diff --git a/lib/handler/redirect-handler.js b/lib/handler/redirect-handler.js
index e464c9d6aa3..5af1b39c670 100644
--- a/lib/handler/redirect-handler.js
+++ b/lib/handler/redirect-handler.js
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ class RedirectHandler {
     this.maxRedirections = maxRedirections
     this.handler = handler
     this.history = []
-    this.redirectionLimitReached = false
 
     if (util.isStream(this.opts.body)) {
       // TODO (fix): Provide some way for the user to cache the file to e.g. /tmp
@@ -101,9 +100,7 @@ class RedirectHandler {
 
   onHeaders (statusCode, rawHeaders, resume, statusText) {
     if (this.opts.throwOnMaxRedirect && this.history.length >= this.maxRedirections) {
-      this.redirectionLimitReached = true
-      this.abort(new Error('max redirects'))
-      return
+      throw new Error('max redirects')
     }
 
     // https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc7231#section-6.4.2