diff --git a/doc/api/errors.md b/doc/api/errors.md
index 77da5583719962..82246fff702196 100644
--- a/doc/api/errors.md
+++ b/doc/api/errors.md
@@ -1474,6 +1474,11 @@ Used when a given value is out of the accepted range.
 Used when an attempt is made to use a `zlib` object after it has already been
 closed.
 
+<a id="ERR_ZLIB_INITIALIZATION_FAILED"></a>
+### ERR_ZLIB_INITIALIZATION_FAILED
+
+Used when creation of a [`zlib`][] object fails due to incorrect configuration.
+
 [`--force-fips`]: cli.html#cli_force_fips
 [`crypto.timingSafeEqual()`]: crypto.html#crypto_crypto_timingsafeequal_a_b
 [`dgram.createSocket()`]: dgram.html#dgram_dgram_createsocket_options_callback
@@ -1515,3 +1520,4 @@ closed.
 [try-catch]: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Statements/try...catch
 [vm]: vm.html
 [WHATWG Supported Encodings]: util.html#util_whatwg_supported_encodings
+[`zlib`]: zlib.html
diff --git a/lib/internal/errors.js b/lib/internal/errors.js
index 5fe33dafaef894..77cbe33099f92d 100644
--- a/lib/internal/errors.js
+++ b/lib/internal/errors.js
@@ -364,6 +364,7 @@ E('ERR_VALUE_OUT_OF_RANGE', (start, end, value) => {
   return `The value of "${start}" must be ${end}. Received "${value}"`;
 });
 E('ERR_ZLIB_BINDING_CLOSED', 'zlib binding closed');
+E('ERR_ZLIB_INITIALIZATION_FAILED', 'Initialization failed');
 
 function invalidArgType(name, expected, actual) {
   internalAssert(name, 'name is required');
diff --git a/lib/zlib.js b/lib/zlib.js
index 059b9aac91e76f..751c1765598111 100644
--- a/lib/zlib.js
+++ b/lib/zlib.js
@@ -161,6 +161,12 @@ function Zlib(opts, mode) {
   var memLevel = Z_DEFAULT_MEMLEVEL;
   var strategy = Z_DEFAULT_STRATEGY;
   var dictionary;
+
+  if (typeof mode !== 'number')
+    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'mode', 'number');
+  if (mode < DEFLATE || mode > UNZIP)
+    throw new errors.RangeError('ERR_OUT_OF_RANGE', 'mode');
+
   if (opts) {
     chunkSize = opts.chunkSize;
     if (chunkSize !== undefined && chunkSize === chunkSize) {
@@ -258,8 +264,15 @@ function Zlib(opts, mode) {
   this._hadError = false;
   this._writeState = new Uint32Array(2);
 
-  this._handle.init(windowBits, level, memLevel, strategy, this._writeState,
-                    processCallback, dictionary);
+  if (!this._handle.init(windowBits,
+                         level,
+                         memLevel,
+                         strategy,
+                         this._writeState,
+                         processCallback,
+                         dictionary)) {
+    throw new errors.Error('ERR_ZLIB_INITIALIZATION_FAILED');
+  }
 
   this._outBuffer = Buffer.allocUnsafe(chunkSize);
   this._outOffset = 0;
diff --git a/src/node_zlib.cc b/src/node_zlib.cc
index fdfd314222664c..93583181608132 100644
--- a/src/node_zlib.cc
+++ b/src/node_zlib.cc
@@ -418,16 +418,8 @@ class ZCtx : public AsyncWrap {
 
   static void New(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
     Environment* env = Environment::GetCurrent(args);
-
-    if (args.Length() < 1 || !args[0]->IsInt32()) {
-      return env->ThrowTypeError("Bad argument");
-    }
+    CHECK(args[0]->IsInt32());
     node_zlib_mode mode = static_cast<node_zlib_mode>(args[0]->Int32Value());
-
-    if (mode < DEFLATE || mode > UNZIP) {
-      return env->ThrowTypeError("Bad argument");
-    }
-
     new ZCtx(env, args.This(), mode);
   }
 
@@ -476,9 +468,14 @@ class ZCtx : public AsyncWrap {
       memcpy(dictionary, dictionary_, dictionary_len);
     }
 
-    Init(ctx, level, windowBits, memLevel, strategy, write_result,
-         write_js_callback, dictionary, dictionary_len);
+    bool ret = Init(ctx, level, windowBits, memLevel, strategy, write_result,
+                    write_js_callback, dictionary, dictionary_len);
+    if (!ret) goto end;
+
     SetDictionary(ctx);
+
+   end:
+    return args.GetReturnValue().Set(ret);
   }
 
   static void Params(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
@@ -495,7 +492,7 @@ class ZCtx : public AsyncWrap {
     SetDictionary(ctx);
   }
 
-  static void Init(ZCtx *ctx, int level, int windowBits, int memLevel,
+  static bool Init(ZCtx *ctx, int level, int windowBits, int memLevel,
                    int strategy, uint32_t* write_result,
                    Local<Function> write_js_callback, char* dictionary,
                    size_t dictionary_len) {
@@ -561,11 +558,12 @@ class ZCtx : public AsyncWrap {
         ctx->dictionary_ = nullptr;
       }
       ctx->mode_ = NONE;
-      ctx->env()->ThrowError("Init error");
+      return false;
     }
 
     ctx->write_result_ = write_result;
     ctx->write_js_callback_.Reset(ctx->env()->isolate(), write_js_callback);
+    return true;
   }
 
   static void SetDictionary(ZCtx* ctx) {
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-zlib-failed-init.js b/test/parallel/test-zlib-failed-init.js
index 8597543429e917..7dd53ea3702adf 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-zlib-failed-init.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-zlib-failed-init.js
@@ -11,9 +11,13 @@ const zlib = require('zlib');
 // no such rejection which is the reason for the version check below
 // (http://zlib.net/ChangeLog.txt).
 if (!/^1\.2\.[0-8]$/.test(process.versions.zlib)) {
-  assert.throws(() => {
-    zlib.createDeflateRaw({ windowBits: 8 });
-  }, /^Error: Init error$/);
+  common.expectsError(
+    () => zlib.createDeflateRaw({ windowBits: 8 }),
+    {
+      code: 'ERR_ZLIB_INITIALIZATION_FAILED',
+      type: Error,
+      message: 'Initialization failed'
+    });
 }
 
 // Regression tests for bugs in the validation logic.