diff --git a/lib/internal/process.js b/lib/internal/process.js
index 375fb314cbd..b735ba2e4b0 100644
--- a/lib/internal/process.js
+++ b/lib/internal/process.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ const {
     ERR_CPU_USAGE,
     ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE,
     ERR_INVALID_ARRAY_LENGTH,
+    ERR_INVALID_OPT_VALUE,
     ERR_UNCAUGHT_EXCEPTION_CAPTURE_ALREADY_SET,
     ERR_UNKNOWN_SIGNAL
   }
@@ -41,11 +42,24 @@ function setup_cpuUsage() {
     // If a previous value was passed in, ensure it has the correct shape.
     if (prevValue) {
       if (!previousValueIsValid(prevValue.user)) {
-        throw new ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE('preValue.user', 'number');
+        if (typeof prevValue !== 'object')
+          throw new ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE('prevValue', 'object', prevValue);
+
+        if (typeof prevValue.user !== 'number') {
+          throw new ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE('prevValue.user',
+                                         'number', prevValue.user);
+        }
+        throw new ERR_INVALID_OPT_VALUE.RangeError('prevValue.user',
+                                                   prevValue.user);
       }
 
       if (!previousValueIsValid(prevValue.system)) {
-        throw new ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE('preValue.system', 'number');
+        if (typeof prevValue.system !== 'number') {
+          throw new ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE('prevValue.system',
+                                         'number', prevValue.system);
+        }
+        throw new ERR_INVALID_OPT_VALUE.RangeError('prevValue.system',
+                                                   prevValue.system);
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-process-cpuUsage.js b/test/parallel/test-process-cpuUsage.js
index 92c7b74c591..0b1d53978ca 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-process-cpuUsage.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-process-cpuUsage.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 'use strict';
+require('../common');
 const assert = require('assert');
-const common = require('../common');
 const result = process.cpuUsage();
 
 // Validate the result of calling with no previous value argument.
@@ -31,65 +31,80 @@ for (let i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
   assert(diffUsage.user >= 0);
   assert(diffUsage.system >= 0);
 }
-const invalidUserArgument = common.expectsError({
-  code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
-  type: TypeError,
-  message: 'The "preValue.user" property must be of type number'
-}, 8);
-
-const invalidSystemArgument = common.expectsError({
-  code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
-  type: TypeError,
-  message: 'The "preValue.system" property must be of type number'
-}, 2);
-
 
 // Ensure that an invalid shape for the previous value argument throws an error.
-assert.throws(() => {
-  process.cpuUsage(1);
-}, invalidUserArgument);
+assert.throws(
+  () => process.cpuUsage(1),
+  {
+    code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
+    name: 'TypeError [ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE]',
+    message: 'The "prevValue" argument must be of type object. ' +
+             'Received type number'
+  }
+);
 
-assert.throws(() => {
-  process.cpuUsage({});
-}, invalidUserArgument);
+// Check invalid types.
+[
+  {},
+  { user: 'a' },
+  { user: null, system: 'c' },
+].forEach((value) => {
+  assert.throws(
+    () => process.cpuUsage(value),
+    {
+      code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
+      name: 'TypeError [ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE]',
+      message: 'The "prevValue.user" property must be of type number. ' +
+               `Received type ${typeof value.user}`
+    }
+  );
+});
 
-assert.throws(() => {
-  process.cpuUsage({ user: 'a' });
-}, invalidUserArgument);
+[
+  { user: 3, system: 'b' },
+  { user: 3, system: null }
+].forEach((value) => {
+  assert.throws(
+    () => process.cpuUsage(value),
+    {
+      code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
+      name: 'TypeError [ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE]',
+      message: 'The "prevValue.system" property must be of type number. ' +
+               `Received type ${typeof value.system}`
+    }
+  );
+});
 
-assert.throws(() => {
-  process.cpuUsage({ system: 'b' });
-}, invalidUserArgument);
+// Check invalid values.
+[
+  { user: -1, system: 2 },
+  { user: Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY, system: 4 }
+].forEach((value) => {
+  assert.throws(
+    () => process.cpuUsage(value),
+    {
+      code: 'ERR_INVALID_OPT_VALUE',
+      name: 'RangeError [ERR_INVALID_OPT_VALUE]',
+      message: `The value "${value.user}" is invalid ` +
+               'for option "prevValue.user"'
+    }
+  );
+});
 
-assert.throws(() => {
-  process.cpuUsage({ user: null, system: 'c' });
-}, invalidUserArgument);
-
-assert.throws(() => {
-  process.cpuUsage({ user: 'd', system: null });
-}, invalidUserArgument);
-
-assert.throws(() => {
-  process.cpuUsage({ user: -1, system: 2 });
-}, invalidUserArgument);
-
-assert.throws(() => {
-  process.cpuUsage({ user: 3, system: -2 });
-}, invalidSystemArgument);
-
-assert.throws(() => {
-  process.cpuUsage({
-    user: Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY,
-    system: 4
-  });
-}, invalidUserArgument);
-
-assert.throws(() => {
-  process.cpuUsage({
-    user: 5,
-    system: Number.NEGATIVE_INFINITY
-  });
-}, invalidSystemArgument);
+[
+  { user: 3, system: -2 },
+  { user: 5, system: Number.NEGATIVE_INFINITY }
+].forEach((value) => {
+  assert.throws(
+    () => process.cpuUsage(value),
+    {
+      code: 'ERR_INVALID_OPT_VALUE',
+      name: 'RangeError [ERR_INVALID_OPT_VALUE]',
+      message: `The value "${value.system}" is invalid ` +
+               'for option "prevValue.system"'
+    }
+  );
+});
 
 // Ensure that the return value is the expected shape.
 function validateResult(result) {