diff --git a/doc/api/cli.md b/doc/api/cli.md
index 9776a0f6efae7f..578f08d16f45e2 100644
--- a/doc/api/cli.md
+++ b/doc/api/cli.md
@@ -251,6 +251,14 @@ added:
 
 Enable experimental `import.meta.resolve()` support.
 
+### `--experimental-import-non-javascript-without-assertion`
+<!-- YAML
+added: REPLACEME
+-->
+
+Enable experimental support importing non-JS modules without using an import
+assertion.
+
 ### `--experimental-json-modules`
 <!-- YAML
 added: v12.9.0
diff --git a/doc/api/errors.md b/doc/api/errors.md
index 7e4ec36f932b27..88afcd8cc7be42 100644
--- a/doc/api/errors.md
+++ b/doc/api/errors.md
@@ -1925,6 +1925,15 @@ strict compliance with the API specification (which in some cases may accept
 `func(undefined)` and `func()` are treated identically, and the
 [`ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE`][] error code may be used instead.
 
+<a id="ERR_MISSING_IMPORT_ASSERTION"></a>
+### `ERR_MISSING_IMPORT_ASSERTION`
+<!-- YAML
+added: REPLACEME
+-->
+
+An attempt was made to impor without an assertion a module that requires a
+specific import assertion to be loaded.
+
 <a id="ERR_MISSING_OPTION"></a>
 ### `ERR_MISSING_OPTION`
 
diff --git a/lib/internal/errors.js b/lib/internal/errors.js
index 5801de21b50778..6ac58d4b85a370 100644
--- a/lib/internal/errors.js
+++ b/lib/internal/errors.js
@@ -1400,6 +1400,9 @@ E('ERR_MISSING_ARGS',
     }
     return `${msg} must be specified`;
   }, TypeError);
+E('ERR_MISSING_IMPORT_ASSERTION',
+  'Failed to load %s: Node.js requires modules of format "%s" to be loaded ' +
+  'using an assertion "%s" with value "%s"', TypeError);
 E('ERR_MISSING_OPTION', '%s is required', TypeError);
 E('ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND', (path, base, type = 'package') => {
   return `Cannot find ${type} '${path}' imported from ${base}`;
diff --git a/lib/internal/modules/esm/loader.js b/lib/internal/modules/esm/loader.js
index dc3fcefb03cf19..04aa6f06c3ea6c 100644
--- a/lib/internal/modules/esm/loader.js
+++ b/lib/internal/modules/esm/loader.js
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ const {
   ERR_INVALID_MODULE_SPECIFIER,
   ERR_INVALID_RETURN_PROPERTY_VALUE,
   ERR_INVALID_RETURN_VALUE,
+  ERR_MISSING_IMPORT_ASSERTION,
   ERR_UNKNOWN_MODULE_FORMAT
 } = require('internal/errors').codes;
 const { pathToFileURL, isURLInstance } = require('internal/url');
@@ -48,6 +49,9 @@ const { translators } = require(
   'internal/modules/esm/translators');
 const { getOptionValue } = require('internal/options');
 
+const experimentalAssertionlessNonJsImports =
+  getOptionValue('--experimental-import-non-javascript-without-assertion');
+
 const importAssertionTypeCache = new SafeWeakMap();
 const finalFormatCache = new SafeWeakMap();
 const supportedTypes = ObjectFreeze([undefined, 'json']);
@@ -252,6 +256,11 @@ class ESMLoader {
 
       if (job !== undefined) {
         const finalFormat = finalFormatCache.get(job);
+        if (!experimentalAssertionlessNonJsImports &&
+           import_assertions.type == null && finalFormat === 'json') {
+          throw new ERR_MISSING_IMPORT_ASSERTION(url, finalFormat,
+                                                 'type', 'json');
+        }
         if (
           import_assertions.type == null ||
               (import_assertions.type === 'json' && finalFormat === 'json')
@@ -268,6 +277,10 @@ class ESMLoader {
         throw new ERR_FAILED_IMPORT_ASSERTION(
           url, 'type', import_assertions.type, finalFormat);
       }
+      if (!experimentalAssertionlessNonJsImports && finalFormat === 'json') {
+        throw new ERR_MISSING_IMPORT_ASSERTION(url, finalFormat,
+                                               'type', 'json');
+      }
       finalFormatCache.set(job, finalFormat);
 
       const translator = translators.get(finalFormat);
diff --git a/src/node_options.cc b/src/node_options.cc
index c778de58dc8fa8..3382fa40640e86 100644
--- a/src/node_options.cc
+++ b/src/node_options.cc
@@ -315,6 +315,11 @@ EnvironmentOptionsParser::EnvironmentOptionsParser() {
             "experimental JSON interop support for the ES Module loader",
             &EnvironmentOptions::experimental_json_modules,
             kAllowedInEnvironment);
+  AddOption("--experimental-import-non-javascript-without-assertion",
+            "experimental support for importing non-JS modules without using "
+            "an import assertion",
+            &EnvironmentOptions::experimental_assertionless_non_js_imports,
+            kAllowedInEnvironment);
   AddOption("--experimental-loader",
             "use the specified module as a custom loader",
             &EnvironmentOptions::userland_loader,
diff --git a/src/node_options.h b/src/node_options.h
index 02511d520802fc..987c6ba0aaf80e 100644
--- a/src/node_options.h
+++ b/src/node_options.h
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ class EnvironmentOptions : public Options {
   std::string dns_result_order;
   bool enable_source_maps = false;
   bool experimental_json_modules = false;
+  bool experimental_assertionless_non_js_imports = false;
   bool experimental_modules = false;
   std::string experimental_specifier_resolution;
   bool experimental_wasm_modules = false;
diff --git a/test/es-module/test-esm-data-urls.js b/test/es-module/test-esm-data-urls.js
index 78cd01b4d55a12..5b1d03cd0cf6e8 100644
--- a/test/es-module/test-esm-data-urls.js
+++ b/test/es-module/test-esm-data-urls.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Flags: --experimental-json-modules
+// Flags: --experimental-json-modules --experimental-import-non-javascript-without-assertion
 'use strict';
 const common = require('../common');
 const assert = require('assert');
diff --git a/test/es-module/test-esm-dynamic-import-assertion.js b/test/es-module/test-esm-dynamic-import-assertion.js
index c5555336b91413..aaf363abbd828a 100644
--- a/test/es-module/test-esm-dynamic-import-assertion.js
+++ b/test/es-module/test-esm-dynamic-import-assertion.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Flags: --experimental-json-modules
+// Flags: --experimental-json-modules --experimental-import-non-javascript-without-assertion
 'use strict';
 const common = require('../common');
 const { rejects, strictEqual } = require('assert');
diff --git a/test/es-module/test-esm-dynamic-import-assertion.mjs b/test/es-module/test-esm-dynamic-import-assertion.mjs
index f509042b8a46f1..aac654298d762b 100644
--- a/test/es-module/test-esm-dynamic-import-assertion.mjs
+++ b/test/es-module/test-esm-dynamic-import-assertion.mjs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Flags: --experimental-json-modules
+// Flags: --experimental-json-modules --experimental-import-non-javascript-without-assertion
 import '../common/index.mjs';
 import { rejects, strictEqual } from 'assert';
 
diff --git a/test/es-module/test-esm-import-assertion-3.mjs b/test/es-module/test-esm-import-assertion-3.mjs
index 79d6cf05a1d1e6..6d9408b4999e1a 100644
--- a/test/es-module/test-esm-import-assertion-3.mjs
+++ b/test/es-module/test-esm-import-assertion-3.mjs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Flags: --experimental-json-modules
+// Flags: --experimental-json-modules --experimental-import-non-javascript-without-assertion
 import '../common/index.mjs';
 import { strictEqual } from 'assert';
 
diff --git a/test/es-module/test-esm-import-assertion-4.mjs b/test/es-module/test-esm-import-assertion-4.mjs
index b7400bca9d42f9..351173226c6ac4 100644
--- a/test/es-module/test-esm-import-assertion-4.mjs
+++ b/test/es-module/test-esm-import-assertion-4.mjs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Flags: --experimental-json-modules
+// Flags: --experimental-json-modules --experimental-import-non-javascript-without-assertion
 import '../common/index.mjs';
 import { strictEqual } from 'assert';
 
diff --git a/test/es-module/test-esm-json-cache.mjs b/test/es-module/test-esm-json-cache.mjs
index 68ea832ab69585..3a316c55ce58c3 100644
--- a/test/es-module/test-esm-json-cache.mjs
+++ b/test/es-module/test-esm-json-cache.mjs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Flags: --experimental-json-modules
+// Flags: --experimental-json-modules --experimental-import-non-javascript-without-assertion
 import '../common/index.mjs';
 
 import { strictEqual, deepStrictEqual } from 'assert';
diff --git a/test/es-module/test-esm-json.mjs b/test/es-module/test-esm-json.mjs
index df4f75fbd6e067..12c2c4afc050c4 100644
--- a/test/es-module/test-esm-json.mjs
+++ b/test/es-module/test-esm-json.mjs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Flags: --experimental-json-modules
+// Flags: --experimental-json-modules --experimental-import-non-javascript-without-assertion
 import '../common/index.mjs';
 import { path } from '../common/fixtures.mjs';
 import { strictEqual, ok } from 'assert';
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ strictEqual(secret.ofLife, 42);
 // Test warning message
 const child = spawn(process.execPath, [
   '--experimental-json-modules',
+  '--experimental-import-non-javascript-without-assertion',
   path('/es-modules/json-modules.mjs'),
 ]);
 
diff --git a/test/message/esm_import_assertion_missing.mjs b/test/message/esm_import_assertion_missing.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..0b402d9e7ff90a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/message/esm_import_assertion_missing.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+// Flags: --experimental-json-modules
+import '../common/index.mjs';
+import 'data:application/json,{}';
diff --git a/test/message/esm_import_assertion_missing.out b/test/message/esm_import_assertion_missing.out
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..ffd8c658fcd617
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/message/esm_import_assertion_missing.out
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+node:internal/errors:*
+    ErrorCaptureStackTrace(err);
+    ^
+
+TypeError [ERR_MISSING_IMPORT_ASSERTION]: Failed to load data:application/json,{}: Node.js requires modules of format "json" to be loaded using an assertion "type" with value "json"
+    at new NodeError (node:internal/errors:*:*)
+    at ESMLoader.moduleProvider (node:internal/modules/esm/loader:*:*) {
+  code: 'ERR_MISSING_IMPORT_ASSERTION'
+}
+
+Node.js *
\ No newline at end of file