diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index d30cff213..37ea98acf 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
     "./register/files": "./register/files.js",
     "./register/transpile-only": "./register/transpile-only.js",
     "./register/type-check": "./register/type-check.js",
+    "./register/try-ts-ext": "./register/try-ts-ext.js",
     "./esm": "./esm.mjs",
     "./esm.mjs": "./esm.mjs",
     "./esm/transpile-only": "./esm/transpile-only.mjs",
diff --git a/register/try-ts-ext.js b/register/try-ts-ext.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e2d59618b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/register/try-ts-ext.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+require('../dist').register({
+  tryTsExt: true,
+});
diff --git a/src/configuration.ts b/src/configuration.ts
index 6bc8e1113..c869365ab 100644
--- a/src/configuration.ts
+++ b/src/configuration.ts
@@ -263,6 +263,7 @@ function filterRecognizedTsConfigTsNodeOptions(
     ignoreDiagnostics,
     logError,
     preferTsExts,
+    tryTsExt,
     pretty,
     require,
     skipIgnore,
@@ -286,6 +287,7 @@ function filterRecognizedTsConfigTsNodeOptions(
     ignoreDiagnostics,
     logError,
     preferTsExts,
+    tryTsExt,
     pretty,
     require,
     skipIgnore,
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index e1db16cac..e8fa75dd9 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import {
   parse,
   split,
   yn,
+  isRelativeSpecifier,
 } from './util';
 import { readConfig } from './configuration';
 import type { TSCommon, TSInternal } from './ts-compiler-types';
@@ -117,6 +118,7 @@ export interface ProcessEnv {
   TS_NODE_SKIP_PROJECT?: string;
   TS_NODE_SKIP_IGNORE?: string;
   TS_NODE_PREFER_TS_EXTS?: string;
+  TS_NODE_TRY_TS_EXT?: string;
   TS_NODE_IGNORE_DIAGNOSTICS?: string;
   TS_NODE_TRANSPILE_ONLY?: string;
   TS_NODE_TYPE_CHECK?: string;
@@ -353,6 +355,13 @@ export interface RegisterOptions extends CreateOptions {
    * @default false
    */
   preferTsExts?: boolean;
+
+  /**
+   * Attempt to resolve the typescript file when the js file cannot be found.
+   *
+   * @default false
+   */
+  tryTsExt?: boolean
 }
 
 /**
@@ -400,6 +409,7 @@ export const DEFAULTS: RegisterOptions = {
   skipProject: yn(env.TS_NODE_SKIP_PROJECT),
   skipIgnore: yn(env.TS_NODE_SKIP_IGNORE),
   preferTsExts: yn(env.TS_NODE_PREFER_TS_EXTS),
+  tryTsExt: yn(env.TS_NODE_TRY_TS_EXT),
   ignoreDiagnostics: split(env.TS_NODE_IGNORE_DIAGNOSTICS),
   transpileOnly: yn(env.TS_NODE_TRANSPILE_ONLY),
   typeCheck: yn(env.TS_NODE_TYPE_CHECK),
@@ -477,6 +487,45 @@ export function getExtensions(config: _ts.ParsedCommandLine) {
   return { tsExtensions, jsExtensions };
 }
 
+function canDropJsExt(request: string, parentPath?: string) {
+  if (isRelativeSpecifier(request) && request.slice(-3) === '.js') {
+    if (!parentPath) return true
+    const paths = require.main?.paths || []
+    for(let i = 0; i < paths.length; i++) {
+      if (parentPath.startsWith(paths[i])) {
+        return false
+      }
+    }
+    return true
+  }
+}
+
+
+function patchResolveFileName() {
+  const originalResolveFilename = (Module as any)._resolveFilename;
+
+  (Module as any)._resolveFilename = function (...args: any[]) {
+    const [request, parent, isMain ] = args
+    if (isMain) {
+      return originalResolveFilename.apply(this, args);
+    }
+    if(canDropJsExt(request, parent?.path)) {
+      try {
+        return originalResolveFilename.call(this, request.slice(0, -3), ...args.slice(1))
+      } catch(e) {
+        const mainFile = originalResolveFilename.apply(this, args);
+        if (mainFile.endsWith('.js')) {
+          //re-resolve with ts preference
+          //look-up tsconfig drop outDir??
+          return originalResolveFilename.call(this, mainFile.slice(0, -3), ...args.slice(1))
+        }
+        return mainFile
+      }
+    }
+    return originalResolveFilename.apply(this, args);
+  };
+}
+
 /**
  * Register TypeScript compiler instance onto node.js
  */
@@ -497,6 +546,10 @@ export function register(opts: RegisterOptions = {}): Service {
     originalJsHandler
   );
 
+  if (service.options.tryTsExt) {
+    patchResolveFileName();
+  }
+
   // Require specified modules before start-up.
   (Module as any)._preloadModules(service.options.require);
 
@@ -548,6 +601,7 @@ export function create(rawOptions: CreateOptions = {}): Service {
     ...(tsNodeOptionsFromTsconfig.require || []),
     ...(rawOptions.require || []),
   ];
+  options.preferTsExts = options.preferTsExts || options.tryTsExt
 
   // Experimental REPL await is not compatible targets lower than ES2018
   const targetSupportsTla = config.options.target! >= ts.ScriptTarget.ES2018;
diff --git a/src/util.ts b/src/util.ts
index 9ea98a66d..829c2cce8 100644
--- a/src/util.ts
+++ b/src/util.ts
@@ -93,3 +93,18 @@ export function cachedLookup<T, R>(fn: (arg: T) => R): (arg: T) => R {
  * `trace` options in hosts, I am using this placeholder.
  */
 export function trace(s: string): void {}
+
+/**
+ *
+ * Determine if a specifier is relative (from node core)
+ * @internal
+ */
+export function isRelativeSpecifier(specifier: string) {
+  if (specifier[0] === '.') {
+    if (specifier.length === 1 || specifier[1] === '/') return true;
+    if (specifier[1] === '.') {
+      if (specifier.length === 2 || specifier[2] === '/') return true;
+    }
+  }
+  return false;
+}