diff --git a/lib/internal/util/inspect.js b/lib/internal/util/inspect.js
index d1b1965d95bebc..f5044220445cc0 100644
--- a/lib/internal/util/inspect.js
+++ b/lib/internal/util/inspect.js
@@ -74,8 +74,10 @@ const {
   ObjectSetPrototypeOf,
   Promise,
   PromisePrototype,
+  Proxy,
   ReflectApply,
   ReflectOwnKeys,
+  ReflectSet,
   RegExp,
   RegExpPrototype,
   RegExpPrototypeExec,
@@ -184,8 +186,10 @@ const assert = require('internal/assert');
 
 const { BuiltinModule } = require('internal/bootstrap/realm');
 const {
+  validateArray,
   validateObject,
   validateString,
+  validateNumber,
   kValidateObjectAllowArray,
 } = require('internal/validators');
 
@@ -421,7 +425,7 @@ ObjectDefineProperty(inspect, 'defaultOptions', {
 // reset code as second entry.
 const defaultFG = 39;
 const defaultBG = 49;
-inspect.colors = {
+const defaultInspectColor = {
   __proto__: null,
   reset: [0, 0],
   bold: [1, 22],
@@ -470,6 +474,20 @@ inspect.colors = {
   bgWhiteBright: [107, defaultBG],
 };
 
+inspect.colors = new Proxy(
+  defaultInspectColor,
+  {
+    __proto__: null,
+    set(target, prop, value) {
+      validateString(prop, 'color name');
+      validateArray(value, 'value', { length: 2 });
+      validateNumber(value[0], 'color code');
+      validateNumber(value[1], 'reset code');
+      return ReflectSet(target, prop, value);
+    },
+  },
+);
+
 function defineColorAlias(target, alias) {
   ObjectDefineProperty(inspect.colors, alias, {
     __proto__: null,