diff --git a/src/browser/webapi/net/XMLHttpRequest.zig b/src/browser/webapi/net/XMLHttpRequest.zig
index 73e35309..cb948a19 100644
--- a/src/browser/webapi/net/XMLHttpRequest.zig
+++ b/src/browser/webapi/net/XMLHttpRequest.zig
@@ -233,6 +233,7 @@ pub fn send(self: *XMLHttpRequest, body_: ?[]const u8) !void {
         .data_callback = httpDataCallback,
         .done_callback = httpDoneCallback,
         .error_callback = httpErrorCallback,
+        .shutdown_callback = httpShutdownCallback,
     });
 
     page.js.strongRef(self);
@@ -463,6 +464,11 @@ fn httpErrorCallback(ctx: *anyopaque, err: anyerror) void {
     self._page.js.weakRef(self);
 }
 
+fn httpShutdownCallback(ctx: *anyopaque) void {
+    const self: *XMLHttpRequest = @ptrCast(@alignCast(ctx));
+    self._transfer = null;
+}
+
 pub fn abort(self: *XMLHttpRequest) void {
     self.handleError(error.Abort);
     if (self._transfer) |transfer| {
diff --git a/src/lightpanda.zig b/src/lightpanda.zig
index 59ac4dc9..c40120cc 100644
--- a/src/lightpanda.zig
+++ b/src/lightpanda.zig
@@ -39,9 +39,10 @@ pub const FetchOpts = struct {
     writer: ?*std.Io.Writer = null,
 };
 pub fn fetch(app: *App, url: [:0]const u8, opts: FetchOpts) !void {
-    var browser = try Browser.init(app, .{});
     const notification = try Notification.init(app.allocator);
     defer notification.deinit();
+
+    var browser = try Browser.init(app, .{});
     defer browser.deinit();
 
     var session = try browser.newSession(notification);