diff --git a/src/dialer.js b/src/dialer.js
index 3306af07..3cb7ae00 100644
--- a/src/dialer.js
+++ b/src/dialer.js
@@ -81,24 +81,18 @@ class Dialer {
     const signals = [timeoutController.signal]
     options.signal && signals.push(options.signal)
     const signal = anySignal(signals)
-    const timeoutPromise = delay.reject(this.timeout, {
-      value: errCode(new Error('Dial timed out'), codes.ERR_TIMEOUT)
-    })
+    const timeoutId = setTimeout(() => timeoutController.abort(), this.timeout)
 
     try {
-      // Race the dial request and the timeout
-      const dialResult = await Promise.race([
-        dialRequest.run({
-          ...options,
-          signal
-        }),
-        timeoutPromise
-      ])
-      timeoutPromise.clear()
+      const dialResult = await dialRequest.run({ ...options, signal })
+      clearTimeout(timeoutId)
       return dialResult
     } catch (err) {
+      // Error is a timeout
+      if (timeoutController.signal.aborted) {
+        err = errCode(err, codes.ERR_TIMEOUT)
+      }
       log.error(err)
-      timeoutController.abort()
       throw err
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/dialer/dial-request.js b/src/dialer/dial-request.js
index 02a6675a..d4e952e8 100644
--- a/src/dialer/dial-request.js
+++ b/src/dialer/dial-request.js
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ class DialRequest {
         try {
           const signal = dialAbortControllers[i].signal
           conn = await this.dialAction(addr, { ...options, signal: anySignal([signal, options.signal]) })
-          // Remove the successful AbortController so it is no aborted
+          // Remove the successful AbortController so it is not aborted
           dialAbortControllers.splice(i, 1)
         } catch (err) {
           throw err
diff --git a/test/dialing/direct.node.js b/test/dialing/direct.node.js
index a24a39ac..bac268c6 100644
--- a/test/dialing/direct.node.js
+++ b/test/dialing/direct.node.js
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ const delay = require('delay')
 const pDefer = require('p-defer')
 const pipe = require('it-pipe')
 const AggregateError = require('aggregate-error')
+const { AbortError } = require('libp2p-interfaces/src/transport/errors')
 
 const Libp2p = require('../../src')
 const Dialer = require('../../src/dialer')
@@ -142,6 +143,7 @@ describe('Dialing (direct, TCP)', () => {
       expect(addr.toString()).to.eql(remoteAddr.toString())
       await delay(60)
       expect(options.signal.aborted).to.equal(true)
+      throw new AbortError()
     })
 
     await expect(dialer.connectToMultiaddr(remoteAddr))
diff --git a/test/dialing/direct.spec.js b/test/dialing/direct.spec.js
index 0b6a9276..6626d54d 100644
--- a/test/dialing/direct.spec.js
+++ b/test/dialing/direct.spec.js
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ const multiaddr = require('multiaddr')
 const PeerId = require('peer-id')
 const PeerInfo = require('peer-info')
 const AggregateError = require('aggregate-error')
+const { AbortError } = require('libp2p-interfaces/src/transport/errors')
 
 const { codes: ErrorCodes } = require('../../src/errors')
 const Constants = require('../../src/constants')
@@ -130,6 +131,7 @@ describe('Dialing (direct, WebSockets)', () => {
       expect(addr.toString()).to.eql(remoteAddr.toString())
       await delay(60)
       expect(options.signal.aborted).to.equal(true)
+      throw new AbortError()
     })
 
     await expect(dialer.connectToMultiaddr(remoteAddr))