s->context->on_close(s, code, reason);
+            res = s->context->on_close(s, code, reason);
         }
+
+        /* Link this socket to the close-list and let it be deleted after this iteration */
+        s->next = s->context->loop->data.closed_head;
+        s->context->loop->data.closed_head = s;
+
+        /* unref the context after the callback ends */
+        us_socket_context_unref(ssl, s->context);
+
+        /* preserve the return value from on_close if its called */
+        return res;
         
     }
     return s;