diff --git a/dlls/winhttp/request.c b/dlls/winhttp/request.c
index 1f9b4aa8f38..d497d7ab1ea 100644
--- a/dlls/winhttp/request.c
+++ b/dlls/winhttp/request.c
@@ -2992,7 +2992,7 @@ static HRESULT WINAPI winhttp_request_Open(
     path[uc.dwUrlPathLength + uc.dwExtraInfoLength] = 0;
 
     if (!(verb = strdupW( method ))) goto error;
-    if (V_BOOL( &async )) flags |= WINHTTP_FLAG_ASYNC;
+    if (V_VT( &async ) == VT_BOOL && V_BOOL( &async )) flags |= WINHTTP_FLAG_ASYNC;
     if (!(hsession = WinHttpOpen( user_agentW, WINHTTP_ACCESS_TYPE_DEFAULT_PROXY, NULL, NULL, flags )))
     {
         err = get_last_error();
diff --git a/dlls/winhttp/tests/winhttp.c b/dlls/winhttp/tests/winhttp.c
index 51fcc86c65b..27fb212c142 100644
--- a/dlls/winhttp/tests/winhttp.c
+++ b/dlls/winhttp/tests/winhttp.c
@@ -2561,6 +2561,8 @@ static void test_IWinHttpRequest(void)
     method = SysAllocString( method1W );
     SysFreeString( url );
     url = SysAllocString( url1W );
+    V_VT( &async ) = VT_ERROR;
+    V_ERROR( &async ) = DISP_E_PARAMNOTFOUND;
     hr = IWinHttpRequest_Open( req, method, url, async );
     ok( hr == S_OK, "got %08x\n", hr );