diff --git a/doc/api/assert.md b/doc/api/assert.md
index f3202c214ba192..efc0f4e07856d6 100644
--- a/doc/api/assert.md
+++ b/doc/api/assert.md
@@ -645,6 +645,11 @@ parameter is an instance of an [`Error`][] then it will be thrown instead of the
 ## assert.ok(value[, message])
 <!-- YAML
 added: v0.1.21
+changes:
+  - version: REPLACEME
+    pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/17581
+    description: assert.ok() will throw a `ERR_MISSING_ARGS` error.
+                 Use assert.fail() instead.
 -->
 * `value` {any}
 * `message` {any}
diff --git a/lib/assert.js b/lib/assert.js
index a65be66ac735de..db8ae35e07ca3e 100644
--- a/lib/assert.js
+++ b/lib/assert.js
@@ -133,6 +133,9 @@ function getBuffer(fd, assertLine) {
 function innerOk(args, fn) {
   var [value, message] = args;
 
+  if (args.length === 0)
+    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_MISSING_ARGS', 'value');
+
   if (!value) {
     if (message == null) {
       // Use the call as error message if possible.
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-assert.js b/test/parallel/test-assert.js
index c1b32c1e5cb296..ccfe276c80a1de 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-assert.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-assert.js
@@ -754,6 +754,20 @@ common.expectsError(
   assert.equal(Object.keys(assert).length, Object.keys(a).length);
   /* eslint-enable no-restricted-properties */
   assert(7);
+  common.expectsError(
+    () => assert(),
+    {
+      code: 'ERR_MISSING_ARGS',
+      type: TypeError
+    }
+  );
+  common.expectsError(
+    () => a(),
+    {
+      code: 'ERR_MISSING_ARGS',
+      type: TypeError
+    }
+  );
 
   // Test setting the limit to zero and that assert.strict works properly.
   const tmpLimit = Error.stackTraceLimit;