diff --git a/lib/cli/handle-requires.js b/lib/cli/handle-requires.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e2e447e098
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/cli/handle-requires.js
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+'use strict';
+const fs = require('fs');
+const path = require('path');
+const debug = require('debug')('mocha:cli:handle:requires');
+const {requireOrImport} = require('../nodejs/esm-utils');
+const PluginLoader = require('../plugin-loader');
+
+/**
+ * `require()` the modules as required by `--require <require>`.
+ *
+ * Returns array of `mochaHooks` exports, if any.
+ * @param {string[]} requires - Modules to require
+ * @returns {Promise<object>} Plugin implementations
+ * @private
+ */
+exports.handleRequires = async (requires = [], {ignoredPlugins = []} = {}) => {
+  const pluginLoader = PluginLoader.create({ignore: ignoredPlugins});
+  for await (const mod of requires) {
+    let modpath = mod;
+    // this is relative to cwd
+    if (fs.existsSync(mod) || fs.existsSync(`${mod}.js`)) {
+      modpath = path.resolve(mod);
+      debug('resolved required file %s to %s', mod, modpath);
+    }
+    const requiredModule = await requireOrImport(modpath);
+    if (requiredModule && typeof requiredModule === 'object') {
+      if (pluginLoader.load(requiredModule)) {
+        debug('found one or more plugin implementations in %s', modpath);
+      }
+    }
+    debug('loaded required module "%s"', mod);
+  }
+  const plugins = await pluginLoader.finalize();
+  if (Object.keys(plugins).length) {
+    debug('finalized plugin implementations: %O', plugins);
+  }
+  return plugins;
+};
diff --git a/lib/cli/run-helpers.js b/lib/cli/run-helpers.js
index 078ca7e434..288ddad70c 100644
--- a/lib/cli/run-helpers.js
+++ b/lib/cli/run-helpers.js
@@ -7,15 +7,12 @@
  * @private
  */
 
-const fs = require('fs');
 const path = require('path');
 const debug = require('debug')('mocha:cli:run:helpers');
 const {watchRun, watchParallelRun} = require('./watch-run');
 const collectFiles = require('./collect-files');
 const {format} = require('util');
 const {createInvalidLegacyPluginError} = require('../errors');
-const {requireOrImport} = require('../nodejs/esm-utils');
-const PluginLoader = require('../plugin-loader');
 
 /**
  * Exits Mocha when tests + code under test has finished execution (default)
@@ -74,38 +71,6 @@ const exitMocha = code => {
 exports.list = str =>
   Array.isArray(str) ? exports.list(str.join(',')) : str.split(/ *, */);
 
-/**
- * `require()` the modules as required by `--require <require>`.
- *
- * Returns array of `mochaHooks` exports, if any.
- * @param {string[]} requires - Modules to require
- * @returns {Promise<object>} Plugin implementations
- * @private
- */
-exports.handleRequires = async (requires = [], {ignoredPlugins = []} = {}) => {
-  const pluginLoader = PluginLoader.create({ignore: ignoredPlugins});
-  for await (const mod of requires) {
-    let modpath = mod;
-    // this is relative to cwd
-    if (fs.existsSync(mod) || fs.existsSync(`${mod}.js`)) {
-      modpath = path.resolve(mod);
-      debug('resolved required file %s to %s', mod, modpath);
-    }
-    const requiredModule = await requireOrImport(modpath);
-    if (requiredModule && typeof requiredModule === 'object') {
-      if (pluginLoader.load(requiredModule)) {
-        debug('found one or more plugin implementations in %s', modpath);
-      }
-    }
-    debug('loaded required module "%s"', mod);
-  }
-  const plugins = await pluginLoader.finalize();
-  if (Object.keys(plugins).length) {
-    debug('finalized plugin implementations: %O', plugins);
-  }
-  return plugins;
-};
-
 /**
  * Collect and load test files, then run mocha instance.
  * @param {Mocha} mocha - Mocha instance
diff --git a/lib/cli/run.js b/lib/cli/run.js
index 66c8cbbb66..988264466a 100644
--- a/lib/cli/run.js
+++ b/lib/cli/run.js
@@ -16,12 +16,8 @@ const {
   createMissingArgumentError
 } = require('../errors');
 
-const {
-  list,
-  handleRequires,
-  validateLegacyPlugin,
-  runMocha
-} = require('./run-helpers');
+const {list, validateLegacyPlugin, runMocha} = require('./run-helpers');
+const {handleRequires} = require('./handle-requires');
 const {ONE_AND_DONES, ONE_AND_DONE_ARGS} = require('./one-and-dones');
 const debug = require('debug')('mocha:cli:run');
 const defaults = require('../mocharc');
diff --git a/lib/nodejs/worker.js b/lib/nodejs/worker.js
index cf5655e80d..f6f5095b70 100644
--- a/lib/nodejs/worker.js
+++ b/lib/nodejs/worker.js
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@ const {
 } = require('../errors');
 const workerpool = require('workerpool');
 const Mocha = require('../mocha');
-const {handleRequires, validateLegacyPlugin} = require('../cli/run-helpers');
+const {validateLegacyPlugin} = require('../cli/run-helpers');
+const {handleRequires} = require('../cli/handle-requires');
 const d = require('debug');
 const debug = d.debug(`mocha:parallel:worker:${process.pid}`);
 const isDebugEnabled = d.enabled(`mocha:parallel:worker:${process.pid}`);
diff --git a/test/node-unit/worker.spec.js b/test/node-unit/worker.spec.js
index 8a7d73dca7..8fd09126e4 100644
--- a/test/node-unit/worker.spec.js
+++ b/test/node-unit/worker.spec.js
@@ -54,10 +54,13 @@ describe('worker', function () {
       };
 
       stubs.runHelpers = {
-        handleRequires: sinon.stub().resolves({}),
         validateLegacyPlugin: sinon.stub()
       };
 
+      stubs.handleRequires = {
+        handleRequires: sinon.stub().resolves({})
+      };
+
       stubs.plugin = {
         aggregateRootHooks: sinon.stub().resolves()
       };
@@ -67,6 +70,7 @@ describe('worker', function () {
         '../../lib/mocha': stubs.Mocha,
         '../../lib/nodejs/serializer': stubs.serializer,
         '../../lib/cli/run-helpers': stubs.runHelpers,
+        '../../lib/cli/handle-requires': stubs.handleRequires,
         '../../lib/plugin-loader': stubs.plugin
       });
     });
@@ -148,7 +152,7 @@ describe('worker', function () {
               serializeJavascript({require: 'foo'})
             );
             expect(
-              stubs.runHelpers.handleRequires,
+              stubs.handleRequires.handleRequires,
               'to have a call satisfying',
               [
                 'foo',
@@ -217,9 +221,11 @@ describe('worker', function () {
               await worker.run('some-other-file.js');
 
               expect(stubs.runHelpers, 'to satisfy', {
-                handleRequires: expect.it('was called once'),
                 validateLegacyPlugin: expect.it('was called once')
               });
+              expect(stubs.handleRequires, 'to satisfy', {
+                handleRequires: expect.it('was called once')
+              });
             });
           });
         });