diff --git a/lib/_stream_readable.js b/lib/_stream_readable.js
index 952f2d75b84839..e34e13efbb05bc 100644
--- a/lib/_stream_readable.js
+++ b/lib/_stream_readable.js
@@ -213,7 +213,9 @@ function Readable(options) {
   Stream.call(this, options);
 
   destroyImpl.construct(this, () => {
-    maybeReadMore(this, this._readableState);
+    if (!this.isPaused()) {
+      maybeReadMore(this, this._readableState);
+    }
   });
 }
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-stream-construct.js b/test/parallel/test-stream-construct.js
index a3e2b4d2e3e8bd..fee27f44006c2d 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-stream-construct.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-stream-construct.js
@@ -242,3 +242,14 @@ testDestroy((opts) => new Writable({
     construct: common.mustCall()
   });
 }
+
+{
+  // Readable paused
+  const readable = new Readable({
+    construct: common.mustCall((callback) => {
+      readable.pause();
+      callback();
+    }),
+    read: common.mustNotCall()
+  });
+}