diff --git a/lib/internal/util/inspect.js b/lib/internal/util/inspect.js
index c1fc1944f136b2..b30a4e4a4ae53a 100644
--- a/lib/internal/util/inspect.js
+++ b/lib/internal/util/inspect.js
@@ -1363,8 +1363,139 @@ function reduceToSingleString(ctx, output, base, braces, combine = false) {
   return `${braces[0]}${ln}${join(output, `,\n${indentation}  `)} ${braces[1]}`;
 }
 
+const emptyOptions = {};
+function format(...args) {
+  return formatWithOptions(emptyOptions, ...args);
+}
+
+
+let CIRCULAR_ERROR_MESSAGE;
+function tryStringify(arg) {
+  try {
+    return JSON.stringify(arg);
+  } catch (err) {
+    // Populate the circular error message lazily
+    if (!CIRCULAR_ERROR_MESSAGE) {
+      try {
+        const a = {}; a.a = a; JSON.stringify(a);
+      } catch (err) {
+        CIRCULAR_ERROR_MESSAGE = err.message;
+      }
+    }
+    if (err.name === 'TypeError' && err.message === CIRCULAR_ERROR_MESSAGE)
+      return '[Circular]';
+    throw err;
+  }
+}
+
+function formatWithOptions(inspectOptions, ...args) {
+  const first = args[0];
+  let a = 0;
+  let str = '';
+  let join = '';
+
+  if (typeof first === 'string') {
+    if (args.length === 1) {
+      return first;
+    }
+    let tempStr;
+    let lastPos = 0;
+
+    for (var i = 0; i < first.length - 1; i++) {
+      if (first.charCodeAt(i) === 37) { // '%'
+        const nextChar = first.charCodeAt(++i);
+        if (a + 1 !== args.length) {
+          switch (nextChar) {
+            case 115: // 's'
+              tempStr = String(args[++a]);
+              break;
+            case 106: // 'j'
+              tempStr = tryStringify(args[++a]);
+              break;
+            case 100: // 'd'
+              const tempNum = args[++a];
+              // eslint-disable-next-line valid-typeof
+              if (typeof tempNum === 'bigint') {
+                tempStr = `${tempNum}n`;
+              } else if (typeof tempNum === 'symbol') {
+                tempStr = 'NaN';
+              } else {
+                tempStr = `${Number(tempNum)}`;
+              }
+              break;
+            case 79: // 'O'
+              tempStr = inspect(args[++a], inspectOptions);
+              break;
+            case 111: // 'o'
+            {
+              tempStr = inspect(args[++a], {
+                ...inspectOptions,
+                showHidden: true,
+                showProxy: true,
+                depth: 4
+              });
+              break;
+            }
+            case 105: // 'i'
+              const tempInteger = args[++a];
+              // eslint-disable-next-line valid-typeof
+              if (typeof tempInteger === 'bigint') {
+                tempStr = `${tempInteger}n`;
+              } else if (typeof tempInteger === 'symbol') {
+                tempStr = 'NaN';
+              } else {
+                tempStr = `${parseInt(tempInteger)}`;
+              }
+              break;
+            case 102: // 'f'
+              const tempFloat = args[++a];
+              if (typeof tempFloat === 'symbol') {
+                tempStr = 'NaN';
+              } else {
+                tempStr = `${parseFloat(tempFloat)}`;
+              }
+              break;
+            case 37: // '%'
+              str += first.slice(lastPos, i);
+              lastPos = i + 1;
+              continue;
+            default: // Any other character is not a correct placeholder
+              continue;
+          }
+          if (lastPos !== i - 1) {
+            str += first.slice(lastPos, i - 1);
+          }
+          str += tempStr;
+          lastPos = i + 1;
+        } else if (nextChar === 37) {
+          str += first.slice(lastPos, i);
+          lastPos = i + 1;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    if (lastPos !== 0) {
+      a++;
+      join = ' ';
+      if (lastPos < first.length) {
+        str += first.slice(lastPos);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  while (a < args.length) {
+    const value = args[a];
+    str += join;
+    str += typeof value !== 'string' ? inspect(value, inspectOptions) : value;
+    join = ' ';
+    a++;
+  }
+  return str;
+}
+
 module.exports = {
   inspect,
   formatProperty,
-  kObjectType
+  kObjectType,
+  format,
+  formatWithOptions
 };
diff --git a/lib/util.js b/lib/util.js
index f422a1f41099b8..98e41e5a3750cb 100644
--- a/lib/util.js
+++ b/lib/util.js
@@ -22,7 +22,11 @@
 'use strict';
 
 const errors = require('internal/errors');
-const { inspect } = require('internal/util/inspect');
+const {
+  format,
+  formatWithOptions,
+  inspect
+} = require('internal/util/inspect');
 const {
   ERR_FALSY_VALUE_REJECTION,
   ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE,
@@ -46,136 +50,8 @@ function uncurryThis(func) {
 }
 const objectToString = uncurryThis(Object.prototype.toString);
 
-let CIRCULAR_ERROR_MESSAGE;
 let internalDeepEqual;
 
-function tryStringify(arg) {
-  try {
-    return JSON.stringify(arg);
-  } catch (err) {
-    // Populate the circular error message lazily
-    if (!CIRCULAR_ERROR_MESSAGE) {
-      try {
-        const a = {}; a.a = a; JSON.stringify(a);
-      } catch (err) {
-        CIRCULAR_ERROR_MESSAGE = err.message;
-      }
-    }
-    if (err.name === 'TypeError' && err.message === CIRCULAR_ERROR_MESSAGE)
-      return '[Circular]';
-    throw err;
-  }
-}
-
-const emptyOptions = {};
-function format(...args) {
-  return formatWithOptions(emptyOptions, ...args);
-}
-
-function formatWithOptions(inspectOptions, ...args) {
-  const first = args[0];
-  let a = 0;
-  let str = '';
-  let join = '';
-
-  if (typeof first === 'string') {
-    if (args.length === 1) {
-      return first;
-    }
-    let tempStr;
-    let lastPos = 0;
-
-    for (var i = 0; i < first.length - 1; i++) {
-      if (first.charCodeAt(i) === 37) { // '%'
-        const nextChar = first.charCodeAt(++i);
-        if (a + 1 !== args.length) {
-          switch (nextChar) {
-            case 115: // 's'
-              tempStr = String(args[++a]);
-              break;
-            case 106: // 'j'
-              tempStr = tryStringify(args[++a]);
-              break;
-            case 100: // 'd'
-              const tempNum = args[++a];
-              // eslint-disable-next-line valid-typeof
-              if (typeof tempNum === 'bigint') {
-                tempStr = `${tempNum}n`;
-              } else if (typeof tempNum === 'symbol') {
-                tempStr = 'NaN';
-              } else {
-                tempStr = `${Number(tempNum)}`;
-              }
-              break;
-            case 79: // 'O'
-              tempStr = inspect(args[++a], inspectOptions);
-              break;
-            case 111: // 'o'
-            {
-              tempStr = inspect(args[++a], {
-                ...inspectOptions,
-                showHidden: true,
-                showProxy: true,
-                depth: 4
-              });
-              break;
-            }
-            case 105: // 'i'
-              const tempInteger = args[++a];
-              // eslint-disable-next-line valid-typeof
-              if (typeof tempInteger === 'bigint') {
-                tempStr = `${tempInteger}n`;
-              } else if (typeof tempInteger === 'symbol') {
-                tempStr = 'NaN';
-              } else {
-                tempStr = `${parseInt(tempInteger)}`;
-              }
-              break;
-            case 102: // 'f'
-              const tempFloat = args[++a];
-              if (typeof tempFloat === 'symbol') {
-                tempStr = 'NaN';
-              } else {
-                tempStr = `${parseFloat(tempFloat)}`;
-              }
-              break;
-            case 37: // '%'
-              str += first.slice(lastPos, i);
-              lastPos = i + 1;
-              continue;
-            default: // Any other character is not a correct placeholder
-              continue;
-          }
-          if (lastPos !== i - 1) {
-            str += first.slice(lastPos, i - 1);
-          }
-          str += tempStr;
-          lastPos = i + 1;
-        } else if (nextChar === 37) {
-          str += first.slice(lastPos, i);
-          lastPos = i + 1;
-        }
-      }
-    }
-    if (lastPos !== 0) {
-      a++;
-      join = ' ';
-      if (lastPos < first.length) {
-        str += first.slice(lastPos);
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
-  while (a < args.length) {
-    const value = args[a];
-    str += join;
-    str += typeof value !== 'string' ? inspect(value, inspectOptions) : value;
-    join = ' ';
-    a++;
-  }
-  return str;
-}
-
 const debugs = {};
 let debugEnvRegex = /^$/;
 if (process.env.NODE_DEBUG) {