diff --git a/lib/fs.js b/lib/fs.js
index 7741e5838bd..e41d0db0339 100644
--- a/lib/fs.js
+++ b/lib/fs.js
@@ -389,6 +389,9 @@ fs.readFile = function(path, options, callback) {
       req.oncomplete(null, path);
     });
     return;
+  } else if (typeof path !== 'string' && !(path instanceof Buffer)) {
+    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
+                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
   }
 
   binding.open(pathModule.toNamespacedPath(path),
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-fs-readfile-error.js b/test/parallel/test-fs-readfile-error.js
index 616760b0669..9b1a06183d7 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-fs-readfile-error.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-fs-readfile-error.js
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 'use strict';
 const common = require('../common');
+const fs = require('fs');
 
 // Test that fs.readFile fails correctly on a non-existent file.
 
@@ -54,3 +55,12 @@ test({ NODE_DEBUG: 'fs' }, common.mustCall((data) => {
   assert(/EISDIR/.test(data));
   assert(/test-fs-readfile-error/.test(data));
 }));
+
+common.expectsError(
+  () => { fs.readFile(() => {}); },
+  {
+    code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
+    message: 'The "path" argument must be one of type string, Buffer, or URL',
+    type: TypeError
+  }
+);