diff --git a/lib/internal/bootstrap/node.js b/lib/internal/bootstrap/node.js
index 18e1837c0a9bf1..067998f115ccc9 100644
--- a/lib/internal/bootstrap/node.js
+++ b/lib/internal/bootstrap/node.js
@@ -28,13 +28,6 @@
   const isMainThread = internalBinding('worker').threadId === 0;
 
   function startup() {
-    const EventEmitter = NativeModule.require('events');
-
-    const origProcProto = Object.getPrototypeOf(process);
-    Object.setPrototypeOf(origProcProto, EventEmitter.prototype);
-
-    EventEmitter.call(process);
-
     setupProcessObject();
 
     // Do this good and early, since it handles errors.
@@ -335,6 +328,11 @@
   }
 
   function setupProcessObject() {
+    const EventEmitter = NativeModule.require('events');
+    const origProcProto = Object.getPrototypeOf(process);
+    Object.setPrototypeOf(origProcProto, EventEmitter.prototype);
+    EventEmitter.call(process);
+
     _setupProcessObject(pushValueToArray);
 
     function pushValueToArray() {