diff --git a/lib/internal/bootstrap/pre_execution.js b/lib/internal/bootstrap/pre_execution.js
index d18d7099280f62..6e7d946458d44e 100644
--- a/lib/internal/bootstrap/pre_execution.js
+++ b/lib/internal/bootstrap/pre_execution.js
@@ -120,8 +120,16 @@ function setupCoverageHooks(dir) {
   const { resolve } = require('path');
   const coverageDirectory = resolve(cwd, dir);
   const { sourceMapCacheToObject } = require('internal/source_map');
-  internalBinding('profiler').setCoverageDirectory(coverageDirectory);
-  internalBinding('profiler').setSourceMapCacheGetter(sourceMapCacheToObject);
+
+  if (process.features.inspector) {
+    internalBinding('profiler').setCoverageDirectory(coverageDirectory);
+    internalBinding('profiler').setSourceMapCacheGetter(sourceMapCacheToObject);
+  } else {
+    process.emitWarning('The inspector is disabled, ' +
+                        'coverage could not be collected',
+                        'Warning');
+    return '';
+  }
   return coverageDirectory;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/common/index.js b/test/common/index.js
index 98a26872223cb9..00ebd283a0c3e9 100644
--- a/test/common/index.js
+++ b/test/common/index.js
@@ -651,6 +651,12 @@ function skipIfInspectorDisabled() {
   }
 }
 
+function skipIfInspectorEnabled() {
+  if (process.features.inspector) {
+    skip('V8 inspector is enabled');
+  }
+}
+
 function skipIfReportDisabled() {
   if (!process.config.variables.node_report) {
     skip('Diagnostic reporting is disabled');
@@ -783,6 +789,7 @@ module.exports = {
   skipIf32Bits,
   skipIfEslintMissing,
   skipIfInspectorDisabled,
+  skipIfInspectorEnabled,
   skipIfReportDisabled,
   skipIfWorker,
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-coverage-with-inspector-disabled.js b/test/parallel/test-coverage-with-inspector-disabled.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..0b0c2aea43fa60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/parallel/test-coverage-with-inspector-disabled.js
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const common = require('../common');
+common.skipIfInspectorEnabled();
+
+const fixtures = require('../common/fixtures');
+const assert = require('assert');
+const { spawnSync } = require('child_process');
+const env = { ...process.env, NODE_V8_COVERAGE: '/foo/bar' };
+const childPath = fixtures.path('v8-coverage/subprocess');
+const { status, stderr } = spawnSync(
+  process.execPath,
+  [childPath],
+  { env }
+);
+
+const warningMessage = 'The inspector is disabled, ' +
+                        'coverage could not be collected';
+
+assert.strictEqual(status, 0);
+assert.strictEqual(
+  stderr.toString().includes(`Warning: ${warningMessage}`),
+  true
+);