diff --git a/lib/child_process.js b/lib/child_process.js
index 3cc6e2ce6a944e..4c2fb7e09817f4 100644
--- a/lib/child_process.js
+++ b/lib/child_process.js
@@ -517,7 +517,7 @@ exports.execFileSync = execFileSync;
 
 function execSync(command /*, options*/) {
   var opts = normalizeExecArgs.apply(null, arguments);
-  var inheritStderr = opts.options ? !opts.options.stdio : true;
+  var inheritStderr = !opts.options.stdio;
 
   var ret = spawnSync(opts.file, opts.options);
   ret.cmd = command;