diff --git a/lib/internal/repl.js b/lib/internal/repl.js
index d81f56f5c96d33..c98fd00e35680f 100644
--- a/lib/internal/repl.js
+++ b/lib/internal/repl.js
@@ -164,10 +164,19 @@ function setupHistory(repl, historyPath, oldHistoryPath, ready) {
       }
     }
 
-    fs.open(historyPath, 'w', onhandle);
+    fs.open(historyPath, 'r+', onhandle);
   }
 
   function onhandle(err, hnd) {
+    if (err) {
+      return ready(err);
+    }
+    fs.ftruncate(hnd, 0, (err) => {
+      return onftruncate(err, hnd);
+    });
+  }
+
+  function onftruncate(err, hnd) {
     if (err) {
       return ready(err);
     }
diff --git a/test/fixtures/.empty-hidden-repl-history-file b/test/fixtures/.empty-hidden-repl-history-file
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..e69de29bb2d1d6
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-repl-persistent-history.js b/test/parallel/test-repl-persistent-history.js
index 2b0ceac530a65f..6d95f932ccae45 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-repl-persistent-history.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-repl-persistent-history.js
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ const oldHistoryPath = path.join(fixtures, 'old-repl-history-file.json');
 const enoentHistoryPath = path.join(fixtures, 'enoent-repl-history-file.json');
 const emptyHistoryPath = path.join(fixtures, '.empty-repl-history-file');
 const defaultHistoryPath = path.join(common.tmpDir, '.node_repl_history');
+const emptyHiddenHistoryPath = path.join(fixtures,
+                                         '.empty-hidden-repl-history-file');
 
 const tests = [
   {
@@ -163,6 +165,19 @@ const tests = [
     test: [UP],
     expected: [prompt, replFailedRead, prompt, replDisabled, prompt]
   },
+  {
+    before: function before() {
+      if (common.isWindows) {
+        const execSync = require('child_process').execSync;
+        execSync(`ATTRIB +H "${emptyHiddenHistoryPath}"`, (err) => {
+          assert.ifError(err);
+        });
+      }
+    },
+    env: { NODE_REPL_HISTORY: emptyHiddenHistoryPath },
+    test: [UP],
+    expected: [prompt]
+  },
   { // Make sure this is always the last test, since we change os.homedir()
     before: function before() {
       // Mock os.homedir() failure