diff --git a/socketio/asyncio_client.py b/socketio/asyncio_client.py
index b2ad1ea..29f6e44 100644
--- a/socketio/asyncio_client.py
+++ b/socketio/asyncio_client.py
@@ -380,6 +380,8 @@ class AsyncClient(client.Client):
                 event, *args)
 
     async def _handle_reconnect(self):
+        if self._reconnect_abort is None:  # pragma: no cover
+            self._reconnect_abort = self.eio.create_event()
         self._reconnect_abort.clear()
         client.reconnecting_clients.append(self)
         attempt_count = 0
@@ -457,7 +459,6 @@ class AsyncClient(client.Client):
     async def _handle_eio_disconnect(self):
         """Handle the Engine.IO disconnection event."""
         self.logger.info('Engine.IO connection dropped')
-        self._reconnect_abort.set()
         if self.connected:
             for n in self.namespaces:
                 await self._trigger_event('disconnect', namespace=n)
diff --git a/socketio/client.py b/socketio/client.py
index d42d0d7..8eaa6ce 100644
--- a/socketio/client.py
+++ b/socketio/client.py
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ class Client(object):
         self.callbacks = {}
         self._binary_packet = None
         self._reconnect_task = None
-        self._reconnect_abort = self.eio.create_event()
+        self._reconnect_abort = None
 
     def is_asyncio_based(self):
         return False
@@ -552,6 +552,8 @@ class Client(object):
                 event, *args)
 
     def _handle_reconnect(self):
+        if self._reconnect_abort is None:  # pragma: no cover
+            self._reconnect_abort = self.eio.create_event()
         self._reconnect_abort.clear()
         reconnecting_clients.append(self)
         attempt_count = 0
diff --git a/tests/common/test_client.py b/tests/common/test_client.py
index 5c6ff2c..9f9481c 100644
--- a/tests/common/test_client.py
+++ b/tests/common/test_client.py
@@ -852,6 +852,7 @@ class TestClient(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_handle_reconnect(self, random):
         c = client.Client()
         c._reconnect_task = 'foo'
+        c._reconnect_abort = c.eio.create_event()
         c._reconnect_abort.wait = mock.MagicMock(return_value=False)
         c.connect = mock.MagicMock(
             side_effect=[ValueError, exceptions.ConnectionError, None]
@@ -869,6 +870,7 @@ class TestClient(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_handle_reconnect_max_delay(self, random):
         c = client.Client(reconnection_delay_max=3)
         c._reconnect_task = 'foo'
+        c._reconnect_abort = c.eio.create_event()
         c._reconnect_abort.wait = mock.MagicMock(return_value=False)
         c.connect = mock.MagicMock(
             side_effect=[ValueError, exceptions.ConnectionError, None]
@@ -886,6 +888,7 @@ class TestClient(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_handle_reconnect_max_attempts(self, random):
         c = client.Client(reconnection_attempts=2)
         c._reconnect_task = 'foo'
+        c._reconnect_abort = c.eio.create_event()
         c._reconnect_abort.wait = mock.MagicMock(return_value=False)
         c.connect = mock.MagicMock(
             side_effect=[ValueError, exceptions.ConnectionError, None]
@@ -902,6 +905,7 @@ class TestClient(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_handle_reconnect_aborted(self, random):
         c = client.Client()
         c._reconnect_task = 'foo'
+        c._reconnect_abort = c.eio.create_event()
         c._reconnect_abort.wait = mock.MagicMock(side_effect=[False, True])
         c.connect = mock.MagicMock(side_effect=exceptions.ConnectionError)
         c._handle_reconnect()