diff --git a/lib/assert.js b/lib/assert.js
index 9c900fcaf32..8d22906c5ff 100644
--- a/lib/assert.js
+++ b/lib/assert.js
@@ -465,7 +465,9 @@ async function waitForActual(block) {
 function expectsError(stackStartFn, actual, error, message) {
   if (typeof error === 'string') {
     if (arguments.length === 4) {
-      throw new ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE('error', ['Function', 'RegExp'], error);
+      throw new ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE('error',
+                                     ['Object', 'Error', 'Function', 'RegExp'],
+                                     error);
     }
     message = error;
     error = null;
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-assert.js b/test/parallel/test-assert.js
index 54972657e94..66851fa5ea7 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-assert.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-assert.js
@@ -741,8 +741,8 @@ common.expectsError(
   {
     code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
     type: TypeError,
-    message: 'The "error" argument must be one of type Function or RegExp. ' +
-             'Received type string'
+    message: 'The "error" argument must be one of type Object, Error, ' +
+             'Function, or RegExp. Received type string'
   }
 );