diff --git a/lib/pure/asyncstreams.nim b/lib/pure/asyncstreams.nim
index bd366f58d7..706fda4704 100644
--- a/lib/pure/asyncstreams.nim
+++ b/lib/pure/asyncstreams.nim
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ type
     queue: Deque[T]
     finished: bool
     cb: proc () {.closure, gcsafe.}
+    error*: ref Exception
 
 proc newFutureStream*[T](fromProc = "unspecified"): FutureStream[T] =
   ## Create a new ``FutureStream``. This future's callback is activated when
@@ -40,10 +41,19 @@ proc newFutureStream*[T](fromProc = "unspecified"): FutureStream[T] =
 
 proc complete*[T](future: FutureStream[T]) =
   ## Completes a ``FutureStream`` signalling the end of data.
+  assert(future.error == nil, "Trying to complete failed stream")
   future.finished = true
   if not future.cb.isNil:
     future.cb()
 
+proc fail*[T](future: FutureStream[T], error: ref Exception) =
+  ## Completes ``future`` with ``error``.
+  assert(not future.finished)
+  future.finished = true
+  future.error = error
+  if not future.cb.isNil:
+    future.cb()
+
 proc `callback=`*[T](future: FutureStream[T],
     cb: proc (future: FutureStream[T]) {.closure, gcsafe.}) =
   ## Sets the callback proc to be called when data was placed inside the
@@ -65,6 +75,10 @@ proc finished*[T](future: FutureStream[T]): bool =
   ## no data waiting to be retrieved.
   result = future.finished and future.queue.len == 0
 
+proc failed*[T](future: FutureStream[T]): bool =
+  ## Determines whether ``future`` completed with an error.
+  return future.error != nil
+
 proc write*[T](future: FutureStream[T], value: T): Future[void] =
   ## Writes the specified value inside the specified future stream.
   ##
@@ -107,7 +121,10 @@ proc read*[T](future: FutureStream[T]): owned(Future[(bool, T)]) =
       res[0] = true
       res[1] = fs.queue.popFirst()
 
-    resFut.complete(res)
+    if fs.failed:
+      resFut.fail(fs.error)
+    else:
+      resFut.complete(res)
 
     # If the saved callback isn't nil then let's call it.
     if not savedCb.isNil:
diff --git a/lib/pure/httpclient.nim b/lib/pure/httpclient.nim
index bfc3782795..79d35aeb8e 100644
--- a/lib/pure/httpclient.nim
+++ b/lib/pure/httpclient.nim
@@ -843,8 +843,11 @@ proc parseResponse(client: HttpClient | AsyncHttpClient,
       client.bodyStream = newFutureStream[string]("parseResponse")
       result.bodyStream = client.bodyStream
       assert(client.parseBodyFut.isNil or client.parseBodyFut.finished)
+      # do not wait here for the body request to complete
       client.parseBodyFut = parseBody(client, result.headers, result.version)
-        # do not wait here for the body request to complete
+      client.parseBodyFut.addCallback do():
+        if client.parseBodyFut.failed:
+          client.bodyStream.fail(client.parseBodyFut.error)
 
 proc newConnection(client: HttpClient | AsyncHttpClient,
                    url: Uri) {.multisync.} =
@@ -1177,13 +1180,16 @@ proc downloadFile*(client: AsyncHttpClient, url: string,
 
     client.bodyStream = newFutureStream[string]("downloadFile")
     var file = openAsync(filename, fmWrite)
+    defer: file.close()
     # Let `parseBody` write response data into client.bodyStream in the
     # background.
-    asyncCheck parseBody(client, resp.headers, resp.version)
+    let parseBodyFut = parseBody(client, resp.headers, resp.version)
+    parseBodyFut.addCallback do():
+      if parseBodyFut.failed:
+        client.bodyStream.fail(parseBodyFut.error)
     # The `writeFromStream` proc will complete once all the data in the
     # `bodyStream` has been written to the file.
     await file.writeFromStream(client.bodyStream)
-    file.close()
 
     if resp.code.is4xx or resp.code.is5xx:
       raise newException(HttpRequestError, resp.status)
diff --git a/tests/stdlib/thttpclient_standalone.nim b/tests/stdlib/thttpclient_standalone.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..44a88e91ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/stdlib/thttpclient_standalone.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+discard """
+  cmd: "nim c --threads:on $file"
+"""
+
+import asynchttpserver, httpclient, asyncdispatch
+
+block: # bug #16436
+  proc startServer() {.async.} =
+    proc cb(req: Request) {.async.} =
+      let headers = { "Content-length": "15"} # Provide invalid content-length
+      await req.respond(Http200, "Hello World", headers.newHttpHeaders())
+
+    var server = newAsyncHttpServer()
+    await server.serve(Port(5555), cb)
+
+  proc runClient() {.async.} =
+    let c = newAsyncHttpClient(headers = {"Connection": "close"}.newHttpHeaders)
+    let r = await c.getContent("http://127.0.0.1:5555")
+    doAssert false, "should fail earlier"
+
+  asyncCheck startServer()
+  doAssertRaises(ProtocolError):
+    waitFor runClient()