diff --git a/src/unix/kqueue.c b/src/unix/kqueue.c
index b78242d3be4..85183c88f1d 100644
--- a/src/unix/kqueue.c
+++ b/src/unix/kqueue.c
@@ -260,9 +260,6 @@ void uv__io_poll(uv_loop_t* loop, int timeout) {
                   ARRAY_SIZE(events),
                   timeout == -1 ? NULL : &spec);
 
-    if (nfds == -1)
-      assert(errno == EINTR);
-
     if (pset != NULL)
       pthread_sigmask(SIG_UNBLOCK, pset, NULL);
 
@@ -272,6 +269,12 @@ void uv__io_poll(uv_loop_t* loop, int timeout) {
      */
     uv__update_time(loop);
 
+    if (nfds == -1)
+      assert(errno == EINTR);
+    else if (nfds == 0)
+      /* Unlimited timeout should only return with events or signal. */
+      assert(timeout != -1);
+
     if (nfds == 0 || nfds == -1) {
       /* If kqueue is empty or interrupted, we might still have children ready
        * to reap immediately. */
@@ -285,13 +288,13 @@ void uv__io_poll(uv_loop_t* loop, int timeout) {
       if (reset_timeout != 0) {
         timeout = user_timeout;
         reset_timeout = 0;
-      } else if (nfds == 0) {
-        /* Reached the user timeout value. */
-        assert(timeout != -1);
-        return;
       }
 
-      /* Interrupted by a signal. Update timeout and poll again. */
+      /* If nfds == 0 then we may have been inside the system call for longer
+       * than |timeout| milliseconds so we need to update the timestamp to
+       * avoid drift.
+       * If nfds == -1 then it was interrupted by a signal. Update timeout and
+       * poll again. */
       goto update_timeout;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/unix/linux.c b/src/unix/linux.c
index 65fb847f65b..b4cc548000c 100644
--- a/src/unix/linux.c
+++ b/src/unix/linux.c
@@ -1370,42 +1370,23 @@ void uv__io_poll(uv_loop_t* loop, int timeout) {
      */
     SAVE_ERRNO(uv__update_time(loop));
 
-    if (nfds == 0) {
+    if (nfds == -1)
+      assert(errno == EINTR);
+    else if (nfds == 0)
+      /* Unlimited timeout should only return with events or signal. */
       assert(timeout != -1);
 
+    if (nfds == 0 || nfds == -1) {
       if (reset_timeout != 0) {
         timeout = user_timeout;
         reset_timeout = 0;
       }
 
-      if (timeout == -1)
-        continue;
-
-      if (timeout == 0)
-        break;
-
-      /* We may have been inside the system call for longer than |timeout|
-       * milliseconds so we need to update the timestamp to avoid drift.
-       */
-      goto update_timeout;
-    }
-
-    if (nfds == -1) {
-      if (errno != EINTR)
-        abort();
-
-      if (reset_timeout != 0) {
-        timeout = user_timeout;
-        reset_timeout = 0;
-      }
-
-      if (timeout == -1)
-        continue;
-
-      if (timeout == 0)
-        break;
-
-      /* Interrupted by a signal. Update timeout and poll again. */
+      /* If nfds == 0 then we may have been inside the system call for longer
+       * than |timeout| milliseconds so we need to update the timestamp to
+       * avoid drift.
+       * If nfds == -1 then it was interrupted by a signal. Update timeout and
+       * poll again. */
       goto update_timeout;
     }
 
@@ -1515,13 +1496,13 @@ void uv__io_poll(uv_loop_t* loop, int timeout) {
       break;
     }
 
+update_timeout:
     if (timeout == 0)
       break;
 
     if (timeout == -1)
       continue;
 
-update_timeout:
     assert(timeout > 0);
 
     real_timeout -= (loop->time - base);