diff --git a/pkg/tcpip/adapters/gonet/BUILD b/pkg/tcpip/adapters/gonet/BUILD
index 626a2a544..8e53827a6 100644
--- a/pkg/tcpip/adapters/gonet/BUILD
+++ b/pkg/tcpip/adapters/gonet/BUILD
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ go_test(
     srcs = ["gonet_test.go"],
     library = ":gonet",
     deps = [
+        "//pkg/sync",
         "//pkg/tcpip",
         "//pkg/tcpip/header",
         "//pkg/tcpip/link/loopback",
diff --git a/pkg/tcpip/adapters/gonet/gonet.go b/pkg/tcpip/adapters/gonet/gonet.go
index 7dab48cc6..9ad06ab27 100644
--- a/pkg/tcpip/adapters/gonet/gonet.go
+++ b/pkg/tcpip/adapters/gonet/gonet.go
@@ -179,6 +179,7 @@ func (d *deadlineTimer) setDeadline(cancelCh *chan struct{}, timer **time.Timer,
 	// "A zero value for t means I/O operations will not time out."
 	// - net.Conn.SetDeadline
 	if t.IsZero() {
+		*timer = nil
 		return
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/tcpip/adapters/gonet/gonet_test.go b/pkg/tcpip/adapters/gonet/gonet_test.go
index c3ed4636d..d1e88a58e 100644
--- a/pkg/tcpip/adapters/gonet/gonet_test.go
+++ b/pkg/tcpip/adapters/gonet/gonet_test.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"golang.org/x/net/nettest"
+	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/pkg/sync"
 	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/pkg/tcpip"
 	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/pkg/tcpip/header"
 	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/pkg/tcpip/link/loopback"
@@ -1003,3 +1004,25 @@ func TestInterruptListender(t *testing.T) {
 func TestNetTest(t *testing.T) {
 	nettest.TestConn(t, makePipe)
 }
+
+// NOTE(gvisor.dev/issue/9885): Regression test.
+func TestDeadlineTimerAfterZeroValue(t *testing.T) {
+	timer := &deadlineTimer{}
+	timer.init()
+
+	wg := sync.WaitGroup{}
+	ch := timer.readCancel()
+	wg.Add(1)
+	go func() {
+		defer wg.Done()
+		select {
+		case <-ch:
+		case <-time.After(1 * time.Second):
+			t.Fail()
+		}
+	}()
+	timer.SetReadDeadline(time.Now().Add(10 * time.Second))
+	timer.SetReadDeadline(time.Time{})
+	timer.SetReadDeadline(time.Unix(1, 0))
+	wg.Wait()
+}