diff --git a/lib/internal/abort_controller.js b/lib/internal/abort_controller.js
index 55be0b6f3669..0e9033341d29 100644
--- a/lib/internal/abort_controller.js
+++ b/lib/internal/abort_controller.js
@@ -216,6 +216,20 @@ function setWeakAbortSignalTimeout(weakRef, delay) {
   return timeout;
 }
 
+function createDefaultAbortReason() {
+  const reason = new DOMException('This operation was aborted', 'AbortError');
+  // Format the stack eagerly. Until it is formatted, V8 keeps the call sites,
+  // which retain the receivers and functions of the caller's frames, so a
+  // retained signal would keep the aborted work alive.
+  // Refs: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/34103#issuecomment-652002364
+  try {
+    reason.stack; // eslint-disable-line no-unused-expressions
+  } catch {
+    // A throwing Error.prepareStackTrace must not make abort() throw.
+  }
+  return reason;
+}
+
 class AbortSignal extends EventTarget {
   #brand;
 
@@ -293,8 +307,7 @@ class AbortSignal extends EventTarget {
    * @param {any} [reason]
    * @returns {AbortSignal}
    */
-  static abort(
-    reason = new DOMException('This operation was aborted', 'AbortError')) {
+  static abort(reason = createDefaultAbortReason()) {
     return new AbortSignal(kDontThrowSymbol, { aborted: true, reason });
   }
 
@@ -576,7 +589,7 @@ class AbortController {
   /**
    * @param {any} [reason]
    */
-  abort(reason = new DOMException('This operation was aborted', 'AbortError')) {
+  abort(reason = createDefaultAbortReason()) {
     abortSignal(this.#signal ??= new AbortSignal(kDontThrowSymbol), reason);
   }
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-abortcontroller-default-reason-gc.mjs b/test/parallel/test-abortcontroller-default-reason-gc.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..11fccb2bc5e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/parallel/test-abortcontroller-default-reason-gc.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+// Flags: --expose-gc
+
+import '../common/index.mjs';
+import { gcUntil } from '../common/gc.js';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { it } from 'node:test';
+
+// The default abort reason must not keep the objects on the caller's stack
+// alive. Refs: https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/66192
+
+class Job {
+  controller = new AbortController();
+
+  cancel() {
+    this.controller.abort();
+    return this.controller.signal;
+  }
+
+  cancelStatic() {
+    return AbortSignal.abort();
+  }
+}
+
+for (const method of ['cancel', 'cancelStatic']) {
+  it(`does not retain the caller through the default reason (${method})`, async () => {
+    let job = new Job();
+    const jobRef = new WeakRef(job);
+    const signal = job[method]();
+    job = null;
+
+    await gcUntil('job is collected', () => jobRef.deref() === undefined);
+    assert.strictEqual(signal.aborted, true);
+    assert.strictEqual(signal.reason.name, 'AbortError');
+    assert.match(signal.reason.stack, new RegExp(`at Job\\.${method} `));
+  });
+}
+
+it('does not throw when Error.prepareStackTrace throws', () => {
+  const { prepareStackTrace } = Error;
+  Error.prepareStackTrace = () => { throw new Error('boom'); };
+  try {
+    assert.strictEqual(new Job().cancel().reason.name, 'AbortError');
+    assert.strictEqual(new Job().cancelStatic().reason.name, 'AbortError');
+  } finally {
+    Error.prepareStackTrace = prepareStackTrace;
+  }
+});