diff --git a/lib/events.js b/lib/events.js
index 443de4b20a0..58dde3ef318 100644
--- a/lib/events.js
+++ b/lib/events.js
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ exports.EventEmitter = EventEmitter;
 // that to be increased. Set to zero for unlimited.
 var defaultMaxListeners = 10;
 EventEmitter.prototype.setMaxListeners = function(n) {
+  if (typeof n !== 'number' || n < 0)
+    throw TypeError('n must be a positive number');
   this._maxListeners = n;
 };
 
@@ -56,8 +58,7 @@ EventEmitter.prototype.emit = function(type) {
   // If there is no 'error' event listener then throw.
   if (type === 'error') {
     if (!this._events || !this._events.error ||
-        (isArray(this._events.error) && !this._events.error.length))
-    {
+        (isArray(this._events.error) && !this._events.error.length)) {
       if (this.domain) {
         var er = arguments[1];
         er.domainEmitter = this;
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ EventEmitter.prototype.emit = function(type) {
       if (arguments[1] instanceof Error) {
         throw arguments[1]; // Unhandled 'error' event
       } else {
-        throw new Error("Uncaught, unspecified 'error' event.");
+        throw TypeError("Uncaught, unspecified 'error' event.");
       }
       return false;
     }
@@ -137,7 +138,7 @@ EventEmitter.prototype.emit = function(type) {
 
 EventEmitter.prototype.addListener = function(type, listener) {
   if ('function' !== typeof listener) {
-    throw new Error('addListener only takes instances of Function');
+    throw TypeError('addListener only takes instances of Function');
   }
 
   if (!this._events) this._events = {};
@@ -185,7 +186,7 @@ EventEmitter.prototype.on = EventEmitter.prototype.addListener;
 
 EventEmitter.prototype.once = function(type, listener) {
   if ('function' !== typeof listener) {
-    throw new Error('.once only takes instances of Function');
+    throw TypeError('.once only takes instances of Function');
   }
 
   var self = this;
@@ -203,7 +204,7 @@ EventEmitter.prototype.once = function(type, listener) {
 // emits a 'removeListener' event iff the listener was removed
 EventEmitter.prototype.removeListener = function(type, listener) {
   if ('function' !== typeof listener) {
-    throw new Error('removeListener only takes instances of Function');
+    throw TypeError('removeListener only takes instances of Function');
   }
 
   // does not use listeners(), so no side effect of creating _events[type]