diff --git a/lib/http-proxy/passes/web-incoming.js b/lib/http-proxy/passes/web-incoming.js
index 16a122d..2fa28d2 100644
--- a/lib/http-proxy/passes/web-incoming.js
+++ b/lib/http-proxy/passes/web-incoming.js
@@ -103,6 +103,10 @@ module.exports = {
       var forwardReq = (options.forward.protocol === 'https:' ? https : http).request(
         common.setupOutgoing(options.ssl || {}, options, req, 'forward')
       );
+
+      // error handler (e.g. ECONNREFUSED)
+      forwardReq.on('error', proxyError);
+
       (options.buffer || req).pipe(forwardReq);
       if(!options.target) { return res.end(); }
     }
@@ -138,7 +142,7 @@ module.exports = {
 
     function proxyError (err){
       if (req.socket.destroyed && err.code === 'ECONNRESET') {
-        server.emit('econnreset', err, req, res, options.target);
+        server.emit('econnreset', err, req, res, options.target || options.forward);
         return proxyReq.abort();
       }
 
diff --git a/test/lib-http-proxy-passes-web-incoming-test.js b/test/lib-http-proxy-passes-web-incoming-test.js
index a89fc23..1996276 100644
--- a/test/lib-http-proxy-passes-web-incoming-test.js
+++ b/test/lib-http-proxy-passes-web-incoming-test.js
@@ -177,6 +177,35 @@ describe('#createProxyServer.web() using own http server', function () {
     }, function() {}).end();
   });
 
+  it('should forward the request and handle error via event listener', function(done) {
+    var proxy = httpProxy.createProxyServer({
+      forward: 'http://127.0.0.1:8080'
+    });
+
+    var proxyServer = http.createServer(requestHandler);
+
+    function requestHandler(req, res) {
+      proxy.once('error', function (err, errReq, errRes) {
+        proxyServer.close();
+        expect(err).to.be.an(Error);
+        expect(errReq).to.be.equal(req);
+        expect(errRes).to.be.equal(res);
+        expect(err.code).to.be('ECONNREFUSED');
+        done();
+      });
+
+      proxy.web(req, res);
+    }
+
+    proxyServer.listen('8083');
+
+    http.request({
+      hostname: '127.0.0.1',
+      port: '8083',
+      method: 'GET',
+    }, function() {}).end();
+  });
+
   it('should proxy the request and handle timeout error (proxyTimeout)', function(done) {
     var proxy = httpProxy.createProxyServer({
       target: 'http://127.0.0.1:45000',