diff --git a/lib/internal/process/permission.js b/lib/internal/process/permission.js
index 4b48493adc7709..e400dcae9f934e 100644
--- a/lib/internal/process/permission.js
+++ b/lib/internal/process/permission.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 const {
   ObjectFreeze,
+  StringPrototypeStartsWith,
 } = primordials;
 
 const permission = internalBinding('permission');
@@ -24,8 +25,10 @@ module.exports = ObjectFreeze({
     if (reference != null) {
       // TODO: add support for WHATWG URLs and Uint8Arrays.
       validateString(reference, 'reference');
-      if (!isAbsolute(reference)) {
-        return permission.has(scope, resolve(reference));
+      if (StringPrototypeStartsWith(scope, 'fs')) {
+        if (!isAbsolute(reference)) {
+          reference = resolve(reference);
+        }
       }
     }