diff --git a/doc/api/errors.md b/doc/api/errors.md
index 6d8eed949203e3..d0e2512c04fff2 100644
--- a/doc/api/errors.md
+++ b/doc/api/errors.md
@@ -615,6 +615,11 @@ Used when attempting to perform an operation outside the bounds of a `Buffer`.
 Used when an attempt has been made to create a `Buffer` larger than the
 maximum allowed size.
 
+<a id="ERR_CANNOT_WATCH_SIGINT"></a>
+### ERR_CANNOT_WATCH_SIGINT
+
+Used when Node.js is unable to watch for the `SIGINT` signal.
+
 <a id="ERR_CHILD_CLOSED_BEFORE_REPLY"></a>
 ### ERR_CHILD_CLOSED_BEFORE_REPLY
 
diff --git a/lib/internal/errors.js b/lib/internal/errors.js
index 6f056b1ef8bec1..8171216fbf8fbb 100644
--- a/lib/internal/errors.js
+++ b/lib/internal/errors.js
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@ E('ERR_ASYNC_TYPE', (s) => `Invalid name for async "type": ${s}`);
 E('ERR_BUFFER_OUT_OF_BOUNDS', bufferOutOfBounds);
 E('ERR_BUFFER_TOO_LARGE',
   `Cannot create a Buffer larger than 0x${kMaxLength.toString(16)} bytes`);
+E('ERR_CANNOT_WATCH_SIGINT', 'Cannot watch for SIGINT signals');
 E('ERR_CHILD_CLOSED_BEFORE_REPLY', 'Child closed before reply received');
 E('ERR_CONSOLE_WRITABLE_STREAM',
   'Console expects a writable stream instance for %s');
diff --git a/lib/repl.js b/lib/repl.js
index d4b95bf3a67f45..73de1797969a6b 100644
--- a/lib/repl.js
+++ b/lib/repl.js
@@ -227,7 +227,8 @@ function REPLServer(prompt,
       if (self.breakEvalOnSigint) {
         // Start the SIGINT watchdog before entering raw mode so that a very
         // quick Ctrl+C doesn't lead to aborting the process completely.
-        utilBinding.startSigintWatchdog();
+        if (!utilBinding.startSigintWatchdog())
+          throw new errors.Error('ERR_CANNOT_WATCH_SIGINT');
         previouslyInRawMode = self._setRawMode(false);
       }
 
diff --git a/src/node_util.cc b/src/node_util.cc
index cf26eca692e6ed..fa30ae447220aa 100644
--- a/src/node_util.cc
+++ b/src/node_util.cc
@@ -135,10 +135,7 @@ static void SetHiddenValue(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
 
 void StartSigintWatchdog(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
   int ret = SigintWatchdogHelper::GetInstance()->Start();
-  if (ret != 0) {
-    Environment* env = Environment::GetCurrent(args);
-    env->ThrowErrnoException(ret, "StartSigintWatchdog");
-  }
+  args.GetReturnValue().Set(ret == 0);
 }