diff --git a/doc/api/stream.md b/doc/api/stream.md
index 603e0407a8c60c..63f444ec796655 100644
--- a/doc/api/stream.md
+++ b/doc/api/stream.md
@@ -1525,9 +1525,6 @@ added: v16.3.0
   * `destroyOnReturn` {boolean} When set to `false`, calling `return` on the
     async iterator, or exiting a `for await...of` iteration using a `break`,
     `return`, or `throw` will not destroy the stream. **Default:** `true`.
-  * `destroyOnError` {boolean} When set to `false`, if the stream emits an
-    error while it's being iterated, the iterator will not destroy the stream.
-    **Default:** `true`.
 * Returns: {AsyncIterator} to consume the stream.
 
 The iterator created by this method gives users the option to cancel the
diff --git a/lib/internal/streams/readable.js b/lib/internal/streams/readable.js
index f25413fa9d6269..5e558fb0f58d54 100644
--- a/lib/internal/streams/readable.js
+++ b/lib/internal/streams/readable.js
@@ -486,7 +486,22 @@ Readable.prototype.read = function(n) {
       state.needReadable = true;
 
     // Call internal read method
-    this._read(state.highWaterMark);
+    try {
+      const result = this._read(state.highWaterMark);
+      if (result != null) {
+        const then = result.then;
+        if (typeof then === 'function') {
+          then.call(
+            result,
+            nop,
+            function(err) {
+              errorOrDestroy(this, err);
+            });
+        }
+      }
+    } catch (err) {
+      errorOrDestroy(this, err);
+    }
 
     state.sync = false;
     // If _read pushed data synchronously, then `reading` will be false,
@@ -1131,14 +1146,11 @@ async function* createAsyncIterator(stream, options) {
     error = aggregateTwoErrors(error, err);
     throw error;
   } finally {
-    if (error) {
-      if (options?.destroyOnError !== false) {
-        destroyImpl.destroyer(stream, error);
-      }
-    } else if (options?.destroyOnReturn !== false) {
-      if (error === undefined || stream._readableState.autoDestroy) {
-        destroyImpl.destroyer(stream, null);
-      }
+    if (
+      (error || options?.destroyOnReturn !== false) &&
+      (error === undefined || stream._readableState.autoDestroy)
+    ) {
+      destroyImpl.destroyer(stream, null);
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-stream-readable-async-iterators.js b/test/parallel/test-stream-readable-async-iterators.js
index d546505062eeef..45b27a155d0efd 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-stream-readable-async-iterators.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-stream-readable-async-iterators.js
@@ -750,22 +750,6 @@ async function tests() {
     })());
   }
 
-  function createErrorReadable() {
-    const opts = { read() { throw new Error('inner'); } };
-    return new Readable(opts);
-  }
-
-  // Check default destroys on return
-  (async function() {
-    const readable = createReadable();
-    for await (const chunk of readable.iterator()) {
-      assert.strictEqual(chunk, 5);
-      break;
-    }
-
-    assert.ok(readable.destroyed);
-  })().then(common.mustCall());
-
   // Check explicit destroying on return
   (async function() {
     const readable = createReadable();
@@ -777,50 +761,6 @@ async function tests() {
     assert.ok(readable.destroyed);
   })().then(common.mustCall());
 
-  // Check default destroys on error
-  (async function() {
-    const readable = createErrorReadable();
-    try {
-      // eslint-disable-next-line no-unused-vars
-      for await (const chunk of readable) { }
-      assert.fail('should have thrown');
-    } catch (err) {
-      assert.strictEqual(err.message, 'inner');
-    }
-
-    assert.ok(readable.destroyed);
-  })().then(common.mustCall());
-
-  // Check explicit destroys on error
-  (async function() {
-    const readable = createErrorReadable();
-    const opts = { destroyOnError: true, destroyOnReturn: false };
-    try {
-      // eslint-disable-next-line no-unused-vars
-      for await (const chunk of readable.iterator(opts)) { }
-      assert.fail('should have thrown');
-    } catch (err) {
-      assert.strictEqual(err.message, 'inner');
-    }
-
-    assert.ok(readable.destroyed);
-  })().then(common.mustCall());
-
-  // Check explicit non-destroy with return true
-  (async function() {
-    const readable = createErrorReadable();
-    const opts = { destroyOnError: false, destroyOnReturn: true };
-    try {
-      // eslint-disable-next-line no-unused-vars
-      for await (const chunk of readable.iterator(opts)) { }
-      assert.fail('should have thrown');
-    } catch (err) {
-      assert.strictEqual(err.message, 'inner');
-    }
-
-    assert.ok(!readable.destroyed);
-  })().then(common.mustCall());
-
   // Check explicit non-destroy with return true
   (async function() {
     const readable = createReadable();
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-stream-readable-with-unimplemented-_read.js b/test/parallel/test-stream-readable-with-unimplemented-_read.js
index 16ec2ac8cd8852..85e83aa3b61da0 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-stream-readable-with-unimplemented-_read.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-stream-readable-with-unimplemented-_read.js
@@ -1,18 +1,13 @@
 'use strict';
-require('../common');
-
-const assert = require('assert');
+const common = require('../common');
 const { Readable } = require('stream');
 
 const readable = new Readable();
 
-assert.throws(
-  () => {
-    readable.read();
-  },
-  {
-    code: 'ERR_METHOD_NOT_IMPLEMENTED',
-    name: 'Error',
-    message: 'The _read() method is not implemented'
-  }
-);
+readable.read();
+readable.on('error', common.expectsError({
+  code: 'ERR_METHOD_NOT_IMPLEMENTED',
+  name: 'Error',
+  message: 'The _read() method is not implemented'
+}));
+readable.on('close', common.mustCall());