diff --git a/.changeset/afraid-beers-listen.md b/.changeset/afraid-beers-listen.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a63d1abc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/afraid-beers-listen.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+"@uppy/utils": patch
+"@uppy/xhr-upload": patch
+---
+
+Fix `complete` event never firing for XHR and make sure the fetch aborts immediately if Uppy is cancelled before the fetch starts.
diff --git a/packages/@uppy/utils/src/fetcher.ts b/packages/@uppy/utils/src/fetcher.ts
index c8d9368c8..87e0540db 100644
--- a/packages/@uppy/utils/src/fetcher.ts
+++ b/packages/@uppy/utils/src/fetcher.ts
@@ -101,13 +101,6 @@ export function fetcher(
         xhr.responseType = responseType
       }
 
-      signal?.addEventListener('abort', () => {
-        xhr.abort()
-        // Using DOMException for abort errors aligns with
-        // the convention established by the Fetch API.
-        reject(new DOMException('Aborted', 'AbortError'))
-      })
-
       xhr.onload = async () => {
         try {
           await onAfterResponse(xhr, retryCount)
@@ -145,6 +138,21 @@ export function fetcher(
         })
       }
 
+      function abort() {
+        xhr.abort()
+        // Using DOMException for abort errors aligns with
+        // the convention established by the Fetch API.
+        reject(new DOMException('Aborted', 'AbortError'))
+      }
+
+      signal?.addEventListener('abort', abort)
+
+      if (signal?.aborted) {
+        // in case the signal was already aborted
+        abort()
+        return
+      }
+
       await onBeforeRequest(xhr, retryCount)
       xhr.send(body)
     })
diff --git a/packages/@uppy/xhr-upload/src/index.ts b/packages/@uppy/xhr-upload/src/index.ts
index a4a461f75..d41d1e9f3 100644
--- a/packages/@uppy/xhr-upload/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/@uppy/xhr-upload/src/index.ts
@@ -235,11 +235,13 @@ export default class XHRUpload<
               if (event.lengthComputable) {
                 for (const { id } of files) {
                   const file = this.uppy.getFile(id)
-                  this.uppy.emit('upload-progress', file, {
-                    uploadStarted: file.progress.uploadStarted ?? 0,
-                    bytesUploaded: (event.loaded / event.total) * file.size!,
-                    bytesTotal: file.size,
-                  })
+                  if (file != null) {
+                    this.uppy.emit('upload-progress', file, {
+                      uploadStarted: file.progress.uploadStarted ?? 0,
+                      bytesUploaded: (event.loaded / event.total) * file.size!,
+                      bytesTotal: file.size,
+                    })
+                  }
                 }
               }
             },
@@ -409,7 +411,7 @@ export default class XHRUpload<
     })
 
     try {
-      await uppyFetch().abortOn(controller.signal)
+      await uppyFetch()
     } catch (error) {
       // TODO: create formal error with name 'AbortError' (this comes from RateLimitedQueue)
       if (error.message !== 'Cancelled') {
@@ -450,7 +452,7 @@ export default class XHRUpload<
     this.uppy.once('cancel-all', abort)
 
     try {
-      await uppyFetch().abortOn(controller.signal)
+      await uppyFetch()
     } catch (error) {
       // TODO: create formal error with name 'AbortError' (this comes from RateLimitedQueue)
       if (error.message !== 'Cancelled') {