diff --git a/http.go b/http.go
index fa1bd4e..1b2b92c 100644
--- a/http.go
+++ b/http.go
@@ -102,7 +102,8 @@ var ErrReadTimeout = errors.New("read timeout")
 // the given timeout.
 //
 // If request couldn't be read during the given timeout,
-// it returns ErrReadTimeout.
+// ErrReadTimeout is returned.
+// Request can no longer be used after ErrReadTimeout error.
 func (req *Request) ReadTimeout(r *bufio.Reader, timeout time.Duration) error {
 	if timeout <= 0 {
 		return req.Read(r)
@@ -136,7 +137,8 @@ func (req *Request) ReadTimeout(r *bufio.Reader, timeout time.Duration) error {
 // the given timeout.
 //
 // If response couldn't be read during the given timeout,
-// it returns ErrReadTimeout.
+// ErrReadTimeout is returned.
+// Request can no longer be used after ErrReadTimeout error.
 func (resp *Response) ReadTimeout(r *bufio.Reader, timeout time.Duration) error {
 	if timeout <= 0 {
 		return resp.Read(r)
diff --git a/http_test.go b/http_test.go
index d52e599..6740ec2 100644
--- a/http_test.go
+++ b/http_test.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestResponseReadTimeout(t *testing.T) {
-	var resp Response
+	resp := &Response{}
 
 	for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
 		testResponseReadTimeoutError(t, &resp)
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ func TestResponseReadTimeout(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestRequestReadTimeout(t *testing.T) {
-	var req Request
+	req := &Request{}
 
 	for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
 		testRequestReadTimeoutError(t, &req)
@@ -50,28 +50,30 @@ func TestRequestReadTimeout(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func testResponseReadTimeoutError(t *testing.T, resp *Response) {
+func testResponseReadTimeoutError(t *testing.T, resp **Response) {
 	r, _ := io.Pipe()
 	rb := bufio.NewReader(r)
-	err := resp.ReadTimeout(rb, 5*time.Millisecond)
+	err := (*resp).ReadTimeout(rb, 5*time.Millisecond)
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Expecting error")
 	}
 	if err != ErrReadTimeout {
 		t.Fatalf("Unexpected error: %s. Expecting %s", err, ErrReadTimeout)
 	}
+	*resp = &Response{}
 }
 
-func testRequestReadTimeoutError(t *testing.T, req *Request) {
+func testRequestReadTimeoutError(t *testing.T, req **Request) {
 	r, _ := io.Pipe()
 	rb := bufio.NewReader(r)
-	err := req.ReadTimeout(rb, 5*time.Millisecond)
+	err := (*req).ReadTimeout(rb, 5*time.Millisecond)
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Expecting error")
 	}
 	if err != ErrReadTimeout {
 		t.Fatalf("Unexpected error: %s. Expecting %s", err, ErrReadTimeout)
 	}
+	*req = &Request{}
 }
 
 func TestRequestReadChunked(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index 6a6904c..71cd7a9 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
-	"unsafe"
 )
 
 // RequestHandler must process incoming requests.
@@ -124,7 +123,9 @@ type RequestCtx struct {
 	c      io.ReadWriter
 	r      *bufio.Reader
 	w      *bufio.Writer
-	shadow unsafe.Pointer
+
+	// shadow is set by TimeoutError().
+	shadow *RequestCtx
 
 	timeoutCh    chan struct{}
 	timeoutTimer *time.Timer
@@ -227,18 +228,9 @@ func (ctx *RequestCtx) Logger() Logger {
 // TimeoutError MUST be called before returning from RequestHandler if there are
 // references to ctx and/or its members in other goroutines.
 func (ctx *RequestCtx) TimeoutError(msg string) {
-	var shadow RequestCtx
-	shadow.Request = Request{}
-	shadow.Response = Response{}
-	shadow.logger.ctx = &shadow
-	shadow.v = &shadow
-
-	shadow.s = ctx.s
-	shadow.c = ctx.c
-	shadow.r = ctx.r
-	shadow.w = ctx.w
-
-	if atomic.CompareAndSwapPointer(&ctx.shadow, nil, unsafe.Pointer(&shadow)) {
+	shadow := makeShadow(ctx)
+	if ctx.shadow == nil {
+		ctx.shadow = shadow
 		shadow.Error(msg, StatusRequestTimeout)
 	}
 }
@@ -405,7 +397,11 @@ func (s *Server) serveConn(c io.ReadWriter, ctxP **RequestCtx) error {
 			}
 			err = ctx.Request.Read(ctx.r)
 		} else {
-			err = ctx.Request.ReadTimeout(ctx.r, readTimeout)
+			if err = ctx.Request.ReadTimeout(ctx.r, readTimeout); err == ErrReadTimeout {
+				// ctx.Requests cannot be used after ErrReadTimeout, so create ctx shadow.
+				*ctxP = makeShadow(ctx)
+				break
+			}
 		}
 		if err != nil {
 			if err == io.EOF {
@@ -416,9 +412,9 @@ func (s *Server) serveConn(c io.ReadWriter, ctxP **RequestCtx) error {
 		ctx.ID++
 		ctx.Time = time.Now()
 		s.Handler(ctx)
-		shadow := atomic.LoadPointer(&ctx.shadow)
+		shadow := ctx.shadow
 		if shadow != nil {
-			ctx = (*RequestCtx)(shadow)
+			ctx = shadow
 			*ctxP = ctx
 		}
 
@@ -451,8 +447,22 @@ func (s *Server) serveConn(c io.ReadWriter, ctxP **RequestCtx) error {
 	return err
 }
 
+func makeShadow(ctx *RequestCtx) *RequestCtx {
+	var shadow RequestCtx
+	shadow.Request = Request{}
+	shadow.Response = Response{}
+	shadow.logger.ctx = &shadow
+	shadow.v = &shadow
+
+	shadow.s = ctx.s
+	shadow.c = ctx.c
+	shadow.r = ctx.r
+	shadow.w = ctx.w
+	return &shadow
+}
+
 func writeResponse(ctx *RequestCtx) error {
-	if atomic.LoadPointer(&ctx.shadow) != nil {
+	if ctx.shadow != nil {
 		panic("BUG: cannot write response with shadow")
 	}
 	h := &ctx.Response.Header
@@ -517,7 +527,7 @@ func (s *Server) acquireCtx() *RequestCtx {
 }
 
 func (s *Server) releaseCtx(ctx *RequestCtx) {
-	if atomic.LoadPointer(&ctx.shadow) != nil {
+	if ctx.shadow != nil {
 		panic("BUG: cannot release RequestCtx with shadow")
 	}
 	ctx.c = nil
diff --git a/server_test.go b/server_test.go
index 0960790..68994eb 100644
--- a/server_test.go
+++ b/server_test.go
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ func TestServerTimeoutError(t *testing.T) {
 		Handler: func(ctx *RequestCtx) {
 			go func() {
 				ctx.Success("aaa/bbb", []byte("xxxyyy"))
-				ctx.TimeoutError("ignore this")
 			}()
 			ctx.TimeoutError("stolen ctx")
 			ctx.TimeoutError("should be ignored")