diff --git a/lib/core/util.js b/lib/core/util.js
index 259ba7b38a6..769811f57f7 100644
--- a/lib/core/util.js
+++ b/lib/core/util.js
@@ -58,31 +58,31 @@ function parseURL (url) {
     throw new InvalidArgumentError('Invalid URL: The URL argument must be a non-null object.')
   }
 
-  if (url.port != null && url.port !== '' && !Number.isFinite(parseInt(url.port))) {
-    throw new InvalidArgumentError('Invalid URL: port must be a valid integer or a string representation of an integer.')
+  if (!/^https?:/.test(url.origin || url.protocol)) {
+    throw new InvalidArgumentError('Invalid URL protocol: the URL must start with `http:` or `https:`.')
   }
 
-  if (url.path != null && typeof url.path !== 'string') {
-    throw new InvalidArgumentError('Invalid URL path: the path must be a string or null/undefined.')
-  }
+  if (!(url instanceof URL)) {
+    if (url.port != null && url.port !== '' && !Number.isFinite(parseInt(url.port))) {
+      throw new InvalidArgumentError('Invalid URL: port must be a valid integer or a string representation of an integer.')
+    }
 
-  if (url.pathname != null && typeof url.pathname !== 'string') {
-    throw new InvalidArgumentError('Invalid URL pathname: the pathname must be a string or null/undefined.')
-  }
+    if (url.path != null && typeof url.path !== 'string') {
+      throw new InvalidArgumentError('Invalid URL path: the path must be a string or null/undefined.')
+    }
 
-  if (url.hostname != null && typeof url.hostname !== 'string') {
-    throw new InvalidArgumentError('Invalid URL hostname: the hostname must be a string or null/undefined.')
-  }
+    if (url.pathname != null && typeof url.pathname !== 'string') {
+      throw new InvalidArgumentError('Invalid URL pathname: the pathname must be a string or null/undefined.')
+    }
 
-  if (url.origin != null && typeof url.origin !== 'string') {
-    throw new InvalidArgumentError('Invalid URL origin: the origin must be a string or null/undefined.')
-  }
+    if (url.hostname != null && typeof url.hostname !== 'string') {
+      throw new InvalidArgumentError('Invalid URL hostname: the hostname must be a string or null/undefined.')
+    }
 
-  if (!/^https?:/.test(url.origin || url.protocol)) {
-    throw new InvalidArgumentError('Invalid URL protocol: the URL must start with `http:` or `https:`.')
-  }
+    if (url.origin != null && typeof url.origin !== 'string') {
+      throw new InvalidArgumentError('Invalid URL origin: the origin must be a string or null/undefined.')
+    }
 
-  if (!(url instanceof URL)) {
     const port = url.port != null
       ? url.port
       : (url.protocol === 'https:' ? 443 : 80)
diff --git a/lib/fetch/global.js b/lib/fetch/global.js
index 42282acdfe2..1df6f1227bc 100644
--- a/lib/fetch/global.js
+++ b/lib/fetch/global.js
@@ -9,14 +9,6 @@ function getGlobalOrigin () {
 }
 
 function setGlobalOrigin (newOrigin) {
-  if (
-    newOrigin !== undefined &&
-    typeof newOrigin !== 'string' &&
-    !(newOrigin instanceof URL)
-  ) {
-    throw new Error('Invalid base url')
-  }
-
   if (newOrigin === undefined) {
     Object.defineProperty(globalThis, globalOrigin, {
       value: undefined,
diff --git a/test/client-errors.js b/test/client-errors.js
index 936841fbb15..cec7f37d62a 100644
--- a/test/client-errors.js
+++ b/test/client-errors.js
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ errorAndChunkedEncodingPipelining(consts.ASYNC_ITERATOR)
 
 test('invalid options throws', (t) => {
   try {
-    new Client({ port: 'foobar' }) // eslint-disable-line
+    new Client({ port: 'foobar', protocol: 'https:' }) // eslint-disable-line
     t.fail()
   } catch (err) {
     t.type(err, errors.InvalidArgumentError)
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ test('invalid options throws', (t) => {
     t.fail()
   } catch (err) {
     t.type(err, errors.InvalidArgumentError)
-    t.equal(err.message, 'Invalid URL hostname: the hostname must be a string or null/undefined.')
+    t.equal(err.message, 'Invalid URL protocol: the URL must start with `http:` or `https:`.')
   }
 
   try {