diff --git a/lib/net.js b/lib/net.js
index 1533843dbab981..278153d3bdffc7 100644
--- a/lib/net.js
+++ b/lib/net.js
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ const WriteWrap = process.binding('stream_wrap').WriteWrap;
 const async_id_symbol = process.binding('async_wrap').async_id_symbol;
 const { newUid, setInitTriggerId } = require('async_hooks');
 const nextTick = require('internal/process/next_tick').nextTick;
+const errors = require('internal/errors');
 
 var cluster;
 var dns;
@@ -964,8 +965,9 @@ Socket.prototype.connect = function() {
     this._sockname = null;
   }
 
-  var pipe = !!options.path;
-  debug('pipe', pipe, options.path);
+  const path = options.path;
+  var pipe = !!path;
+  debug('pipe', pipe, path);
 
   if (!this._handle) {
     this._handle = pipe ? new Pipe() : new TCP();
@@ -982,7 +984,13 @@ Socket.prototype.connect = function() {
   this.writable = true;
 
   if (pipe) {
-    internalConnect(this, options.path);
+    if (typeof path !== 'string') {
+      throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
+        'options.path',
+        'string',
+        path);
+    }
+    internalConnect(this, path);
   } else {
     lookupAndConnect(this, options);
   }
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-net-better-error-messages-path.js b/test/parallel/test-net-better-error-messages-path.js
index f4d00c7aebf055..bb2256637a0d30 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-net-better-error-messages-path.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-net-better-error-messages-path.js
@@ -2,12 +2,21 @@
 const common = require('../common');
 const net = require('net');
 const assert = require('assert');
-const fp = '/tmp/fadagagsdfgsdf';
-const c = net.connect(fp);
 
-c.on('connect', common.mustNotCall());
+{
+  const fp = '/tmp/fadagagsdfgsdf';
+  const c = net.connect(fp);
 
-c.on('error', common.mustCall(function(e) {
-  assert.strictEqual(e.code, 'ENOENT');
-  assert.strictEqual(e.message, `connect ENOENT ${fp}`);
-}));
+  c.on('connect', common.mustNotCall());
+  c.on('error', common.expectsError({
+    code: 'ENOENT',
+    message: `connect ENOENT ${fp}`
+  }));
+}
+
+{
+  assert.throws(
+    () => net.createConnection({ path: {} }),
+    common.expectsError({ code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE' })
+  );
+}