diff --git a/lib/fs.js b/lib/fs.js
index cfe856eaebd41c..aa32d0db2810e8 100644
--- a/lib/fs.js
+++ b/lib/fs.js
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ const {
 } = require('internal/constants');
 const {
   isUint32,
-  validateMode,
+  parseMode,
   validateInteger,
   validateInt32,
   validateUint32
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ function open(path, flags, mode, callback) {
   }
   const flagsNumber = stringToFlags(flags);
   if (arguments.length >= 4) {
-    mode = validateMode(mode, 'mode', 0o666);
+    mode = parseMode(mode, 'mode', 0o666);
   }
   callback = makeCallback(callback);
 
@@ -444,7 +444,7 @@ function openSync(path, flags, mode) {
   path = toPathIfFileURL(path);
   validatePath(path);
   const flagsNumber = stringToFlags(flags || 'r');
-  mode = validateMode(mode, 'mode', 0o666);
+  mode = parseMode(mode, 'mode', 0o666);
 
   const ctx = { path };
   const result = binding.open(pathModule.toNamespacedPath(path),
@@ -754,7 +754,7 @@ function mkdir(path, options, callback) {
   const req = new FSReqCallback();
   req.oncomplete = callback;
   binding.mkdir(pathModule.toNamespacedPath(path),
-                validateMode(mode, 'mode', 0o777), recursive, req);
+                parseMode(mode, 'mode', 0o777), recursive, req);
 }
 
 function mkdirSync(path, options) {
@@ -773,7 +773,7 @@ function mkdirSync(path, options) {
 
   const ctx = { path };
   binding.mkdir(pathModule.toNamespacedPath(path),
-                validateMode(mode, 'mode', 0o777), recursive, undefined,
+                parseMode(mode, 'mode', 0o777), recursive, undefined,
                 ctx);
   handleErrorFromBinding(ctx);
 }
@@ -1010,7 +1010,7 @@ function unlinkSync(path) {
 
 function fchmod(fd, mode, callback) {
   validateInt32(fd, 'fd', 0);
-  mode = validateMode(mode, 'mode');
+  mode = parseMode(mode, 'mode');
   callback = makeCallback(callback);
 
   const req = new FSReqCallback();
@@ -1020,7 +1020,7 @@ function fchmod(fd, mode, callback) {
 
 function fchmodSync(fd, mode) {
   validateInt32(fd, 'fd', 0);
-  mode = validateMode(mode, 'mode');
+  mode = parseMode(mode, 'mode');
   const ctx = {};
   binding.fchmod(fd, mode, undefined, ctx);
   handleErrorFromBinding(ctx);
@@ -1061,7 +1061,7 @@ function lchmodSync(path, mode) {
 function chmod(path, mode, callback) {
   path = toPathIfFileURL(path);
   validatePath(path);
-  mode = validateMode(mode, 'mode');
+  mode = parseMode(mode, 'mode');
   callback = makeCallback(callback);
 
   const req = new FSReqCallback();
@@ -1072,7 +1072,7 @@ function chmod(path, mode, callback) {
 function chmodSync(path, mode) {
   path = toPathIfFileURL(path);
   validatePath(path);
-  mode = validateMode(mode, 'mode');
+  mode = parseMode(mode, 'mode');
 
   const ctx = { path };
   binding.chmod(pathModule.toNamespacedPath(path), mode, undefined, ctx);
diff --git a/lib/internal/fs/promises.js b/lib/internal/fs/promises.js
index 33c510ed5ca702..4a0c43a3937a6d 100644
--- a/lib/internal/fs/promises.js
+++ b/lib/internal/fs/promises.js
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ const {
   validatePath
 } = require('internal/fs/utils');
 const {
-  validateMode,
+  parseMode,
   validateInteger,
   validateUint32
 } = require('internal/validators');
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ async function open(path, flags, mode) {
   validatePath(path);
   if (arguments.length < 2) flags = 'r';
   const flagsNumber = stringToFlags(flags);
-  mode = validateMode(mode, 'mode', 0o666);
+  mode = parseMode(mode, 'mode', 0o666);
   return new FileHandle(
     await binding.openFileHandle(pathModule.toNamespacedPath(path),
                                  flagsNumber, mode, kUsePromises));
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ async function mkdir(path, options) {
     throw new ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE('recursive', 'boolean', recursive);
 
   return binding.mkdir(pathModule.toNamespacedPath(path),
-                       validateMode(mode, 'mode', 0o777), recursive,
+                       parseMode(mode, 'mode', 0o777), recursive,
                        kUsePromises);
 }
 
@@ -386,14 +386,14 @@ async function unlink(path) {
 
 async function fchmod(handle, mode) {
   validateFileHandle(handle);
-  mode = validateMode(mode, 'mode');
+  mode = parseMode(mode, 'mode');
   return binding.fchmod(handle.fd, mode, kUsePromises);
 }
 
 async function chmod(path, mode) {
   path = toPathIfFileURL(path);
   validatePath(path);
-  mode = validateMode(mode, 'mode');
+  mode = parseMode(mode, 'mode');
   return binding.chmod(pathModule.toNamespacedPath(path), mode, kUsePromises);
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/internal/process/main_thread_only.js b/lib/internal/process/main_thread_only.js
index 24a7b02520fa57..358e2b37b0f834 100644
--- a/lib/internal/process/main_thread_only.js
+++ b/lib/internal/process/main_thread_only.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ const {
   }
 } = require('internal/errors');
 const {
-  validateMode,
+  parseMode,
   validateUint32,
   validateString
 } = require('internal/validators');
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ function wrapProcessMethods(binding) {
 
   function umask(mask) {
     if (mask !== undefined) {
-      mask = validateMode(mask, 'mask');
+      mask = parseMode(mask, 'mask');
     }
     return binding.umask(mask);
   }
diff --git a/lib/internal/validators.js b/lib/internal/validators.js
index a80917ee7edde4..1c351f68cb56ba 100644
--- a/lib/internal/validators.js
+++ b/lib/internal/validators.js
@@ -21,10 +21,10 @@ const octalReg = /^[0-7]+$/;
 const modeDesc = 'must be a 32-bit unsigned integer or an octal string';
 
 /**
- * Validate values that will be converted into mode_t (the S_* constants).
- * Only valid numbers and octal strings are allowed. They could be converted
- * to 32-bit unsigned integers or non-negative signed integers in the C++
- * land, but any value higher than 0o777 will result in platform-specific
+ * Parse and validate values that will be converted into mode_t (the S_*
+ * constants). Only valid numbers and octal strings are allowed. They could be
+ * converted to 32-bit unsigned integers or non-negative signed integers in the
+ * C++ land, but any value higher than 0o777 will result in platform-specific
  * behaviors.
  *
  * @param {*} value Values to be validated
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ const modeDesc = 'must be a 32-bit unsigned integer or an octal string';
  * @param {number} def If specified, will be returned for invalid values
  * @returns {number}
  */
-function validateMode(value, name, def) {
+function parseMode(value, name, def) {
   if (isUint32(value)) {
     return value;
   }
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ function validateNumber(value, name) {
 module.exports = {
   isInt32,
   isUint32,
-  validateMode,
+  parseMode,
   validateInteger,
   validateInt32,
   validateUint32,