diff --git a/src/interceptors/ClientRequest/MockHttpSocket.ts b/src/interceptors/ClientRequest/MockHttpSocket.ts
index 2f4c28f03..085a866ac 100644
--- a/src/interceptors/ClientRequest/MockHttpSocket.ts
+++ b/src/interceptors/ClientRequest/MockHttpSocket.ts
@@ -263,36 +263,51 @@ export class MockHttpSocket extends MockSocket {
       }
     }
 
-    // Forward TLS Socket properties onto this Socket instance
-    // in the case of a TLS/SSL connection.
-    if (Reflect.get(socket, 'encrypted')) {
-      const tlsProperties = [
-        'encrypted',
-        'authorized',
-        'getProtocol',
-        'getSession',
-        'isSessionReused',
-        'getCipher',
-      ]
-
-      tlsProperties.forEach((propertyName) => {
-        Object.defineProperty(this, propertyName, {
-          enumerable: true,
-          get: () => {
-            const value = Reflect.get(socket, propertyName)
-            return typeof value === 'function' ? value.bind(socket) : value
-          },
-        })
-      })
-    }
-
     socket
       .on('lookup', (...args) => this.emit('lookup', ...args))
       .on('connect', () => {
         this.connecting = socket.connecting
         this.emit('connect')
       })
-      .on('secureConnect', () => this.emit('secureConnect'))
+      .on('secureConnect', () => {
+        /**
+         * Forward TLS Socket properties onto this Socket instance
+         * after the TLS handshake completes. This ensures the real socket
+         * has valid TLS information before we start forwarding it.
+         *
+         * We do this on 'secureConnect' rather than immediately in passthrough()
+         * because TLSSocket.encrypted is true even before the socket connects,
+         * but getCipher(), getProtocol() etc. return undefined until the
+         * TLS handshake completes. By waiting until secureConnect, we allow
+         * the mock TLS properties (set in constructor) to remain accessible
+         * until real values are available.
+         */
+        invariant(
+          Reflect.get(socket, 'encrypted'),
+          'Expected socket to have property `encrypted`'
+        )
+
+        const tlsProperties = [
+          'encrypted',
+          'authorized',
+          'getProtocol',
+          'getSession',
+          'isSessionReused',
+          'getCipher',
+        ]
+
+        tlsProperties.forEach((propertyName) => {
+          Object.defineProperty(this, propertyName, {
+            enumerable: true,
+            get: () => {
+              const value = Reflect.get(socket, propertyName)
+              return typeof value === 'function' ? value.bind(socket) : value
+            },
+          })
+        })
+
+        this.emit('secureConnect')
+      })
       .on('secure', () => this.emit('secure'))
       .on('session', (session) => this.emit('session', session))
       .on('ready', () => this.emit('ready'))
diff --git a/src/utils/handleRequest.ts b/src/utils/handleRequest.ts
index 4ef6fcd5a..01d5ebc0c 100644
--- a/src/utils/handleRequest.ts
+++ b/src/utils/handleRequest.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,16 @@ interface HandleRequestOptions {
 export async function handleRequest(
   options: HandleRequestOptions
 ): Promise<void> {
+  /**
+   * @note If there are no "request" event listeners, passthrough immediately
+   * without going through the full async machinery. This reduces the number
+   * of microtask checkpoints, which helps avoid timing issues with
+   * high-concurrency requests (e.g., EPIPE errors with Unix sockets).
+   */
+  if (options.emitter.listenerCount('request') === 0) {
+    return options.controller.passthrough()
+  }
+
   const handleResponse = async (
     response: Response | Error | Record<string, any>
   ) => {
diff --git a/test/modules/http/compliance/http-passthrough-early-return.test.ts b/test/modules/http/compliance/http-passthrough-early-return.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5b17316fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/modules/http/compliance/http-passthrough-early-return.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+// @vitest-environment node
+import { it, expect, beforeAll, afterAll } from 'vitest'
+import http from 'node:http'
+import path from 'node:path'
+import { promisify } from 'node:util'
+import { ClientRequestInterceptor } from '../../../../src/interceptors/ClientRequest'
+import { waitForClientRequest } from '../../../helpers'
+
+const HTTP_SOCKET_PATH = path.join(__dirname, './test-early-return.sock')
+
+const httpServer = http.createServer((req, res) => {
+  res.writeHead(200)
+  res.end('ok')
+})
+
+const interceptor = new ClientRequestInterceptor()
+
+beforeAll(async () => {
+  await new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+    httpServer.listen(HTTP_SOCKET_PATH, resolve)
+  })
+  interceptor.apply()
+})
+
+afterAll(async () => {
+  interceptor.dispose()
+  await promisify(httpServer.close.bind(httpServer))()
+})
+
+/**
+ * When no request listeners are registered, the interceptor should call
+ * passthrough() immediately without going through the full async machinery.
+ * This prevents timing issues with high-concurrency Unix socket requests.
+ * @see https://github.com/mswjs/interceptors/issues/760
+ */
+it('performs passthrough over a Unix socket when no request listeners are attached', async () => {
+  const request = http.request({
+    socketPath: HTTP_SOCKET_PATH,
+    path: '/resource',
+  })
+  request.end()
+  const { res, text } = await waitForClientRequest(request)
+
+  expect(res.statusCode).toBe(200)
+  await expect(text()).resolves.toBe('ok')
+})
+
+it('handles concurrent Unix socket requests when no listeners are attached', async () => {
+  const requests = Array.from({ length: 20 }, () => {
+    const req = http.request({
+      socketPath: HTTP_SOCKET_PATH,
+      path: '/resource',
+    })
+    req.end()
+    return waitForClientRequest(req)
+  })
+
+  const results = await Promise.all(requests)
+
+  for (const { res, text } of results) {
+    expect(res.statusCode).toBe(200)
+    await expect(text()).resolves.toBe('ok')
+  }
+})