diff --git a/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/client/insecure/channel_create.c b/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/client/insecure/channel_create.c
index e323895d480..c4c1e638a97 100644
--- a/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/client/insecure/channel_create.c
+++ b/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/client/insecure/channel_create.c
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ static void on_handshake_done(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *arg,
   gpr_free(args);
   grpc_closure *notify = c->notify;
   c->notify = NULL;
-  grpc_exec_ctx_sched(exec_ctx, notify, error, NULL);
+  grpc_exec_ctx_sched(exec_ctx, notify, GRPC_ERROR_REF(error), NULL);
 }
 
 static void connected(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *arg, grpc_error *error) {
diff --git a/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/client/secure/secure_channel_create.c b/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/client/secure/secure_channel_create.c
index aef871fd410..5101737e111 100644
--- a/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/client/secure/secure_channel_create.c
+++ b/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/client/secure/secure_channel_create.c
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ static void on_handshake_done(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *arg,
     gpr_free(args->read_buffer);
     grpc_closure *notify = c->notify;
     c->notify = NULL;
-    grpc_exec_ctx_sched(exec_ctx, notify, error, NULL);
+    grpc_exec_ctx_sched(exec_ctx, notify, GRPC_ERROR_REF(error), NULL);
   } else {
     // TODO(roth, jboeuf): Convert security connector handshaking to use new
     // handshake API, and then move the code from on_secure_handshake_done()
diff --git a/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/server/insecure/server_chttp2.c b/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/server/insecure/server_chttp2.c
index b7bf49beb96..669a3869ab3 100644
--- a/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/server/insecure/server_chttp2.c
+++ b/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/server/insecure/server_chttp2.c
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@ static void on_handshake_done(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *arg,
     const char *error_str = grpc_error_string(error);
     gpr_log(GPR_ERROR, "Handshaking failed: %s", error_str);
     grpc_error_free_string(error_str);
-    GRPC_ERROR_UNREF(error);
     grpc_handshake_manager_shutdown(exec_ctx, state->handshake_mgr);
     gpr_free(args->read_buffer);
   } else {
diff --git a/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/server/secure/server_secure_chttp2.c b/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/server/secure/server_secure_chttp2.c
index 0002a5cb302..5d3699391f0 100644
--- a/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/server/secure/server_secure_chttp2.c
+++ b/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/server/secure/server_secure_chttp2.c
@@ -123,8 +123,6 @@ static void on_handshake_done(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *arg,
     const char *error_str = grpc_error_string(error);
     gpr_log(GPR_ERROR, "Handshaking failed: %s", error_str);
     grpc_error_free_string(error_str);
-// FIXME: remove?
-//    GRPC_ERROR_UNREF(error);
     grpc_channel_args_destroy(args->args);
     gpr_free(args->read_buffer);
     gpr_free(args);