diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3e73281..f353bb8 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -570,6 +570,8 @@ setTimeout(() => query.cancel(), 100)
 const result = await query
 ```
 
+`query.cancel()` returns a promise that settles when the cancel request is done. It rejects if the request could not be sent, for example when a connection for it cannot be opened, so handle it to avoid an unhandled rejection. Calling it again returns the same promise.
+
 ### Execute
 
 #### ```await sql``.execute()```
diff --git a/src/query.js b/src/query.js
index 0d44a15..0227cc8 100644
--- a/src/query.js
+++ b/src/query.js
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ export class Query extends Promise {
   }
 
   cancel() {
-    return this.canceller && (this.canceller(this), this.canceller = null)
+    return this.cancelling || (this.cancelling = this.canceller && this.canceller(this))
   }
 
   simple() {
diff --git a/tests/index.js b/tests/index.js
index 845c6ce..d7f921e 100644
--- a/tests/index.js
+++ b/tests/index.js
@@ -2302,6 +2302,31 @@ t('Cancel queued query', async() => {
   return ['57014', error.code]
 })
 
+t('Cancel returns a promise that rejects when the cancel request fails', async() => {
+  let sockets = 0
+  const sql = postgres({
+    ...options,
+    socket: () => {
+      if (sockets++)
+        throw new Error('no socket for the cancel request')
+      return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+        const socket = new net.Socket()
+        socket.connect(5432)
+        socket.on('error', reject)
+        socket.on('connect', () => resolve(socket))
+      })
+    }
+  })
+  await sql`select 1`
+  const query = sql`select pg_sleep(0.2)`.execute()
+  await delay(50)
+  const cancelled = query.cancel()
+  const rejected = await cancelled.then(() => false, e => e instanceof Error)
+  await query
+  await sql.end()
+  return ['true,true', [rejected, query.cancel() === cancelled].join()]
+})
+
 t('Fragments', async() => [
   1,
   (await sql`
diff --git a/types/index.d.ts b/types/index.d.ts
index 13c3432..6103ccd 100644
--- a/types/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/index.d.ts
@@ -605,7 +605,11 @@ declare namespace postgres {
     writable(): Promise<Writable>;
 
     execute(): this;
-    cancel(): void;
+    /**
+     * Sends a cancel request for this query, once, however often it is called
+     * @returns A promise that settles when the cancel request is done, and rejects if it could not be sent
+     */
+    cancel(): Promise<void>;
 
     /**
      * @deprecated `.stream` has been renamed to `.forEach`