diff --git a/lib/internal/util/inspect.js b/lib/internal/util/inspect.js
index 0ff86d92970ca5..742e66e1efd1ef 100644
--- a/lib/internal/util/inspect.js
+++ b/lib/internal/util/inspect.js
@@ -104,9 +104,6 @@ const {
 } = require('internal/util');
 
 const {
-  codes: {
-    ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE
-  },
   isStackOverflowError
 } = require('internal/errors');
 
@@ -2101,10 +2098,7 @@ function format(...args) {
 }
 
 function formatWithOptions(inspectOptions, ...args) {
-  if (typeof inspectOptions !== 'object' || inspectOptions === null) {
-    throw new ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE(
-      'inspectOptions', 'object', inspectOptions);
-  }
+  validateObject(inspectOptions, 'inspectOptions');
   return formatWithOptionsInternal(inspectOptions, args);
 }
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-util-format.js b/test/parallel/test-util-format.js
index ab0d50f743fd98..edab2930ea556d 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-util-format.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-util-format.js
@@ -524,6 +524,7 @@ assert.strictEqual(
   5,
   'test',
   Symbol(),
+  [],
 ].forEach((invalidOptions) => {
   assert.throws(() => {
     util.formatWithOptions(invalidOptions, { a: true });