diff --git a/lib/events.js b/lib/events.js
index 3f3e3d295ce570..4ed193dfcb9b17 100644
--- a/lib/events.js
+++ b/lib/events.js
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ const {
   ErrorCaptureStackTrace,
   FunctionPrototypeBind,
   FunctionPrototypeCall,
-  NumberIsNaN,
   NumberMAX_SAFE_INTEGER,
   ObjectDefineProperty,
   ObjectDefineProperties,
@@ -69,7 +68,6 @@ const {
   codes: {
     ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE,
     ERR_INVALID_THIS,
-    ERR_OUT_OF_RANGE,
     ERR_UNHANDLED_ERROR
   },
   genericNodeError,
@@ -80,6 +78,7 @@ const {
   validateAbortSignal,
   validateBoolean,
   validateFunction,
+  validateNumber,
   validateString,
 } = require('internal/validators');
 
@@ -278,11 +277,7 @@ ObjectDefineProperty(EventEmitter, 'defaultMaxListeners', {
     return defaultMaxListeners;
   },
   set: function(arg) {
-    if (typeof arg !== 'number' || arg < 0 || NumberIsNaN(arg)) {
-      throw new ERR_OUT_OF_RANGE('defaultMaxListeners',
-                                 'a non-negative number',
-                                 arg);
-    }
+    validateNumber(arg, 'defaultMaxListeners', 0);
     defaultMaxListeners = arg;
   }
 });
@@ -312,8 +307,7 @@ ObjectDefineProperties(EventEmitter, {
  */
 EventEmitter.setMaxListeners =
   function(n = defaultMaxListeners, ...eventTargets) {
-    if (typeof n !== 'number' || n < 0 || NumberIsNaN(n))
-      throw new ERR_OUT_OF_RANGE('n', 'a non-negative number', n);
+    validateNumber(n, 'setMaxListeners', 0);
     if (eventTargets.length === 0) {
       defaultMaxListeners = n;
     } else {
@@ -409,9 +403,7 @@ function emitUnhandledRejectionOrErr(ee, err, type, args) {
  * @returns {EventEmitter}
  */
 EventEmitter.prototype.setMaxListeners = function setMaxListeners(n) {
-  if (typeof n !== 'number' || n < 0 || NumberIsNaN(n)) {
-    throw new ERR_OUT_OF_RANGE('n', 'a non-negative number', n);
-  }
+  validateNumber(n, 'setMaxListeners', 0);
   this._maxListeners = n;
   return this;
 };
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-event-emitter-max-listeners.js b/test/parallel/test-event-emitter-max-listeners.js
index 7bd1a6d619af23..9b9c2ad0d5d403 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-event-emitter-max-listeners.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-event-emitter-max-listeners.js
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 const common = require('../common');
 const assert = require('assert');
 const events = require('events');
-const { inspect } = require('util');
 const e = new events.EventEmitter();
 
 e.on('maxListeners', common.mustCall());
@@ -31,16 +30,15 @@ e.on('maxListeners', common.mustCall());
 // Should not corrupt the 'maxListeners' queue.
 e.setMaxListeners(42);
 
-const throwsObjs = [NaN, -1, 'and even this'];
+const rangeErrorObjs = [NaN, -1];
+const typeErrorObj = 'and even this';
 
-for (const obj of throwsObjs) {
+for (const obj of rangeErrorObjs) {
   assert.throws(
     () => e.setMaxListeners(obj),
     {
       code: 'ERR_OUT_OF_RANGE',
       name: 'RangeError',
-      message: 'The value of "n" is out of range. ' +
-               `It must be a non-negative number. Received ${inspect(obj)}`,
     }
   );
 
@@ -49,22 +47,40 @@ for (const obj of throwsObjs) {
     {
       code: 'ERR_OUT_OF_RANGE',
       name: 'RangeError',
-      message: 'The value of "defaultMaxListeners" is out of range. ' +
-               `It must be a non-negative number. Received ${inspect(obj)}`,
     }
   );
 }
 
+assert.throws(
+  () => e.setMaxListeners(typeErrorObj),
+  {
+    code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
+    name: 'TypeError',
+  }
+);
+
+assert.throws(
+  () => events.defaultMaxListeners = typeErrorObj,
+  {
+    code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
+    name: 'TypeError',
+  }
+);
+
 e.emit('maxListeners');
 
 {
   const { EventEmitter, defaultMaxListeners } = events;
-  for (const obj of throwsObjs) {
+  for (const obj of rangeErrorObjs) {
     assert.throws(() => EventEmitter.setMaxListeners(obj), {
       code: 'ERR_OUT_OF_RANGE',
     });
   }
 
+  assert.throws(() => EventEmitter.setMaxListeners(typeErrorObj), {
+    code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
+  });
+
   assert.throws(
     () => EventEmitter.setMaxListeners(defaultMaxListeners, 'INVALID_EMITTER'),
     { code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE' }