diff --git a/lib/internal/webstorage.js b/lib/internal/webstorage.js
index 28b5df3f3da835..989ccb2dd40eea 100644
--- a/lib/internal/webstorage.js
+++ b/lib/internal/webstorage.js
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 'use strict';
 const {
   ObjectDefineProperties,
-  Proxy,
 } = primordials;
 const { getOptionValue } = require('internal/options');
+const { lazyDOMException } = require('internal/util');
 const { kConstructorKey, Storage } = internalBinding('webstorage');
 const { getValidatedPath } = require('internal/fs/utils');
 const kInMemoryPath = ':memory:';
@@ -21,34 +21,17 @@ ObjectDefineProperties(module.exports, {
     enumerable: true,
     get() {
       if (lazyLocalStorage === undefined) {
+        // For consistency with the web specification, throw from the accessor
+        // if the local storage path is not provided.
         const location = getOptionValue('--localstorage-file');
-
         if (location === '') {
-          let warningEmitted = false;
-          const handler = {
-            __proto__: null,
-            get(target, prop) {
-              if (!warningEmitted) {
-                process.emitWarning('`--localstorage-file` was provided without a valid path');
-                warningEmitted = true;
-              }
-
-              return undefined;
-            },
-            set(target, prop, value) {
-              if (!warningEmitted) {
-                process.emitWarning('`--localstorage-file` was provided without a valid path');
-                warningEmitted = true;
-              }
-
-              return false;
-            },
-          };
-
-          lazyLocalStorage = new Proxy({}, handler);
-        } else {
-          lazyLocalStorage = new Storage(kConstructorKey, getValidatedPath(location));
+          throw lazyDOMException(
+            'Cannot initialize local storage without a `--localstorage-file` path',
+            'SecurityError',
+          );
         }
+
+        lazyLocalStorage = new Storage(kConstructorKey, getValidatedPath(location));
       }
 
       return lazyLocalStorage;
diff --git a/test/common/index.js b/test/common/index.js
index 83166076e16405..4c7d61514e5285 100755
--- a/test/common/index.js
+++ b/test/common/index.js
@@ -59,6 +59,14 @@ const hasSQLite = Boolean(process.versions.sqlite);
 
 const hasQuic = hasCrypto && !!process.features.quic;
 
+const hasLocalStorage = (() => {
+  try {
+    return hasSQLite && globalThis.localStorage !== undefined;
+  } catch {
+    return false;
+  }
+})();
+
 /**
  * Parse test metadata from the specified file.
  * @param {string} filename - The name of the file to parse.
@@ -350,7 +358,6 @@ const knownGlobals = new Set([
  'CompressionStream',
  'DecompressionStream',
  'Storage',
- 'localStorage',
  'sessionStorage',
 ].forEach((i) => {
   if (globalThis[i] !== undefined) {
@@ -365,6 +372,10 @@ if (hasCrypto) {
   knownGlobals.add(globalThis.SubtleCrypto);
 }
 
+if (hasLocalStorage) {
+  knownGlobals.add(globalThis.localStorage);
+}
+
 const { Worker } = require('node:worker_threads');
 knownGlobals.add(Worker);
 
@@ -389,6 +400,11 @@ if (process.env.NODE_TEST_KNOWN_GLOBALS !== '0') {
       if (val === 'crypto' && !hasCrypto) {
         continue;
       }
+      // globalThis.localStorage is a getter that throws if Node.js was
+      // executed without a --localstorage-file path.
+      if (val === 'localStorage' && !hasLocalStorage) {
+        continue;
+      }
       if (!knownGlobals.has(globalThis[val])) {
         leaked.push(val);
       }
@@ -933,6 +949,7 @@ const common = {
   hasQuic,
   hasInspector,
   hasSQLite,
+  hasLocalStorage,
   invalidArgTypeHelper,
   isAlive,
   isASan,
diff --git a/test/common/index.mjs b/test/common/index.mjs
index b535f38ae32673..29030aeb591ba2 100644
--- a/test/common/index.mjs
+++ b/test/common/index.mjs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ const {
   hasQuic,
   hasInspector,
   hasSQLite,
+  hasLocalStorage,
   hasIntl,
   hasIPv6,
   isAIX,
@@ -71,6 +72,7 @@ export {
   hasQuic,
   hasInspector,
   hasSQLite,
+  hasLocalStorage,
   hasIntl,
   hasIPv6,
   isAIX,
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-assert-checktag.js b/test/parallel/test-assert-checktag.js
index b86a1bde7f096d..b1c3660ab4a693 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-assert-checktag.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-assert-checktag.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 'use strict';
-const { hasCrypto } = require('../common');
+const { hasCrypto, hasLocalStorage } = require('../common');
 const { test } = require('node:test');
 const assert = require('assert');
 
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ const assert = require('assert');
 if (process.stdout.isTTY)
   process.env.NODE_DISABLE_COLORS = '1';
 
-test('', { skip: !hasCrypto }, () => {
+test({ skip: !hasCrypto || !hasLocalStorage }, () => {
   // See https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/10258
   {
     const date = new Date('2016');
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-webstorage.js b/test/parallel/test-webstorage.js
index bc48c9643773b5..cc5f0366f7116e 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-webstorage.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-webstorage.js
@@ -41,13 +41,13 @@ test('sessionStorage is not persisted', async () => {
   assert.strictEqual((await readdir(tmpdir.path)).length, 0);
 });
 
-test('localStorage emits a warning when used without --localstorage-file ', async () => {
+test('localStorage throws without --localstorage-file', async () => {
   const cp = await spawnPromisified(process.execPath, [
-    '-pe', 'localStorage.length',
+    '-e', 'localStorage',
   ]);
-  assert.strictEqual(cp.code, 0);
+  assert.strictEqual(cp.code, 1);
   assert.strictEqual(cp.signal, null);
-  assert.match(cp.stderr, /Warning: `--localstorage-file` was provided without a valid path/);
+  assert.match(cp.stderr, /SecurityError:/);
 });
 
 test('localStorage is not persisted if it is unused', async () => {