diff --git a/gio/gsocketclient.c b/gio/gsocketclient.c
index b238a3cce..7b8d3abbb 100644
--- a/gio/gsocketclient.c
+++ b/gio/gsocketclient.c
@@ -1919,6 +1919,7 @@ try_next_connection_or_finish (GSocketClientAsyncConnectData *data,
     }
 
   complete_connection_with_error (data, g_steal_pointer (&data->error_info->best_error));
+  g_object_unref (data->task);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/gio/tests/gsocketclient-slow.c b/gio/tests/gsocketclient-slow.c
index f56e11d25..18781eff9 100644
--- a/gio/tests/gsocketclient-slow.c
+++ b/gio/tests/gsocketclient-slow.c
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <gio/gio.h>
+#include <gio/gnetworking.h> /* For IPV6_V6ONLY */
 
 static void
 on_connected (GObject      *source_object,
@@ -173,6 +174,70 @@ test_happy_eyeballs_cancel_instant (void)
   g_object_unref (cancel);
 }
 
+static void
+async_result_cb (GObject      *source,
+                 GAsyncResult *res,
+                 gpointer      user_data)
+{
+  GAsyncResult **result_out = user_data;
+
+  g_assert_null (*result_out);
+  *result_out = g_object_ref (res);
+
+  g_main_context_wakeup (NULL);
+}
+
+static void
+test_connection_failed (void)
+{
+  GSocketClient *client = NULL;
+  GInetAddress *inet_address = NULL;
+  GSocketAddress *address = NULL;
+  GSocket *socket = NULL;
+  guint16 port;
+  GAsyncResult *async_result = NULL;
+  GSocketConnection *conn = NULL;
+  GError *local_error = NULL;
+
+  g_test_bug ("https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/glib/-/issues/3184");
+
+  inet_address = g_inet_address_new_any (G_SOCKET_FAMILY_IPV6);
+  address = g_inet_socket_address_new (inet_address, 0);
+  g_object_unref (inet_address);
+
+  socket = g_socket_new (G_SOCKET_FAMILY_IPV6, G_SOCKET_TYPE_STREAM, G_SOCKET_PROTOCOL_TCP, &local_error);
+  g_assert_no_error (local_error);
+  g_socket_set_option (socket, IPPROTO_IPV6, IPV6_V6ONLY, FALSE, NULL);
+  g_socket_bind (socket, address, TRUE, &local_error);
+  g_assert_no_error (local_error);
+
+  /* reserve a port without listening so we know that connecting to it will fail */
+  port = g_inet_socket_address_get_port (G_INET_SOCKET_ADDRESS (address));
+
+  client = g_socket_client_new ();
+  /* Connect to the port we have reserved but do not listen to. Because of the slow connection
+   * caused by slow-connect-preload.c and the fact that we try to connect to both IPv4 and IPv6
+   * we will in some way exercise the code path in try_next_connection_or_finish() that ends
+   * with a call to complete_connection_with_error(). This path previously had a memory leak.
+   * Note that the slowness is important, because without it we could bail out already in the
+   * address enumeration phase because it finishes when there are no connection attempts in
+   * progress. */
+  g_socket_client_connect_to_host_async (client, "localhost", port, NULL, async_result_cb, &async_result);
+
+  while (async_result == NULL)
+    g_main_context_iteration (NULL, TRUE);
+
+  conn = g_socket_client_connect_to_uri_finish (client, async_result, &local_error);
+  g_assert_error (local_error, G_IO_ERROR, G_IO_ERROR_CONNECTION_REFUSED);
+  g_assert_null (conn);
+  g_clear_error (&local_error);
+  g_clear_object (&async_result);
+
+  g_clear_object (&client);
+  g_clear_object (&socket);
+  g_clear_object (&address);
+}
+
 int
 main (int argc, char *argv[])
 {
@@ -181,7 +246,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
   g_test_add_func ("/socket-client/happy-eyeballs/slow", test_happy_eyeballs);
   g_test_add_func ("/socket-client/happy-eyeballs/cancellation/instant", test_happy_eyeballs_cancel_instant);
   g_test_add_func ("/socket-client/happy-eyeballs/cancellation/delayed", test_happy_eyeballs_cancel_delayed);
-
+  g_test_add_func ("/socket-client/connection-fail", test_connection_failed);
 
   return g_test_run ();
 }